Highschool of the Dead: Us or Them
by HoTDFan
Summary: Three brothers from a military family are transferred to Fujimi Academy one day prior to the Z-Day outbreaks. Just when their lives seem to be getting back on track the world is completely unprepared for the living nightmare that opens up a new chapter in human history. The day humans were put back on the food chain. Rated-M. It is Highschool of the Dead afterall.
1. Chapter 1: Bound by Blood

**_Reading, Berkshire, England_**

 _(Three years prior to Z-Day)_

A young boy, roughly eleven years old, looked out the fogged up window of his classroom to watch the snow fall; captivated and entranced by the millions of flakes, each one unique and special. His left-index finger lightly began to tap against the top of his desk as time passed, slowly wearing away at his patience.

He knew he was meant to be paying attention to his teacher, but his mind was far more focused on what awaited him and his father this weekend. Every few minutes he would run his fingers through his short, brown hair, brushing it to the side and enjoying the sensational feeling it gave him.

Both his small legs swayed back and forth out of excitement as he knew that he was going to now be following in his older brothers' footsteps, as they both had to go through this event themselves. This had to be the infamous survival trip that would bring him into what their father considered manhood. His dark blue eyes were still looking out the window, becoming lost in the slowly gliding flurry of snowflakes that filled the air. The English and Union Jack flags both waving outside for some reason were captivating to him, more than usual at least. Forgetting entirely about the snow, he felt a strange swelling of patriotic pride in his chest. Perhaps it was the sense of taking one step closer to following in his fathers' footsteps that made him feel so proud to be a natural born British citizen at that very moment.

"So who can answer this question? How about you, Noah?" the teacher suddenly asked as she stood by the blackboard with a piece of chalk in hand, focusing her gaze on the young boy gazing out the window.

"Noah? Hello? Are you still with us, or are you daydreaming again?" the teacher asked again, maintaining a calm demeanor as the other students began to chuckle at their classmate's lack of response when he realized all of their eyes were now focused on him.

Suddenly the bell rang, effectively dismissing the entire class along with the rest of the school. This caught Noah's attention and spurred him to rise from his desk, immediately moving towards the door without having to answer the question his teacher asked.

"Noah, could you stay for a minute?" the teacher asked right before Noah could reach the door. He was very anxious to leave anyway, but Miss Thompson was always very sweet on him, so he let out a sigh before approaching her desk while his classmates all left, leaving just the two of them in the now empty classroom.

"I'm not in trouble am I, Miss Thompson?" Noah asked nervously as he approached her desk. Even despite how nice she had always been to him, Noah felt certain that even her patience could be worn thin, given how many times he'd been spacing out in class this week.

"Not at all, Noah. I just can't help but feel a little concerned about you. Is everything alright? You've been really quiet all week, at least more than usual." his teacher asked in a sincere voice; her light hazel eyes looking at him with far more concern than annoyance in his behavior.

"I'm okay, Miss Thompson. I've just been really focused on this weekend for a while now." Noah explained calmly as his body began to visibly relax now that he knew he wasn't in any trouble.

"Oh? What for, if I may ask?" Miss Thompson asked, curious as to what her eleven year old student could possibly be so hyped up for.

"Well, my family has deep roots in service to the armed forces. My Uncle Mark is a former Royal Marine, my father is an elite S.A.S. commando, and their father even fought in the Second World War, just as his father did in the Great War.

"My older brothers, Marcus and Frasier, have been learning all kinds of survival and combat skills from our father for the last several years, preparing for the day our country might be in need of the Lawson's service again. Father said that this weekend, he'll start to teach me the basics, and I've been really excited all week for it!" Noah exclaimed with pride in his voice, speaking with such speed and excitement that Miss Thompson nearly had a hard time trying to keep up.

"Wow, it certainly sounds very exciting! Well, I wish you the best of luck then, Noah. Or should I start calling you 'Mr. Lawson'?" Miss Thompson asked with a smile, glad to see the gleam of childlike excitement in Noah's eyes.

"I prefer Noah. I'm not a man just yet...oh, I have to go now. My older brothers are walking me home today. Have a nice weekend, Miss T!" Noah replied with an embarrassed blush, before suddenly realizing he was going to be late.

Without giving her a chance to even say goodbye, Noah bolted from the classroom and took off running through the crowded halls; dashing past students and teachers alike as he headed forthe front doors without any time to spare. He then stopped mid-dash when he could see his second elder brother, Marcus,heading right for him.

Marcus stood roughly a head over Noah and was two years older. His hair was a darker shade of brown and slightly styled to where the front was lifted upwards like a wave. Both his eyes had a charming light green color that stood out against his otherwise light skinned complexion.

"About time you got out, Noah. I was almost convinced you wankers left me behind again." Marcus said with a half smirk across his face before stopping to observe his younger sibling breathing heavily from his marathon run for the door.

"I...just got out of... class. Sorry." Noah apologized as he grasped both his knees while having to gasp for air between each pause he made.

"Its fine, you sod. Let's keep going before Frasier decides to leave without us. You know his patience isn't worth testing." Marcus responded with laughter in his words before he escorted Noah through the crowds of people making their way out of the school.

Both siblings walked side by side until a teenage boy no older than fifteen approached them. He was noticeably taller than both of them and had a much thicker frame. His hair was practically shaved down to less than that of an eyelash, but what little remained showed off a sandy blonde coloring. Both his eyes were a pure crystal blue that only made his predatory like gaze all the more intimidating.

"About bloody time. One would think you two would be more eager to get home and enjoy the weekend." Frasier announced as they all began to walk side by side with Noah in the center.

"Just got caught up is all. Sorry." Noah apologized before Frasier lightly tussled his hair affectionately.

"Don't apologize, Noah. There are some things you just can't control. The sooner you accept that, the better." Frasier replied as he they walked through the crowd of hundreds of other students and parents leaving the school grounds.

"So, are you finally going to tell us what father's training is like?" Noah asked as Frasier looked down at him with a somewhat disapproving glare.

"No. You both know I'm not allowed to talk about it." Frasier explained as he placed his hands in his pockets, his eyes now solely focused ahead.

"Oh, come on, Frasier! Can't you just tell me? I won't tell Marcus or father. Promise!" Noah then whispered as he noticed Marcus wasn't paying attention to either of them. His focus was clearly on a group of young women across the street from them.

"No." Frasier said in a somewhat annoyed tone before it became silent moments later, clearly ending the discussion for another day. He always did hate it when his siblings would try to prod him on the matter. 'No' was never enough, despite how often it would be said.

Soon after that, the snow finally stopped to reveal murky grey clouds in the sky. Along the way home, a cold nip would breeze by every now and then, a car would sometimes honk its horn as it passed, and on a few occasions the brothers would see someone arguing on a corner or outside a shop. It wasn't perfect,but this was their home and nothing could change that.

At one point, they were suddenly stopped by a gangly-looking man who certainly seemed out of place when he approached them from an alleyway just outside a pub. His hair was unsettlingly greasy, and his beard was very scrappy looking. What really set him apart though were his beady eyes that glared down at them, and the sickeningly yellow, splotchy teeth that showed when he grinned at the sight of them. The clothes he wore seemed quite worn out and had a strong odor that smelled distinctly of cheap cigarettes.

"Can I help you?" Frasier asked as he stood in front of Noah and Marcus, instinctively keeping them back just in case this man was going to be trouble.

"You lot seem to be off in a hurry. You were going so fast you almost forgot to pay the alley tax." the man chuckled in a rough voice, coughing heavily afterwards, yet he still managed to keep one eye on them the entire time.

"Sorry, sir, but we don't have any money. Can we still go by?" Noah asked naively as he began to feel his pockets.

"There isn't a tax to get by, Noah. This tit is trying to get a quick quid off of us." Marcus said in a soft whisper that wasn't as quiet as he thought. The man simply glared down at him before shifting his hand back into his pocket only to draw out a small pocket knife.

"Perhaps you boys would be more persuaded to help me out now. Unless you prefer a trip to the hospital." the man threatened as he watched them recoil, certain they'd be more complacent now.

However, what he least expected was for the eldest of the three to suddenly reach outwards and clamp down on one of his wrists; even less when his grip actually hurt the man.

"Oi, let go, you little shit! I'll fuckin' cut you, I will!" the man snarled as he suddenly backhanded Frasier across the face with his freehand. The young teen recoiled back against the sturdy brick wall, effectively losing his grip.

Before the man could shove the small steel knife into Frasier's chest, Marcus suddenly tossed Noah's book bag at their attacker to distract or hopefully stun him for even a second. Noah meanwhile had run back to get help from anyone in the nearby pub.

The mugger turned his focus to Marcus, only for Frasier to suddenly bash him across the face with an empty bottle left atop a rubbish bin. Glass splinted in the man's left eye and into his face as he nearly dropped the knife to hold his face in agonizing pain.

"Gah! Fuck, that fuckin' hurt!" the mugger cried out as blood trickled down his face. His senses were on fire as he wildly swung his knife in an attempt to retaliate.

Frasier however was only just getting started as he slashed the broken stub of the bottle down along the mugger's forearm,leaving a nasty gash exposing the torn flesh to the cold air as blood poured onto the snow below. The knife instantly dropped from his hands this time, only for the young Brit to grasp it in midair and swerve it around until he held it in a far more professional stance.

"Hold this, Marcus." Frasier said as he handed the knife and bottle to Marcus before taking a step towards the mugger. He grasped the man by the back of the neck, shoving his face down only for the tip of Frasier's knee to smash into the mugger's nose. Multiple splotches of blood painted the young Brit's pants each time his knee made contact.

He then cocked his fist back only to punch the man square across the cheek, releasing his tight grip at the last second to watch the man tumble backwards onto a pile of trash bags that had yet to be picked up.

"Enough! Enough! I fucking give up! Just please stop hitting me, kid!" the mugger pleaded as he held his hands up in defense. Fear was all that could be seen in his eyes as he tried to crawl backwards only to slip and look up at Frasier.

"It's over, right, Frasier? We can go home now? I mean, the police can take it from here." Marcus noted as he looked up to his older brother for a response.

"No." was all Frasier grunted before walking over to the beaten down man, pinning him down with one knee on his chest as what was once his attacker was now his prey.

Marcus stood there frozen in shock and fear, knowing he could do nothing as he just watched his older brother take swing after swing. His face cringed with every brutal strike made as if he could personally feel it too. The mugger's cries for mercy and help were soon muffled by bloody gargles. A woman screamed out in terror as she walked by while two large men came running out from the pub to cease the fighting immediately. They were most likely bouncers, given how quick they were to leap into action.

"Get him off! The kid's going to fucking kill the bastard!" one of them said as Frasier's voice was reduced to vicious snarls and grunts as he tried to finish what was started.

"Christ, this one's strong! Hold him down! Don't let go!" the other bouncer warned as they struggled to keep the young teen down and away from the bloody mess he left.

"Everyone, out of the way. We'll take it from here." one of three police officers announced as they made their way in to restore order. Noah soon came out to see Marcus standing there with his jaw hanging. Both siblings watched as people began to crowd around the alley to see what was going on. It wasn't long until the police had Frasier subdued and in captivity while the mugger was thrown into another police car that had arrived at the scene.

Later that night, after a fully written police report had been filled out, Frasier now stood before his father, whom was sitting in his leather chair within his personal study. Normally their father would be proud of Frasier defending his brothers and using his training to do so, but for some reason, their father was actually scorning him for it this time. As Frasier tried to piece together what went wrong, he couldn't help but feel fear coiling around the deepest pit of his stomach.

The Lawson brothers' father was a quite large and powerful man, standing easily at 195cm (6'5) tall while his body was covered in dense, thick muscle. His gaze was quite powerful and dominating, both of them a light blue similar to what Frasier's were like. His head was completely shaved, but most likely would have a few grey hairs if he let it grow out. He was known as Commander Arthur Lawson of the 22nd S.A.S. Regiment.

"All my life, you've taught me to protect the family and just about everything you know!" Frasier argued as he stood his ground before his father, his words of reason being swatted aside like common house flies.

"Yes, at first you did what any good father would be proud of, Frasier. However, when he was disarmed, on the ground and at your mercy, that should've been it. But from what I've been told, you kept going anyway, to the point that you made it near impossible to even identify the bastard." Arthur said in a sharp tone, his voice gruff and heavily judgmental with the choice of words he went with.

"Father, be realistic here! I did what you would've done. Hell, I take that back, because you would've gone even one step further!" Frasier defied as if he was now convinced that this man wasn't even the father who raised him all his life now.

"Frasier, what I would or wouldn't have done isn't what's important. What's important is that your actions today show that you're lacking in the greatest discipline a soldier is able to have: restraint. A strong man is able to use the power he has to utterly destroy his enemy. A stronger man is able to restrain himself from using that power every time someone tries to fight him. He's able to know when to say that enough is enough." Arthur explained as if he were reading from one of his many books as Frasier could only feel his words stabbing at him. It was like his father was calling him nothing more than a loose cannon, some reckless ruffian rather than an expertly trained and refined soldier.

Marcus and Noah meanwhile were just standing in the next room, listening in on the entire conversation. Both were shocked to hear that the two weren't agreeing with one another on the matter as they normally did. A strange feeling emerged in the pit of the stomachs too at this unwelcoming omen. Somehow they could both feel this wasn't going to end well at all.

"Enough. I'm no better equipped to explain any more than you're equipped to understand. This isn't easy for me to say, Frasier,but the way things are looking right now, I see no other alternative than for you be relocated with your Uncle Mark, effective immediately." Arthur then announced as he watched Frasier's look of defiance slowly shift into that of betrayal, shock and uncertainty.

"What?! You mean you intend to send me to Japan?! But how can I continue my training now?! Uncle Mark has been out of commission for years! How can I possibly learn anything from him?" Frasier asked, his voice actually cracking as he found himself quickly overwhelmed with various emotions at this unexpected and unwelcome change, feeling a deep pain in his heart as the man he had been utterly loyal to, and always striving to impress since his military training began at age six, was now casting him away like an utterly broken piece of hardware.

"Your training is over as far as I'm concerned, Frasier. I can't explain why this is happening, but just believe that what I'm doing is for the best and accept what's coming." Arthur attempted to explain in a more calm voice as he just looked down at Frasier. Part of him already showed regret over this incredibly difficult choice.

"I'm sorry. Don't think that this is something I wanted. If I could,I'd do something about it." Arthur then said in a softer, more approachable voice as he then walked away, knowing there was nothing else to be said. Frasier meanwhile just stood in that room like a statue with both fists clenched tight, gritting his teeth, trying to fight back the tears of complete betrayal stinging his eyes.

Meanwhile, Marcus and Noah were both in tears of their own from what they overheard. To see their big brother, whom they'd always looked up to and who was always there for them, now being sent away to live on the opposite side of the world, was unlike anything they'd ever expected to experience. Sadness and sorrow filled their hearts while confusion and anger filled their minds. It wasn't fair. Why must their family be split up even further?

 _(2 years later)_

Things were rough for Marcus and Noah for the next two years. Now that Frasier was gone and attending a place called Fujimi Academy, it felt like a trio had lost a member, and couldn't ever be the same until that said member returned. Both boys had grown a considerable amount and began to form their own personalities in the process as well. Even if not all new qualities were for the best.

Their training had taken some alternate turns compared to what Frasier had received. While it wasn't nearly as intense as it could've been for them, it certainly was the hardest time in their young lives. There were times where the two of them had to spend several days surviving in the outskirts of civilization with nothing but a knife and small rations in case they weren't able to catch anything. Despite Frasier's absence, Noah and Marcus were able to form stronger bonds with one another, which made things all the more painful when Marcus eventually began to slip up in school.

His marks began to drop more and more rapidly the more he realized he no longer enjoyed the constant hour after hour of studying with no real control over his life. Arthur didn't exactly take it too well, and every time he attempted to help Marcus, it only pushed them further away from each other. It eventually got to the point where Marcus was openly defying Arthur right to his face, and once it was clear to everyone that the two couldn't even be in the same room anymore without descending into fierce arguments, the decision was virtually unanimous that Marcus should perhaps move in with Uncle Mark and Frasier as well.

Noah was obviously devastated that he now had to say goodbye to his only remaining brother, but if the alternative was watching him and their father constantly refrain from trading physical blows with each other, Noah couldn't help but see that this was clearly the better choice. On the day Marcus was to leave on his flight, he shared the only advice wit Noah he felt made sense to him in this tough moment.

"Better learn Japanese while you can, Noah. The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised to see you getting off this plane soon yourself."

Those were Marcus' last words before leaving his younger brother behind.

 _(1 year later)_

With both brothers gone, Noah had nothing better to do than to heed Marcus' last words of advice and learn the language, just in case he ended up being right. Through all the time that followed, Noah felt a massive hole in his heart that nothing else could ever hope to replace. It pained him deeply every time he had to look at their empty beds. There was no one left to look up to, nor anyone that he could go to when he had a problem that he couldn't tell his father about without dying from embarrassment,or out of fear of what he might've had to say. The training had become more and more lenient over time as Arthur finally realized that he now had only one son left to bond with.

Noah was quite fond of him outside the training, and he could somewhat feel his father's dilemma. He wanted nothing more than to earn his father's approval, to be the very best he could before his family and country. In school, Noah's marks kept increasing to the point he no longer felt challenged. Although he had made some noteworthy progress, deep down he still felt that hole in his gut ever since Marcus and Frasier left.

One evening, both Arthur and Noah sat side by side on a small pier overlooking a lake just outside their town. Both had a fishing rod in hand as they gazed out at the peaceful water, neither of them saying a word, just listening to the calming sounds of nature. Arthur had been mostly silent during their day together. Noah would occasionally whistle a song he'd heard recently, which would get Arthur to ask what it was. When Noah would tell him, he'd just grumble in response, given how little he knew about modern music.

"Noah…do you think I'm a bad father?" Arthur suddenly asked as he looked down at the line connected to his fishing rod. His voice was low and full of uncertainty. At first Noah was taken aback, seeing how this had never come up before, and he'd never heard his father sound so uncertain about anything before.

"I…well, I can't speak for Marcus or Frasier, but I personally don't think you're so bad. I mean, maybe you could be nicer at times, though." Noah replied hesitantly as he felt like if he said one wrong word, he'd be hearing about it for the next few months.

"I know I'm hard on you boys, but I hope you know I have my reasons for it. There's an entire world out there full of danger in all shapes and forms, and it's my duty as a father to make sure you three are ready for it when you become full-grown adults. But even with that said, I still feel your brothers will never want anything to do with me again after the note we left each other on." Arthur explained as he turned his head to face Noah, who could now see an unmistakable look of sadness in his father's eyes; something he never imagined he'd ever see.

"Noah, I love all three of you more than anything else in this world, but I've come to realize now that I've kept you apart from them for too long. Your Uncle Mark writes to me continuously and claims the two of them have made incredibly changes in the right direction during their time in Japan. He feels the change in surroundings; atmosphere and the people have really helped shape up their attitudes. Perhaps... if you're interested, you'd be willing to stay with him for a year or two to see if you like it there better as well?" Arthur finally confessed as he gave Noah the unexpected option to finally reunite with his elder siblings. Noah could scarcely believe that his father was legitimately giving him this option, but once it became clear that he wasn't hearing things, he could practically feel his once heavy heart become as light as a feather.

"I'd love to! But what about you? If I'm gone, then who will take care of your old arse?" Noah exclaimed with sheer excitement before asking in a more humorous tone what would become of Arthur.

"Don't make any assumptions, Noah. I may be well into my forties, but my body is still in prestige condition. Hell, I can still out perform those twenty year old wanks out in the field. General Monty also believes I'm worth keeping around, so I'll be back in the field where I belong before too long. You're more than welcome to stay, Noah, but I figured you'd still be lonely." Arthur grumbled after finally explaining his own situation and plans for the future. It took Noah a good couple minutes to really consider his decision. He wanted to see his brothers again more than anything, but a part of him felt really hesitant about leaving his father all to his own devices without anyone by his side. But in the end, listening to his heart, Noah knew what his ultimate decision was.

"I'd prefer to see my brothers, father. And perhaps, one day, we can all see each other again?" Noah finally answered before proposing his hope for a family reunion.

"I'd like that, son. I truly would." Arthur said with heavy pride in his words before Noah's reel began to spin; both of them suddenly trying to pull in an unlucky fish that would surely become their next meal.

 _(One week later)_

 **Johann Johannsson – Free the Mind**

Time passed like nothing at all, and before he knew it, Noah was on a plane bound for Tokonosu City, Japan; a metropolis that had Noah beyond excited to explore, as well as finally see his elder siblings after all this time. The flight was fairly quick for him because he had fallen asleep quite fast from the over-excitement. Hours turned to minutes and minutes soon turned to seconds when the plane finally landed. Noah was now in Tokonosu Offshore International Airport, a major airport located offshore in Tokonosu Bay.

After several minutes of awkwardly shuffling past the other passengers, Noah looked around to make sure he was following the right signs to lead him. He patiently stood by a conveyor belt with others crowding around it for their luggage. As he waited for his small suitcase to arrive, he'd look at the various signs and advertisements set up all around him in order to test his ability to read the Japanese language. Luckily he'd really taken Marcus' advice to heart and found he had little to no trouble translating the characters into English.

Eventually his small suitcase had finally come around. He quickly snatched it and verified it actually belonged to him. Noah then slowly backed up before continuing down the designated pathways that led him to the ferry headed for the mainland of Tokonosu City. He was unable to contain the excitement boiling inside of him as he stood by the railing, his eyes glancing at the other passengers before just staring out at the sea.

The smell of saltwater was heavy in the air as the sun had finally gone down. The once beautiful orange skies filled with soft, white clouds were now consumed by a pitch black darkness countered by the illuminating city lights that could be seen for miles, along with a full moon that hung in the sky, glowing as white as snow.

The ferry let out a loud ***toot*** from its foghorn before it finally docked. Noah was the first one off the boat, and without wasting a second, he began to look around frantically for his Uncle Mark. Minutes began to pass as strangers maneuvered around Noah, who was continuing to stand there, hoping that his Uncle would weave around the crowd any minute now to greet him.

A soft breeze blew by as Noah lowered his head. Uncertainty began to brew in his head as he began to wonder what had possibly gone wrong. Could it be possible that Uncle Mark had taken gotten lost? Did Noah somehow take a wrong turn somewhere? Or did Uncle Mark simply forget about him?

He then spotted a small boy passing close by, holding hands with his mother, before he suddenly took off running only to jump into the arms of what looked like his father. Noah couldn't help but smile at the reunion, knowing that he himself should be more patient before giving up hope.

"Oi, before you feel the need to call for an adult, why not try looking up, Gov?" a familiar voice suddenly asked, causing Noah to immediately do as he was told when hearing someone speaking in English.

Noah smiled brightly as he stood face to face with a teenage boy that could be no older than sixteen. He wore what most Japanese teenage boys would wear in this region, but his features made it quite obvious he wasn't a local. He had a warm, inviting smile as both arms were extended out, his face unmistakable even after two whole years.

"Marcus!" Noah exclaimed in pure excitement as he held his elder brother tight. There were no words to describe the joy and happiness Noah felt here. Tears began to stain Marcus' shirt as the two embraced each other, both of them absolutely ecstatic to finally see each other again. His brother must've been at least 172 cm (5'8) given the difference between their heights.

 **[]**

"Ah, c'mon! Enough with the water works, Noah. You can't be THAT excited to see me." Marcus chuckled before distancing himself a bit to observe his little brothers noticeable growth spurt since they'd last seen each other.

"Jesus... You are one tall bloke now, aren't you? What the hell's dad been feeding you nowadays?" Marcus complimented as he was rather taken aback by how much Noah had visibly changed.

"Just the good ol' shite from a bloody can. But hey! I don't think I look so bad, Mr. I-Think-I-Can-Hide-That-Deeper-Voice. Did your sack finally drop or have you been tugging the prick too hard again?" Noah retorted with a smirk only to form a bigger smile when Marcus burst out laughing at his cheeky was the first time Noah had ever gotten Marcus, the Lawson trio's regular funny man, to laugh that hard. It couldn't help but make Noah's chest swell with a bit of pride.

"So are we just gonna stand here or what? Let's go see the others! Where are they?" Noah then asked as he grasped his small suitcase in hand, his whole body practically shaking with excitement to see everyone else at long last.

"It's just me for now I'm afraid. Uncle Mark requested that I pick you up while he attends to some business." Marcus explained as he walked Noah over to a vast parking garage. He then reached into his pockets to reveal a pair of keys in hand.

"And what about Frasier?" Noah asked as Marcus straddled a fancy-looking motorbike, turned on the ignition, and then placed a crimson red helmet over his head.

"He's...training." Marcus replied bluntly before offering Noah a black helmet of his own.

"Training…you mean, like by himself? But father always said we should train together to avoid cementing any mistakes we might be making." Noah replied with some understandable confusion as he pulled the straps of his suitcase/backpack around his shoulders.

"Nah, he's training with this local girl he majorly has it in for. Kendo or some shite like that." Marcus replied as he suddenly took off without warning, hitting 30 kilometers per hour in less than five seconds flat. Noah's heart nearly skipped a beat as the motor roared throughout the entire parking garage.

"What? You're still talking about Frasier, right? Since when does he care about anyone outside the family, and a girl no less?" Noah asked, understandably shocked; and now very curious on the subject, given his eldest brother's usual motivations and behavior towards strangers.

"You'll have to ask him yourself, but good luck with that. The cold bastard will hardly acknowledge anything beyond a deep respect for her. But I know that look he gets. That look that says'me like you'!" Marcus announced as he stopped at a red light to give Noah a heads up of what was to come if he were to choose to actually pursue Frasier on the matter; talking in a typical Neanderthal grunt to emphasize just how primal Frasier's emotions were towards this mystery girl.

Noah let out a soft laugh under his helmet as he observed his environment. Tokonosu City was filled with all kinds of night life. The lights were all very bright and inviting to fresh eyes like his. Neon signs flashed, buzzed and flickered over the store and outlets as the city's residents flowed through the streets like a flood even after sundown. It was certainly calmer and a lot more mentally uplifting, compared to back home where it was very grey and bleak. Even the advertisements on billboards and signs seemed to be abstract in their own way. The air itself seemed to pulsate with the rhythm of some kind of J-Pop music emanating from large televised billboards playing on some of the larger buildings in the heart of the city.

"So not that this conversation hasn't been fascinating, but I have to know, what time do I get up for school tomorrow?" Noah soon asked as they eventually came to an abrupt halt just in front of a small apartment complex.

"We start at 9:00 AM sharp. But whereas most other people either take the trains or the buses, Frasier insists we walk. But thanks to a shortcut, found by yours truly, it only takes us about twenty minutes to get there, so we can head out around 8:30." Marcus answered before pulling his helmet off to re-style his hair just the way he liked it before turning the ignition off.

"Alright, sounds good to me. I'd better go inside and unpack my stuff." Noah acknowledged before dismounting the bike and handing Marcus back his spare helmet.

"Right. We're in apartment 4-A." Marcus instructed as he motioned Noah to follow him up the stairs that would take them directly to their floor.

Even the architecture managed to captivate Noah as he'd look around to compare it to the buildings back at home. Most of those buildings still had that unmistakable British look about them, giving their hometown a very old-timey look altogether, but the modernist look to everything he'd already gotten to see in the city, even down to these very apartment blocks, managed to feel so new to him. He could only begin to imagine what their school was like now.

 ***click***

The door to one of the various apartments swung wide open as both Marcus and Noah found themselves standing in a dark room. Marcus' hand slowly felt up the wall before he could finally grip the plastic stub only to give it a quick flip. In an instant the room was filled by a white light before everything was now visible to them.

While it wasn't the cleanest nor fanciest of places, it was still certainly livable for four men. As Noah observed the living room, he spotted a black leather couch set before a medium-sized television in the center, just outside the kitchen area. The young teen slowly found himself following a tiny hall that lead to three separate doors. One room belonging to Uncle Mark, one to Marcus and Frasier, and one would presumably have to be the bathroom.

"Uh... do I even get a mattress?" Noah wondered out loud as he could hear Marcus cracking open a drink out in the kitchen.

"Oh, right! I believe we're working on that. So for now, I guess one of us is sleeping on the couch." Marcus replied in slight embarrassment before walking in to see Noah sitting on his bed with a wide smirk on his face, as if he'd just claimed the territory for himself.

"Oh fine, you little wanker. I enjoy the couch more anyhow." Marcus grinned before lightly punching Noah in the arm, slowly walking away to let him unpack his mini-suitcase as he set himself up on the couch. Minutes passed as Noah would neatly fold and stack his clothing, keeping everything in sets for the next couple of days.

Suddenly, he could hear the sound of someone approaching the door. Two loud ***thuds*** replaced what should've been footsteps. Noah peered out of his room to see the shadow of a figure through the space between the floor and the door.

Marcus opened the door only for a young man standing at 177 cm (5'10) to enter the room. His arms, legs, and torso were incredible in terms of condition; not too bulky, yet not too narrow neither. Both light blue eyes had an all too familiar predatory like quality to them, yet this time they were accompanied by a warm, loving smile.

"Noah." Frasier said in barely more than a whisper to his little brother, who without hesitation bolted through the apartment only to nearly tackle him with the sheer force behind it. His arms wrapped tightly around his eldest brother's torso as he couldn't help but laugh excitedly now that he'd finally reunited with both his brothers. Frasier however stood there awkwardly as he looked down at Noah. He glanced over to Marcus, who then silently motioned for him to hug Noah back.

"Frasier, oh man, you have no idea how much I've missed you! I can't believe we're all finally together again! Neither of you hardly look the same anymore! Are you excited to see me? How much bigger do I look now? What're we gonna do tonight? Who's your girlfriend?" Noah then began to ask in an increasingly overly excited tone; his mouth moving so rapidly it sounded like his words were on the verge of crashing into one another.

"Slow down, slow down! Of course I'm excited to see you, Noah. Now let's see... you're definitely much taller, that much is for certain. Your face has certainly matured as well, and you've clearly been through some of father's training. I can just see it in your eyes. You've really grown up since last I saw you…it is really good to see you again, Noah." Frasier observed, trying to fight back the surge of emotion beginning to catch up with him now that he was finally seeing his youngest brother in the flesh for the first time in three years. Noah tried his best to keep the tears of joy held back while his heart pounded intensely, still feeling doubt as to whether this long-awaited reunion was really real or just some kind of taunting dream; but deep in his heart, he knew this was all real, and he couldn't be happier for that.

"What about your girlfriend, Frasier? You didn't say anything about having one last time you wrote." Noah brought up again, only to watch Frasier turn his head to Marcus, who was busy restraining all laughter to the best of his ability before Frasier turned back to face Noah.

"I don't have a girlfriend, Noah. Although the fact you're asking about such a thing DOES warrant suspicion." Frasier replied with a raised eyebrow before turning his head to look at Marcus chuckling to himself.

"Oh stop kidding yourself already, Frasier! You're not as subtle as you like to think you are; it's pretty much written all over your face. Just say it. Just say 'I want to be inside of Saeko Busujima.' There! Problem solved! You don't have to hide it—WHOA!" Marcus suggested in an all too humorous tone, only to let out a shocked yelp when Frasier suddenly bolted after him. Both brothers began circling around the kitchen table before Marcus managed to slip by, only for Frasier to quickly tackle him to the floor.

Noah stood there cracking up as he watched the two squirming on the floor in front of him. Marcus reached for a couch cushion and began to smack Frasier with it in the hopes that he'd let go to block his head from it. However, his older brother was far more preoccupied with shutting him up for running his mouth.

"King of the hill!" Noah roared at the top of his lungs before suddenly jumping onto them just before they could get back on their feet. Both elder brothers toppled over as Noah tried to pin them down, laughing hysterically while Marcus tried to squirm out of Frasier's grasp.

Eventually through superior strength and aggression, Frasier managed to gain dominance over the both of them. His powerful arms playfully pinned Noah and Marcus down on their backs as a single drop of sweat escaped from his brow.

"You two lack the strength to contend with a true soldier." Frasier remarked with an arrogant confidence, only for Noah and Marcus to simultaneously cry out "REGICIDE!" and proceed to pull him back down in a joint effort to dethrone him. That moment of frustration Frasier had completely dissipated as he soon found himself laughing joyously alongside his younger brothers. He simply couldn't help feeling happier than he had in years, seeing how their motley trio had finally been reunited. The other two could've sworn he even let out a single tear of joy,but that would be wishful thinking.

"Oi, did I miss something, or have you boys already decided to destroy my inner sanctum of manhood?" a voice suddenly announced from the reopened doorway to reveal their Uncle Mark standing at roughly 182 cm (6'0) tall and weighing in at 15 stones (210lbs).

He had a rather thick physique compared to their father, but he could undoubtedly really get moving should the need have ever arisen for him to do so. The black hair on his head had already begun to fall out around the center, but that certainly didn't keep him from trying to hide it by combing it over. Luckily he was quite tall compared to the locals, so he usually had to just keep his head tilted up and nobody could really notice.

Uncle Mark lived a far more simple life compared to how he lived back in his prime, so now he preferred to dress in casual tan slacks, a red Hawaiian styled shirt with white floral design, and more often than not a pair of black sandals. The man couldn't have managed to look any more like he stepped right out of Miami in the 1980's if he had tried.

"Well I had no intentions of destroying the local whorehouses if this town even had any, you bum." Marcus replied with a sly grin, only for Frasier to stand up and brush himself off while Noah hopped back up to hug their embarrassed Uncle.

"Shut your gob, you cheeky muppet." Mark replied with an even bigger grin as he held Noah and nearly lifted him up in a tight bear hug, more than eager to catch up with the youngest of his nephews after so much time had passed.

"Good Christ, you've gotten to be one tall sod. I haven't held you since you were still wearing diapers. What are you now? 165 cm (5'5)? 167 cm (5'6)"?" Mark asked with a hearty laugh as he was greatly pleased to see his youngest nephew was still healthy and growing into a man.

"165 cm"." Noah answered with a proud smile as he looked up at Mark, who put on a face to exaggerate his shock.

"165 cm? 165 cm?! Blimey. You two better be nice to THIS one,because he's going to keep growing!" Mark playfully joked as looked over to Marcus and Frasier, who simply let out a soft chuckle. Uncle Mark then tussled Noah's hair before walking over to the fridge to grab himself a pint of lager.

"So, Noah...you drink yet, or do we still have to wait another couple years?" Mark suddenly asked with his head hanging over the various bottles and cans he kept stowed away in his fridge.

"He's far too young, even by English standards, Mark. You should know better." Frasier scorned as he stood by Noah with crossed arms.

"Firstly, don't think that just because you're as strong as you are means you don't still have to address me as your uncle. I could still plant your arse on the floor if I wanted to. Second, no need to let your own stubbornness ruin his good time. You know I'd offer you some too, but you're never up for it. C'mon, just a pint,you sissy." Mark teased as he held out an unopened glass bottle,shaking it at Frasier as if to entice him into taking it.

"You know he'd drink it if Saeko was doing it." Marcus brought up as he closed the door to the apartment before ducking to avoid Frasier's attempt to pop him in the arm for bringing her up again.

"Oh, yes. How can I possibly forget about HER? Frasier, I know you don't aim to be the most sociable chap in the world, but please tell me you've at least taken her out before." Mark sighed in acknowledgement as he recalled his nephews' obvious fondness for the young woman.

"I...well...not exactly. W-why should it matter if I have or not,though? Saeko is a friend, and that's just how it should be." Frasier grumbled in embarrassment as he knew they had him in unfamiliar territory.

"He says while bright red in the face just talking about her. Face it, Frasier. You like the bird, regardless of whether or not you choose to accept it. Just go up to her and tell her what's going on in your head. And if that fails, you could always just show her your O face and see where it goes from there." Uncle Mark suggested as Frasier was now somewhat curious as to what he was getting at.

"My 'O face'?" Frasier asked confusedly, as he was quite certain he normally didn't make anything of the sort.

"You know. OH! OH! OH! OH! OH!" Mark suddenly moaned out at the top of his lungs with a hilarious, yet over exaggerated sexual look on his face which immediately was followed by an eruption of laughter from Noah and Marcus, who both took great pleasure from the spectacle. He then took it up a notch by thrusting his pelvis back and forth to add to the demonstration.

"Wise words from a drunk who spends nearly all his free time bedding whores." Frasier replied in an unamused tone as he just narrowed his eyes, slowly walking away before closing the door to his bedroom behind him.

"Oh, don't like that, do you? Maybe try this then." Mark asked before raising both his middle and right index finger at Frasier with a soft grin behind it before taking a long, uninterrupted drink from his beer, wiping his mouth off with his own forearm.

"Do they always get like this?" Noah whispered to Marcus while trying to keep it from getting any worse by being overheard.

"Only if you mention Saeko. I swear, if I have to talk that icy bugger step by step into her heart and parts beyond, I'll do a girl of his own could be exactly what he needs to get that proverbial stick out of his arse and lighten up." Marcus responded before he looked at his wristwatch only to realize just how late it really was.

"Shit, we better get to bed. We can catch up on the way to school. You have a long day ahead of you, Noah." Marcus then said as he hugged his younger sibling one last time before settling down on the couch with headphones on.

Hours passed while Uncle Mark sat alone for a majority of the duration at the kitchen table, drinking bottle after bottle while watching the TV before eventually stumbling into bed with his ass hanging in the air. The occasional car would drive by on the elevated freeway, shining a beam of light through the windows and cheap curtains. For the most part, it was quiet and clear of any unrest to be heard of.

 _[One Day Before_ _Z-Day]_

The darkness and shroud that panned over the metropolis known as Tokonosu City was lifted once more as the sun began to peek from the horizon of the Pacific Ocean. Its rays reflecting from the light blue waters as the sky went from pitch black to a light shade of orange and yellow. The puffy white clouds emerged to any lucky enough to witness such a sight, indicating that it would most likely be a nice, warm, spring day.

Birds began to enthusiastically sing their songs while people tossed and turned in their beds, cursing the fact they had to get up now. The sound of cars starting up and driving off to work began to become more frequent as time passed on. The honk one car let off was what caused Noah to finally awaken with one eye still closed.

He sat up feeling slightly dazed yet rather well rested. Today was finally the big day, and deep down he couldn't help but feel nervous. On one hand, part of him feared how his new school and its inhabitants would treat him. On the other hand, it was a prestigious academy that certainly caught Noah's eyes, given how much he enjoyed learning new things. Suddenly, his nose began to twitch as he could smell something cooking in the kitchen.

"Morning, Noah. You're just in time for breakfast, Marcus Lawson-style. Hope you like fish, cause the locals around here sure as hell do." Marcus greeted Noah as he turned to see who was next to try his definition of 'breakfast' as Noah stepped out from the hall.

"It's not half-bad, actually. He only cocked it up a little bit." Frasier commented when he noticed Noah's hesitation to answer,as well as the look on his face when he saw his serving of semi-burnt fish.

"Oh sod off, you twat. I don't see you doing any better." Marcus grumbled as he flipped over the fish to cook the other side while Noah poured a cup of water from the sink.

"Oh? Is that a challenge I hear? Alright, Marcus, name it and I will accept!" Frasier said in a rather defensive yet somewhat cocky tone as he stood up from his chair, feeling particularly powerful today.

"Alright...yeah, I got one. You have to cook a fish-" Marcus began to explain before Frasier let out a rough chuckle before he could even finish.

"What, is that all? You know I've been trained many times in the art of survival out in the wild. Cooking a bloody fish will be no issue for me! Pretty weak challenge, Marcus, but I accept nonetheless." Frasier scoffed as he folded his arms, certain he'd taken an easy bet he had no chance of losing.

"AND you have to give it to Saeko." Marcus finished, smiling triumphantly the moment Frasier's rather cocky grin slowly changed to an expression of nervous uncertainty as the words finally sank in.

"Wait, what?! B-but that's not part of the bet! That's not happening!" Frasier suddenly protested, his voice actually shaking much to Noah's shock.

"Noah, what were his words again?" Marcus asked in mock curiosity as he formed a wide smirk at how unsettled his older brother was becoming at the thought of this bet now. While Frasier was undoubtedly the most powerful among them physically, Marcus had certainly developed some power of his own psychologically.

"'Name it and I will accept'." Noah answered as he tried to make his voice as deep as possible in order to even try and imitate Frasier.

"Oh, you cheeky prats. Fine! I'll cook a damn fish for her sometime this week. Happy?" Frasier grumbled as he knew he would never hear the end of it from either Marcus or Noah if he even remotely denied his end of the deal.

"Ecstatic. Don't forget to add seasoning." Marcus commented before Frasier stormed off to gather his student uniform and book bag. Clearly he knew when he'd been beaten, and fanning the flames would certainly not help him now.

"Sooo…what kind of uniform do we wear and where can I get one?" Noah finally asked as he looked back to Marcus while deciding to change the subject so they wouldn't have any awkward silences between them.

"It's nothing too fancy, but I do look rather awesome in it if I do say so myself. As for where, we can buy you one up at the student service center. It'll be easier to find, seeing how it's one of the first buildings you run into when walking in. If you've still got your admittance papers Uncle Mark sent you, they should in fact have a set on standby for you once you get there, since they'll be expecting you." Marcus answered as he was in the middle of turning off all the kitchen utilities he'd been working with. Noah couldn't help but grin triumphantly as he had come prepared and held up his admittance papers like some kind of trophy.

"You will be able to show me around, won't you?" Noah then asked nervously, hoping he simply wouldn't be tossed into a completely new environment without any aid from his siblings, left to fend for himself.

"Of course. I mean...well, I can at least show you where to go at first, but I doubt the school, or Frasier for that matter, would want me missing class. But you don't have to worry. They have some very friendly teachers, Noah. Not to mention the fact that some are total hotties." Marcus said encouragingly before mentioning one of the benefits he'd come to experience from attending Fujimi Academy.

"Why? Fancy some of the male teachers there?" Noah asked with a sly chuckle, only for Marcus to roll his eyes at the remark.

"Oh, ha, ha, you're sooo funny, Noah. Seriously though...it's like they've picked some of these female teachers straight out of heaven. I noticed your schedule and it's almost all women. Lucky duckling if you ask me." Marcus sarcastically laughed before speaking in a more serious tone, certain that Noah had a very nice setup.

"Well, I think I'll just focus on my studies for now. Besides, I doubt they'd be interested in a fourteen year old." Noah replied while cleaning off his plate and heading back to their room to acquire his book bag and fresh supplies for the school year.

' _Yeah...you'll change your tune when you see it for yourself Noah. I guarantee it._ ' Marcus thought to himself as he held his hands under the running faucet; the warm water cleansing his hands before he soon retreated back to his room to get ready himself.

 _[10 minutes later]_

Soon it was finally time to leave, and the Lawson trio was walking side by side down the semi-crowded sidewalk. They stopped every now and then when a train would pass by carrying a large load of passengers around the city. Hundreds if not thousands of voices chattering in Japanese filled the air around them. Despite being far away from home, Marcus and Frasier had come to accept it by now, and Japanese had pretty much become as natural to them as English. Noah on the other hand was still trying to adjust, but he certainly was enjoying the various differences between the two cultures just from what minor sights around the city he was able to see, as well as the way the locals carried themselves and interacted with each other.

The skies were now a calm baby blue color, while the sun continued to reach its peak height. It felt rather warm, but what could one expect with spring just around the corner? Winds would occasionally pick up, giving those lucky enough to feel it a refreshing chill. Noah would occasionally space out from what his brothers were talking about amongst themselves whenever he noticed a plant he'd never seen before, or a store that piqued his curiosity. Along the way, the cherry blossom trees he'd only heard of and seen in photographs captivated him. The beauty and delightful smell they gave off really added to the charm of this real-life metropolis. At one point he knelt down to pick up a fallen petal, only to stash it away as if he'd decided to collect them now. He then looked up to see his brothers both staring at him with curious looks.

"They say these things fall to symbolize mortality, and often do it during the first couple of months in the year. I figured I'd keep it for memories sake, seeing how it appears they've yet to blossom despite it nearly being spring." Noah said in an attempt to justify his actions to them before they just shrugged and motioned him to keep moving along to avoid being late.

"So are you absolutely sure you can take care of this? I can handle it if you're uncertain." Frasier then asked Marcus as Noah caught up to them.

"Of course I can handle it. I'm just showing him where to get a bloody uniform. It's not like I'm teaching him rocket science or anything." Marcus said with slight annoyance while he looked back over his shoulder to Noah only to give him a nod of acknowledgement.

"I think HE'D more likely be the one teaching YOU rocket science." Frasier responded with a rather condescending tone in his voice. Marcus couldn't tell if that was meant to be a poorly delivered joke or if he actually meant it. Either way it was a cheap shot. That was the one thing that really annoyed him about Frasier. Even after the last two years, he still treated him like nothing more than a small child.

"Yeah, keep talking big, you tosser. Don't forget our deal." Marcus retorted, which caused Frasier to fall silent once again, knowing Marcus had the perfect edge over him until the deal was eventually fulfilled.

Eventually they found themselves standing just outside of the private school simply known as Fujimi Academy. To Marcus and Frasier, it was simply another day at the grind; but to Noah,it was like beholding the sight of a colossus. Hundreds of students wearing the same uniforms stood outside talking to one another in groups while others would be heading off to class. The boys would be wearing a matching black shirt and pants; the girls on the other hand wore green skirts down to a few inches above their knees and white tops. While school uniforms weren't anything new to Noah, at least they were something able to remind him of home.

A twin gate system was already opened up; the bars appeared to be made of reinforced iron to keep intruders out. It was a private school after all, and it was abundantly clear no expense had been spared to make it a top tier place to learn. Noah was the first of the trio to run in and observe his new surroundings.

Pulling from his pocket a small map Frasier gave him when they were changing earlier that morning; he began to scan every wing and sector he could see from the courtyard. When he managed to determine where the student service center was, the young Brit immediately took off.

"Oi, wait up, you jumpy bugger. I thought I was supposed to be showing you where things were around here." Marcus announced as he jogged over and placed his hand on Noah's back to slow him down a bit.

"Sorry, Marcus, but this place is just amazing, though! How come you never told me how awesome this place was before?!" Noah said in apology before hyping himself up again when he looked around some more to see this place even had its own cherry blossom trees planted outside, complete with an older looking man wearing gardener attire slowly tending to them in the distance.

"Because it's school, Noah. It's all the same shit if you ask me. You go to class, sit on your arse for a few hours, listen to various adults try to cram shit into your head that will rarely ever be used, especially in our intended fields of work, and you do that for nine months out of the year. Best of all is that you pay them loads of dosh to do it! Does that still sound like a jolly good time to you?" Marcus ranted on before finally taking a deep breath to recollect his thoughts, hoping his little brother would wise up, stop acting like a geek and be cooler about everything like him.

"I also read this place has one of the highest ratings in all of Japan's educational departments, too!" Noah then replied as if everything Marcus just said went in one ear, was ground up into nothing, and then sent out the other.

"Oh for fu-never mind. Let's just get you that uniform, you eager little muppet." Marcus began to curse before realizing he shouldn't be trying this hard to ruin something Noah clearly enjoyed.

They both entered one of the smaller wings of the massive facility. Posters to join all kinds of clubs and after school programs could be seen littered along the walls, each one giving detailed reasons as to why to join, and more often than not was accompanied by a cute little cartoon drawing on it to draw the attention of any passersby. Since there weren't any classrooms in this wing, it was mostly just students, teachers, and other faculty members passing through, giving Noah plenty of space to walk around and take in just how big the whole place was.

He soon spotted a young woman sitting behind a circular desk that had massive stacks of papers around it. Noah slowly walked up while Marcus waited patiently for him at the entrance.

"Can I help you?" the attendant calmly asked when she noticed the young teen standing at her desk for a few seconds without saying a word. This was it, this was the moment Noah's year of training was all for, the moment that would determine if he could efficiently blend in and adapt to their language.

"Hello, my name is Noah Lawson. I'm here to pick up a student uniform, please." Noah said in a confident and direct tone despite his palms profusely sweating as he handed the woman his admittance papers. The fact she didn't say a word for a few seconds certainly did not help bolster his confidence as each second seemed to drag on for what felt like hours.

"Oh, wonderful! We've been expecting you, Lawson-kun! I take it you'd like a medium size uniform?" the attendant finally said after her eyes quickly looked Noah over during those quiet,tense seconds.

Noah let out a sigh of relief before nodding in response, watching as she pushed off in her wheeled office chair when she rolled across to peer into another doorway.

"Naomi-chan, one medium male student uniform please." the attendant instructed in a rather calming voice before rolling back towards Noah with a friendly smile before turning her attention to the phone when it began ring.

Roughly thirty seconds later, the young female student known as Naomi walked out with Noah's uniform neatly folded up and sealed in a plastic bag. She had short raven-colored hair accompanied by lovely brown eyes that Noah could instantly tell had nothing but kind feelings behind them. One noticeable feature of hers was the freckles on her cheeks that were somewhat shaped like downwards triangles.

"Here you go. Have a nice day!" Naomi said in a rather enthusiastic voice before handing the uniform to Noah, both students giving the other a bow of respect before she walked back to the very room she had come out of.

Noah and Marcus, having no further need for this wing, began to head to the nearest restroom for Noah to try on his new outfit. As he waited, Marcus began to check himself out in the mirror while standing outside the stall Noah was using for privacy. He slowly felt his jawline, knowing he was bound to get some facial hair one of these days. Seeing nothing that needed improvement,he just licked his right palm before running it back through his hair to give it a more bed-head look; a look he'd grown very fond of since being able to grow his hair considerably longer.

"Well? How do I look?" Noah finally asked as he stepped out wearing the same outfit as Marcus (and by extension, every male student in the school).

"Wow, not bad. You look almost as good as me even. Almost."Marcus replied with thumbs up before they both left the restroom, now finding themselves in the science wing.

Suddenly, the intercom hung on the wall above them began to crackle before what sounded like a xylophone being tapped played for a brief moment, the echo of the final note echoing for the few seconds of silence that followed.

"Good morning, students. Before we begin the day, I'd like to remind you all that today is the last day to sign up for an after school club. Further information can be found at the student service center. Have a nice day, and remember to support our kendo club as they will be demonstrating during the first break." a rather calm and soothing voice called out; his voice proceeding to echo throughout all the hallways of the school as he would read the daily announcements as usual.

"Kendo? Isn't that what Frasier's doing right now? Think he'll be a part of that demonstration?" Noah remembered as he gave Marcus a nudge, feeling anxious that he'd get a chance to see Frasier in action.

"Possibly. He's a really quiet one, though, if you haven't noticed yet. Even I can barely can tell what he's up to or even thinking these days. Hey, Noah, I have to get going so the teacher won't chew me out for being late, so do you think you can handle things from here?" Marcus replied before realizing he only had a few minutes before his first teacher would mark him absent and most likely follow with a personal lecture when he did arrive.

Noah nodded in response, certain that his map would make finding his classes remarkably easy. Marcus gave him a quick smile before quickly taking off, his sneakers squealing against the floor until he was soon out of earshot to Noah.

Knowing he didn't have much time left, the young Brit reopened the map to see that his first class was located in the language wing, only two wings adjacent to the one he was in now. Making sure to not run too fast, he moved at a light jog while observing any other features of the school he might stumble upon, still basking in the excitement that a place this pristine and overwhelming would be his school for the next, maybe three years.

As he walked up the stairs, he looked out one of the rather spotless windows to see that there was a bridge intersection at second floor that connected the different facilities together. Noah pushed open two doors to find himself standing outside again while looking for the numbers to signify where to go next.

"Here we go." Noah thought in the back of his head when he quickly matched up the right path to follow that took him directly to classroom 24-A.

Noah cautiously grabbed the door handle and gently slid it open,only to feel the entire class go dead silent. All the student's faces looked over in his direction while the teacher, who was still unpacking his lecture for the day, looked up only to smile at Noah's presence.

"Ah, Noah Lawson-san, I presume?" the teacher asked as he stood up from his desk. He was a thin middle-aged man with greying combed-back hair, and he wore a rather casual pair of sweatpants, a long white sleeved shirt with a red sweater vest over it, and sandals to complete what was a rather odd getup for a professional teacher. Then again, this was only social studies.

"Yes. My apologies for being late, sir. I had to pick up my uniform." Noah responded as professionally as he could as he tried not to show how incredibly nervous he truly felt on the inside.

"You can call me Mr. Wakisaka, and you're actually just in time. So please find a seat while I finish setting this blasted projector up." the man instructed after introducing himself.

Noah nodded in acceptance before lifting his head up, trying his best not to make eye contact with any if the eyes that were trained on him when approaching. Unfortunately, most of the seats were already taken up by now, so his only choice was a desk in the second to last row. Managing to keep the awkward eye contact to a minimum, Noah was finally able to release the breath he'd unknowingly been holding in this whole time before proceeding to unpack his book bag and pulling out a notebook with a matching pencil to go with it.

"Lawson, huh? That sounds British, right?" a soft female voice asked from behind Noah as he couldn't help but eavesdrop now that his classmates were talking about him.

"I'm pretty sure it is. Do you think he's related to one of the other British students here?" a second female voice brought up, neither of them trying to be very subtle at this point.

"Let me ask him." the first voice said before Noah began to feel someone's finger lightly tapping at his shoulder.

"Oh, hello. Can I help you?" Noah asked in a somewhat nervous tone while turning around half-way in his desk to face two young girls who both appeared to be looking his physical features over, as if comparing him to someone else.

One had black hair with a slight blue tint tied in a single braid and was slightly combed in the front. Her eyes were a light shade of brown. Her smile was quite shy yet seemed somewhat more confident when her friend spoke up.

The second girl had short reddish-brown hair which was tied in a simple bun and wrapped in one silk brocade. Her eyes were also brown, but had a darker shade near the iris.

"Hello. Hey, we couldn't help but notice you're obviously not from around here, so we were wondering, are you British by any chance? And if so, are you related to anyone from around here." the second girl answered as she spoke in a rather curious, if not rather intrigued, tone of voice.

"Yes I am, and as for my relations, yes, two older brothers who also come here." Noah said in response as he kept an open ear for when Mr. Wakisaka was ready to begin class.

"That's so cool! Do you speak German or French, too? Maybe even both?" the first girl prodded in a more lively voice than her friend beside her.

"Yes, actually. Our father taught us to speak them both since we were very young. That's a very specific question, really. Why do you ask? Can you speak them both, too?" Noah answered before following up with some questions of his own.

"Oh, no, definitely not. But my boyfriend is from Germany, so he likes to speak it sometimes." the first girl explained with a friendly smile and a loving shimmer in her eyes as if she was picturing him right now.

"Oh, where are our manners, we haven't even been introduced! This is Toshimi Niki!" the second girl suddenly brought up as she motioned to her friend as she quickly snapped out of her little daydream.

And she's Misuzu Ichijou!" Toshimi then added as she and Misuzu suddenly locked their fingers together and leaned their heads in together while still focusing on Noah, almost as if they'd been practicing this little gesture.

"And we're the best of friends! You'll almost never, EVER see us apart!" they both said at the same time before softly giggling when Noah realized he was clearly staring at their quirky little spectacle.

Before Noah could respond, the overhead lights went out; leaving the room in near pitch blackness, aside from few cracks of light that could be seen through the blinds on the windows. The sound of a projector could be heard starting up by the fans inside of it making a continuous humming sound.

"Sorry about that, everyone. These projectors are more trouble than they're worth sometimes. Anyway, let's get started." Mr. Wakisaka said from the front of the class room before a slide panel showed up on the board.

Roughly an hour had passed as Noah diligently took notes and would try his best to answer any questions he felt confident in answering. The more he spoke in Japanese, the higher his confidence would rise, seeing as how nobody had to correct him or even ask him to repeat himself. After saying goodbye to his new associates, Toshimi and Misuzu, Noah followed the map down to the first floor to his math class.

Despite his age, he was quite skilled when it came to mathematics, so he ended up ranking in with some of the older students in his previous school; there was no telling where he might end up ranking here after a few days. He carefully side stepped and avoided bumping into anyone while making his way down the stairs. While it was still crowded near the door to his class, he had the time to spare so he simply stood in place, patiently waiting for an opening to present itself.

"Stop standing there like an idiot and move it!" a female voice ordered in a sharp and clearly annoyed tone. Noah jumped in surprise that he was suddenly getting yelled at and turned just in time to see who was scolding him.

He stood face to face with a girl who had to be the same age as Marcus if not the tiniest bit younger. She had fierce orange eyes that glared directly into his. Her pink hair was wrapped into two pigtails; her hair also had two thin, long bangs at the sides, two thin strands over the left side of her forehead, and a spiky larger portion covering the left side of her forehead. While she was noticeably shorter than Noah, that didn't keep her death glare from being any less intimidating.

"Oh, my apologies. I was just trying to-" Noah began to say only for her hand to be held up in his face before slowly moving him out of her path despite there already being enough room for the two of them.

"I wasn't asking for your idiotic excuses. Just shut up and be happy I don't report you for obstructing the hallway, you idiot." she said in a rather smug tone of voice before storming off with both her fists clenched, almost as if she expected him to say something to her after all of that. Part of Noah really wanted to tell her off now, just to see what kind of reaction he could get out of this bossy girl. He had no idea what bug had crawled up her ass, but that didn't mean she had to take it out on him.

However, Noah remained silent instead, still somewhat reeling from such an odd encounter, and finally made his way into his next classroom. He knew talking back and making enemies would only make things worse. Had it been Frasier or Marcus in such a situation, he knew things would've only escalated, and he had no intentions of making a bad impression on his first day if he could help it.

The next class had much more options in terms of where to sit down. He decided it would be best to take a front row seat so he couldn't miss any useful information the teacher would be jotting down on the chalkboard.

Over the course of the second hour of the day, nothing worth mentioning really occurred. Luckily this class went by rather quickly for Noah, so he didn't need to expend that much energy in what was still just over three-quarters into the morning. With his notebook already three pages full of math notes, Noah was one of the first to exit class only to seek out his third one before the midday break could commence.

Noah slowly wandered into wood shop class next, looking with anticipation at all the various tools he'd be working with. Power drills, hammers, pliers, saws, and much, much more was at the ready. Part of it made him feel right at home, thinking back to when he'd be spending hours alone in the garage trying to combine things that normally would never go together. One particularly pleasant memory came to mind when he, Marcus and Frasier had each managed to build their own bottle rockets, and Noah's was the only one that wouldn't launch. He couldn't help but let out a pleasant sigh at such a nostalgic memory.

"Pretty awesome, isn't it? Think we'll get to make something more interesting than a dinky little birdhouse today?" a young boy's voice suddenly asked from behind Noah as he turned his head over his shoulder to see who it was.

There before him was a short and noticeably overweight boy,most likely sixteen years old like Marcus and that pink-haired girl from earlier. He had shoulder-length hair with bangs reaching down from the side of his temples, stretching outwards and obscuring the sides of his face. A thick pair of square-framed glasses slightly hid his dark brown eyes. However, he appeared to be very energetic and quite enthusiastic compared to some of the other people Noah had seen and encountered earlier.

"Hopefully we can make something really bad ass, like maybe a potato gun?" Noah agreed before suggesting something much more interesting he'd be eager to make. The thought alone caused a wide smile to form on the short boy's face before he burst out in laughter.

"Ha! As if they'd ever let us do something that awesome. But I like the way you think, so that counts for something. Oh, my name is Kohta Hirano for the record." the portly boy said before finally introducing himself.

"It's nice to meet you, Hirano-san. My name is Noah Lawson. So what would you have in mind for us to build if we can't build a spud launcher?" Noah asked while they both claimed a desk of their own and sat upon the long steel stools with black and blue seat covers, already sitting next to each other like longtime best friends.

"Oh, y-you don't need to be so formal, Noah-san. Y-you can just call me Kohta if you like. And if you ask me, I'd prefer to be working on firearms. You're talking to one of the only guys in this whole city to appreciate the beauty of firearms and the like." Hirano whispered as he leaned in to make sure nobody else could hear.

"Same goes for you. You can just call me Noah. And man, I know how you feel. Oh well, at least when I join for service it won't be an issue." Noah commented as he felt even more at home knowing the laws here were probably even stricter towards gun owners and enthusiasts.

"You're going into the military? Kickass! What branch were you thinking of? Come to think of it, where are you even from?" Hirano inquired as he was quite eager to learn more, given his rather delighted expression once the subject came up.

"Oh, me and my brothers are from England, and I'm planning on joining the special forces. Father is in the S.A.S. and intends for the three of us to follow the tradition of safeguarding our homeland. Or at least that was the original plan." Noah began to explain, only to gradually fall more silent the longer he dwelled on the deteriorated relationship between Frasier and Arthur.

"Oh...sounds rather personal. Well see you around, Noah. Good luck with all that." Hirano said hurriedly before getting up to move seats when he noticed more students began to enter the classroom.

"Wait, what's wrong? Did I say something I shouldn't have?" Noah asked, uncertain why Hirano was acting so distant all of a sudden, and especially why he was practically cowering to the back of the classroom. He knew he'd most likely done nothing wrong, but it couldn't hurt to see what was going on.

"Well, I know it might not be hard to believe, but I'm not very popular around here; especially in my communications class with Mr. Shidou. I'm just an easy target for everyone because I can hardly fight back…and when I try, it doesn't really work." Hirano began to explain, making it quite clear that he only didn't want to keep sitting by Noah because he feared that he'd be picked on by association as a result.

"What? Oh, bollocks to that noise, you're not that bad! You're actually pretty fun to talk to, and I wouldn't mind teaming up with you." Noah said sincerely as he could care less what some bullies thought of him and his new friend.

"Really?! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise to be the best friend I can possibly be...wait, t-this isn't a trick, is it?" Hirano practically cried out in gratitude as he repeatedly bowed to Noah in respect, only to momentarily stop when he realized he might've jumped the gun.

"Not even in the slightest, friend." Noah said before holding his right hand out, now showing Kohta his respect through how his own culture normally did it, instantly feeling his chubby friend's stubby hand shaking his hand up and down nervously.

This was by far the pinnacle of Noah's first day at this school as he and Kohta bonded like long lost brothers. Their common interests spread far and wide; most of it involving video games, guns, and cartoons though; but Noah still felt great knowing that he'd already managed to make a legitimate friend. It wasn't long before the musical chime of the school intercom echoed out, signifying the end of yet another class period.

"So, Kohta, you mentioned you were being picked on earlier?" Noah asked as he and Kohta began to head out of the classroom.

"Oh, y-yeah…I mean, it's not a lot of people, j-just these five guys in Mr. Shidou's class of 3-A." Kohta responded nervously, instinctively looking up and down the hall in the hopes those three bullies weren't nearby.

"Where do they usually hang out?" Noah asked out of curiosity, concerning Kohta understandably as to just what his new friend had in mind if he was asking these questions now.

"T-they usually hang out by the track in the field. W-why do you ask? You r-really don't need to get involved. Honest. I-I've gotten used to it by now." Kohta answered hurriedly, desperate to talk Noah out of doing anything they both might regret. However, there was a spark in Noah's eyes that showed that his mind had already been made up.

"Relax, Kohta. I just wanted to know so I can avoid that area. I Promise." Noah said in an attempt to calm his portly friend despite the fact he had his fingers crossed. After that, the two temporarily parted ways.

Ten minutes later, the bell for lunch had gone off. Noah stepped out and made his way through the many courtyards the school had to offer. As he walked, his eyes continued to wander across all the sights the school still had to offer. Athletes for the various sports teams could be seen training and honing their skills; and then there were others who preferred to eat their lunch on the beautiful grassy hills with plenty of shade offered by the trees planted there.

The youngest Lawson soon found himself walking along a low-level chain-link fence leading down his intended path. It was quite a beautiful day now that the sun was at its peak point. Warm breezes rustled fallen leaves as Noah stepped through them as they swirled in the air. Both his sneakers rustled against the gravel path as his eyes soon set upon what he was looking for.

"Excuse me, but are any of you in Mr. Shidou's communications class? Class 3-A?" Noah asked as he approached a group of older boys sitting on the fence just in front of the massive dirt track setup for the team to practice on.

"Yeah. What's it to you, kid?" one of them asked with serious impatience, very suspicious why this total stranger decided to ask them such a thing.

"Well, a friend of mine says you guys have been giving him trouble. Does the name Hirano Kohta ring a bell?" Noah then asked, catching all five boys' attention as their eyes all locked on him, assuming he'd come here to ruin any of their future fun with their chubby, timid little victim.

"Yeah, so what if it does? Did that little piggy send you to cover for him? What are you gonna do about it, gaijin?" one of them called out in a louder, much more aggressive tone, walking right up into Noah's face now as if challenging him. This boy easily had a good 8 inches on Noah, yet the young Brit's expression didn't falter in the slightest.

"Me? Not so much, since I'm only one person, not to mention I'm noticeably younger and smaller than all of you. But I can't exactly speak for my brothers, though." Noah humbly said before holding two fingers to his lips and letting out a loud whistling noise, a mischievous grin forming on his face as the five hoodlums stood there waiting for something to happen.

Seconds later, Frasier and Marcus both stepped out from behind a nearby hedgerow; both with their fists closed tight as if negotiations were officially closed now. Both of them seemed visibly enraged and clearly had a bone to pick with them for some reason given how fast they were coming up on them. The realization of how bad of a situation they had just landed in crashed against the five punks like a tidal wave.

"Are these the guys who hit you, Noah?" Frasier questioned as he dropped his book bag onto the grass before slipping out of his student jacket, leaving on just the white undershirt beneath it.

"Yeah. The one that just called me a gaijin." Noah confirmed before pointing at the closest one, leaving the five boys momentarily dumbfounded at what was happening right now, unable to currently process that Noah was turning them into a scapegoat.

"I'll take the three on the right. Marcus, you handle the two on the left. Be sure to teach them the meaning of 'boot shoved down throat'." Frasier ordered Marcus as they drew nearer and nearer with every step. Marcus gave a devious smirk as he began cracking both his knuckles.

"Hey, I don't know who you are, but-" one of the punks began to say, only to hold his hands up in surrender when he realized his words were falling on deaf ears.

 ***wham***

Frasier hit the closest one with such tremendous force that he tumbled back against the low chain-link fence only to roll over it. The other four all recoiled back, knowing they were in for a royal beating if they didn't get out of there.

"You done goofed once you hit a Lawson, you twats!" Marcus suddenly called out as he kicked another one of Hirano's bullies square in the nuts only to slam his locked hands down on the back of his head when he bent over in ball-busting pain.

"No! Not the face, not the face!" another pleaded as Noah just stood there with his arms crossed, watching his brothers mop the field with these scumbags. He couldn't help but grin to himself,seeing how none of them even met him earlier, let alone hit him. Instead, Noah had simply struck himself and went running to his elder siblings, knowing they would want to naturally retaliate. If there was one thing Noah was best at, it was using his intelligence to get results. And these results were quite satisfying. Noah had to suppress the urge to let out his own wicked little laugh when he saw all five bullies run away with their tales between their legs, and he could've sworn he even heard a couple of them crying like little babies as they ran.

"If I ever catch you bastards near my little brother again, I'll break your goddamn legs!" Frasier shouted out in a rage before Marcus began to pat him on the back in an attempt to settle him down.

"Relax, biggon. I'm certain they'll need a new pair of pants before they even consider trying anything ever again." Marcus chuckled as they all watched them flee until they were no longer in sight.

"Thanks, you guys. It really means a lot knowing I can count on you two." Noah said with a warm smile as he hugged them both, feeling confident those five punks wouldn't be bothering the Lawsons or Kohta for a good long while.

"Anything for you, Noah." Marcus said as he tussled Noah's naturally messy-looking hair.

"C'mon, let's get you to Miss Marikawa's office. It's best she takes care of that scrape." Frasier then suggested before Marcus suddenly took Noah by the hand and tugged him ahead, a sudden spring in his step like he'd just taken a huge dose of adrenaline.

"I'll take care of it, Frasier. You can go on back to whatever it is you do with your free time here. See you when school's out!" Marcus said in a rather eager and energetic voice as he volunteered himself to take Noah to see the school nurse, not even waiting for Frasier to respond before he was suddenly taking off, nearly dragging Noah behind him.

"Wow, you're full of energy all of a sudden. What's up with you?" Noah asked as he could see that Marcus was far too quick and eager to offer his aid without any hesitation whatsoever.

"What're you saying that for? I'm just trying to help you out, Noah. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially when said horse just kicked the shit out of someone; figuratively and quite possibly literally as well." Marcus explained as they were both running up a flight of stairs only for them to quickly enter a small room filled with cabinets and a few cots.

"Is somebody there?" a woman's soft, if not lofty-headed, voice called out from the other side of the room.

"Just me, Marcus Lawson, Miss Shizuka. Do you have a moment?" Marcus asked in a surprisingly soft, timid voice compared to his usually confident, quick-witted one.

The moment he called out, a chair suddenly rolled back to reveal a young woman in her late twenties sitting in it. She immediately got up and walked over to see what the unexpected visit was about. The instant she entered view, both Marcus and Noah felt their eyes go wide and their hearts skip a beat.

Shizuka was a very tall young woman with ridiculous curves and a buxom chest that was like nothing Noah had ever seen before, and even when her massive bosom was right in front of him, he still couldn't believe his eyes. Now he finally understood what Marcus had meant when he'd mentioned how beautiful the female faculty at this school was. Her long blond hair extended down past her waist, and she had a beautiful pair of warm hazel eyes. Several bangs of her hair came down to her face, with two separate locks coming down at the sides, running all the way down to her waist while also framing her flawless face. It was no wonder why Marcus had been so eager to help now, this woman was nothing short of absolutely gorgeous.

"Miss Shizuka, this is my younger brother, Noah. He had a bit of an accident, so if you could maybe help patch him up, I'd really appreciate it." Marcus said as he began to sweat, almost as if this woman actually threw him off his game. Normally he'd play it cool, but clearly Shizuka was beautiful enough to completely sap away his confidence and wit, even if she herself didn't realize it.

Shizuka gently took Noah's right hand and observed it to see a small cut along the side of it, her eyes forming a somewhat sad look, seeing how small and fragile he appeared to be. The expression on her face as she held Noah's hand couldn't be described as anything but downright motherly; to the point Noah wouldn't have been surprised if her first course of action was to actually kiss the cut on his hand to make it feel better.

"Aww, you poor thing. Just stay still and I'll make it all better for you, sweetheart." Shizuka said in an incredibly sweet and loving tone before she held Noah's hand under the nearby sink. Scalding hot water instantly spewed out, causing Noah's eyes to shoot wide open when he'd been expecting it to be much colder.

"Are you sure?" Noah grumbled under his breath when she turned around to fetch disinfectant, only for Marcus to nudge him in the side to hold his tongue.

"Just stay still and it'll all be better in no time, honey." Shizuka instructed as she carefully sprayed disinfectant along his minor injury. Noah's eyes watered a bit as it stung for a few seconds, just like most modern medicine would, but in no time the pain in his hand had completely vanished.

Just as his hand began to go numb, Shizuka quickly wrapped it up in a few bandages before lightly rubbing it affectionately. She then smiled, knowing that he'd be alright if he left it alone, while Noah couldn't help but blush as he felt her hand petting his own ever so gently.

"There we go, all better. Now do try to be more careful, okay,sweetie? I'd hate to see such an adorable face get hurt." Shizukasaid with a cheerful ring in her voice before walking away. Noah slightly blushed at the rather flirtatious remark while Marcus stood there; rolling his eyes at Noah's response, even though he knew his reaction would no doubt be the same.

"C'mon, 'sweetheart'. Let's get going while there's still a break left. Goodbye, Miss Shizuka!" Marcus mumbled to Noah in an obviously jealous tone before saying farewell to the ditzy yet kindhearted nurse, who seemed to have vanished behind her desk on the other side of the infirmary.

"Aww, did I steal your girlfriend?" Noah chuckled to himself as they both walked down the halls together.

"Oh, shut your gob. I was just being friendly is all! Don't look into something that isn't there." Marcus snapped in a rather defensive voice, clearly unable to admit the obvious crush he had on that woman, despite her being a full decade older than he was, if not just a little bit more.

"You two. Hold up." a female voice suddenly announced from down the hall, causing Marcus to stop dead in his tracks.

"Oh no…I know that voice from anywhere." Marcus cringed as he hesitated to turn around; knowing whoever it was that just called out was talking to him and Noah.

"Marcus-kun." the young woman said in a firm voice. Her eyes were a beautiful deep blue, masked by a fierce glare that could pierce even the toughest of hearts. She had long, straight, shiny purple hair that reached far down below her lower back, with a triangular fringe that barely reached the ridge of her nose. Her height was considerably tall for a local girl; even her arms appeared to be longer than most.

"G-good afternoon, Saeko-san." Marcus said; causing Noah to backtrack when he realized this was the so-often-mentioned woman that Frasier so clearly had it in for. As to why, he could not understand, but he certainly could take a few guesses. One being how insanely intimidating she appeared to be with that penetrating stare she had.

"Where is your brother, Marcus-kun?" Saeko asked calmly, yet with slight irritation in her tone. Clearly whatever it was she wanted with Frasier, it wasn't anything good.

"I'm right here, Saeko-san! Allow me to introduce you to-" Frasier suddenly announced as he came running down the hall, but before he could finish, she turned to face him with a rather disappointed look in her eyes that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Where were you, Frasier-san? You missed our demonstration earlier today. I was really looking forward to it when you offered, but when I was left alone to bring in the new members,you really let me down." Saeko asked in a soft yet clearly irritated voice. She was clearly promised something immensely important that Frasier had failed to deliver, and it now had come back to bite him in the ass, hard.

"I... Saeko-san, you don't understand..." Frasier began to mutter, only to fall silent when her gaze showed no patience. He felt like his entire heart was being swallowed whole and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Failing to follow through on a promise was one thing, but to even slightly disappoint the girl he had deep, if rather repressed, feelings for was beyond anything he could handle.

"I told you that it wasn't necessary for you to participate, but you're the one who insisted that you'd do it with me. Do you know how embarrassing it was to go up there to demonstrate for the new members, all alone and with no substitutes at the ready? I thought you were better than this, Frasier-san. Honestly, if nothing else, I'm quite disappointed that you couldn't at least have had the decency to let me know you'd be unable to go on ahead of time." Saeko said in recollection of the conversation they'd had prior to this day. Frasier bowed his head down in shame as he knew that there was nothing he could say that would convince her otherwise, let alone lift her spirits.

"It's not his fault." Noah suddenly spoke up, causing all three of them to turn their heads towards him. One of Saeko's eyebrows slowly rose up as her predatory gaze was now set directly upon him. Noah could feel his blood go ice cold when he felt those blue eyes pierce right through him like he wasn't even there. However, he continued to stand strong, knowing full well it was his fault this was happening. After Frasier had stepped in for him, Noah knew he couldn't let Frasier down now in his own moment of need.

"I was roughed up by some older boys and he and Marcus had no choice but to help me get them back. It was a matter of family honor, and as such, it was very short notice. Surely you can understand if not appreciate that?" Noah said in an attempt to defend his older brother from her scorn and disapproval, even if it somehow meant becoming the recipient of that in Frasier's place.

"Hmm…that would certainly explain a lot. Forgive me, Frasier-san. I should've let you explain yourself first." Saeko apologized as she realized she'd jumped to conclusions without giving him a fair chance to explain his actions; now speaking in a softer and much more approachable tone.

"It's quite alright, Saeko-san. I know my participating meant a lot to you, and I am deeply sorry for letting you down. I promise I'll make this up to you somehow." Frasier vowed as he was now able to collect his thoughts without stuttering or freezing up mid-sentence.

"If I may give you some advice for the future: don't make a girl a promise you can't keep, Frasier-san. Your promises aren't worth as much to me now, given these current circumstances, but if you are indeed true to your word, then perhaps I can put this minor setback behind me." Saeko said before her icy glare quickly came to be not nearly as intimidating now as it was just a few moments ago; yet her voice remained completely calm and virtually unreadable, every last word digging under Frasier's skin.

"So then, with that all being said, I take it this young man is Noah? The youngest of your brothers, right? It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Noah-kun. I hope your older brothers took care of those cowards. Just know that if you ever run into trouble again, you can come to me as well." Saeko then said to Noah as they bowed to one another. Noah couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised that this seemingly ice cold (yet obviously skilled) girl would offer him such generous protection. Even despite the intimidating depth her blue eyes were capable of showing, the gracious smile now bestowing her beautiful, elegant face couldn't help but bring about a comforting feeling of warmth inside Noah's chest, as if he could practically feel her genuine kindness radiating from her.

"They sure did! Frasier talks about you a lot. He deeply respects and even admi-" Noah began to say in an increasingly frantic pace, as if he couldn't help but try to help Frasier out with his love life somehow, only for Frasier to suddenly cover his mouth before he said too much. Saeko then looked up at Frasier curiously, as if expecting him to explain his reason for doing so.

"You have my word, Saeko-san. I won't let it happen again. Perhaps tomorrow after the second bell, we could discuss how I can make it up to you." Frasier finished before Saeko formed a soft smile of relief, knowing that he truly did not mean to blow her off earlier, and that his only reason for doing so at all was because he did care ultimately about his family after all, despite his clear resentment of his father he'd expressed to her in the past. Marcus meanwhile was nodding in approval, knowing that Frasier was finally going to make his move. Part of him was rather impressed how despite just a few seconds ago being a mumbling mess, he managed to turn things around after Noah helped take the heat off of him.

"Very well, I look forward to it, Frasier-san. Don't disappoint me this time, or you'll most likely regret the consequences." Saeko replied before slowly walking away towards the stairs, stopping just for a split moment to look back at Frasier before moving on with her day. Noah could've sworn that he could see her form a different kind of smile before turning her head away and vanishing from their lines of sight.

"Well, that's Saeko-san for you. Shows up all calm and mysterious, instills that butterfly feeling into Frasier's gut as if she knows exactly where to apply the pressure, and then walks away before he makes that goofy smile of his." Marcus commented as Noah looked over to see that Frasier was indeed smiling whimsically to himself, and that it was rather funny to look at coming from him.

"Noah…you didn't have to do that, you know…but thank you." Frasier said in gratitude as he just stood there in place like a statue, his body still frozen by Saeko's words as he didn't even acknowledge what Marcus had just said about him.

' _Oh, yes I did.'_ Noah thought to himself before the bell began to ring, indicating it was time to head back to class. Each one of the brothers quickly nodded to each other before heading off to their respective classes alone.

On Noah's way to the science wing, he quickly noticed a single female student being blocked off by a male student who was leaning in quite close to her. He was certainly going beyond anything that could be considered personal space to anyone observing from the outside. The male student certainly had a look that made him stand out from most others, mainly in that he had a head of short, dark brown hair that was dyed a bright blonde along the top, practically painting him into looking like a stereotypical Japanese high school punk.

"Tsunoda, I already told you I'm not interested. Now stop asking, you creep." the female student grumbled as she was clearly not interested in whatever the male student named Tsunoda was trying to offer her, though he was still refusing to let her step past him.

"Oh, c'mon, Yuuki-chan, don't make me beg. I know exactly what you like, and I've heard exactly HOW you like it. At least try to consider my offer to help you 'study'." Tsunoda said insistently, leaning in even closer to the girl named Yuuki before her eyes suddenly shifted towards Noah, which caused Tsunodato look as well, both watching him pass by.

Yuuki had light orange hair cut very short, and she used a navy blue hairband to keep her hair back. She also wore a small pair of earrings in each ear that glistened in the afternoon light. Noah quickly found himself observing Yuuki's face and her figure. Her body was not only endowed with some impressive curves, but was also quite well toned, especially in her legs, so she was most likely an athlete given how fit she appeared to be overall. What really caught Noah's attention, though, was her face. Just like all the other girls he'd met so far at this school, Yuuki was incredibly beautiful. The sunlight made her soft-looking lips glisten, and she had dazzling orange eyes that complimented her equally vibrant hair. Noah couldn't help but keep looking over her lovely features, which instantly caught the attention of both Yuuki and Tsunoda when they realized he was no longer passing by but fully staring at them.

"What are you looking at, kid?" Tsunoda asked aggressively as his eyes narrowed at Noah, as if he'd somehow found a way to be jealous when he noticed Yuuki was actually checking the young Brit out herself.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Noah responded as he surprisingly kept moving, knowing that he'd already gotten into enough trouble for one day. This guy clearly wasn't worth it.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Tsunoda said in a rather smug tone, as if he'd declared himself the victor of a fight that never even occurred. The instant Tsunoda turned his back, Noah then stopped walking and took a moment to reevaluate the situation he was currently in. Normally he'd keep walking, but this guy really bugged him on a personal level for some reason.

"Oh, you're actually capable of thought? That must be quite a revelation for you! Your parents must be so very proud of you!" Noah suddenly exclaimed in a sarcastic tone that caused Tsunoda to turn around with one hand clenched tight, gritting his teeth while his face began to go red. Yuuki on the other hand couldn't help but find Noah's instant retort to be quite amusing.

"You really want to piss me off, kid? Huh?! Think you're tough, bitch?" Tsunoda said as he stepped away from Yuuki only to take an aggressive stance with both his fists now balled up, just looking for any excuse to deck Noah right here and now.

"Tougher than you, that much is certain. Now, I advise you start taking a few steps to your six. That would be the smart thing to do, anyway." Noah replied as he stood his ground, knowing this guy was clearly all bark and no bite. However, he kept his right hand close in case he underestimated this guy and how far he'd be willing to take this.

"Tough guy, are you? Well go on, big man! Show me what you've got!" Tsunoda challenged as he pushed his chest up against Noah's, making it quite clear that he wasn't going to heed the young Brit's warning anytime soon.

 ***Wham***

Without hesitation, Noah's fist suddenly came up with his right arm formed in a U-shape, delivering a very powerful and unexpected uppercut right into Tsunoda's jaw. His eyes opened wide as his teeth clamped down around his own tongue, the taste of blood soon filling his mouth.

"You...you hit me!" Tsunoda practically wailed in total shock as he kept both hands over his mouth. Small drops of blood leaked past his lips and fingers, a few drops painting the floor as he stumbled back when Noah took one step forward so he wouldn't find himself backed up against the wall.

"You told me to hit you!" Noah replied, somewhat confused and sounding surprised rather than angry, seeing how he did not expect to basically take this guy out of the fight in one well-placed blow. Part of him almost felt bad now, as if he'd struck a small child rather than put some loudmouth punk in his place.

"Y-you bastard! I'll remember this!" Tsunoda grumbled before taking off, well aware now that he'd clearly picked a fight that showed no positive outcome for him should he have chosen to continue. Both Yuuki and Noah watched as he took off down the hall in full retreat.

"Thank you. That guy can be so persistent, not to mention stubborn. You didn't have to step in, but I appreciate that you did. What's your name?" Yuuki asked Noah curiously with an appreciative yet somewhat flirtatious smile gracing her pink lips as her eyes seemed to go straight through Noah without any effort as he quickly found his knees starting to go weak.

"Uh, i-it's Noah…N-Noah Lawson." Noah nervously replied, feeling himself becoming lost in Yuuki's shimmering orange eyes as she maintained direct eye contact with him, that inviting smile never once faltering from her gorgeous face. Noah was certain his mind was playing tricks on him, but part of him could almost swear she was gradually getting closer, almost as if she were about to kiss him before he suddenly felt his back against the wall.

"Noah Lawson, hmm? I like that. It really suits you for some reason. I'm Miku Yuuki, but you can just call me Miku if you like." Miku complimented before giving her own name in return, causing Noah to strongly blush in response that she was already giving him permission to address her so casually, if not personally.

The two of them were almost exactly the same height, so that made avoiding Miku's penetrating gaze that much more difficult for Noah as he realized she effectively had him trapped, like an exact role reversal of how he'd first found her only minutes ago. As he struggled to think of something to say, his wandering eyes couldn't help but be drawn to Miku's impressively buxom chest, which at that moment was less than an inch from directly touching him, causing him to feel an uncomfortable heat surging through his whole body as he struggled to remain at least relatively calm.

"You know, I can't quite put my finger on it, but aside from the fact you're obviously not from here, there's something…peculiar about you. Something about your face, in fact. Out of curiosity, just how old are you, Noah?" Miku suddenly asked, snapping Noah out of his temporary panic as he now had something to mentally grasp onto.

"Oh, well…I, uh…I-I'm actually…fourteen." Noah nervously answered, feeling a cold certainty in his stomach that Miku would start laughing at him for being so young. Obviously that reasoning didn't make sense, but right now his long-repressed adolescent hormones were in such frenzy that at the time he couldn't bring himself to think with reason.

"Really?! Fourteen? All the other first years we get are fifteen at the least. You must really be smart if you were able to get in here that young." Miku proceeded to actually compliment him, causing Noah to mentally backtrack as he was so certain he'd set himself up for embarrassment.

"You mean…you're not put off by the fact I'm younger than you?" Noah nervously asked, really trying to pick his words carefully.

"Not at all. In fact, if we're being honest here…I think that actually really adds to the cuteness factor you've got going for you." Miku said in an enticing whisper right into Noah's ear, causing his whole body to shiver. This was unbelievable, no other girl at any time in Noah's life had ever made him feel like this, and yet Miku was practically making him feel like melted butter in her hands as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her.

"And that accent of yours isn't a bad touch, either. Where exactly are you from?" Miku then asked as she actually took a step back, respectfully granting Noah some personal space once she'd seen just how flustered he'd been getting.

"M-me and my brothers are all from England. Surprisingly, you're the first person since I came here who mentioned me having an accent when I speak. It's not muddling up my Japanese, is it? I've really been practicing hard to make it sound as natural as possible." Noah asked nervously, as he began to worry that all this time he'd been somehow ruining his Japanese and everyone up to this point had simply been too polite to say anything about it.

"No, your Japanese is actually quite impressive. As for the accent, I only pointed it out cause I think it actually sounds kinda sexy." Miku explained, once again causing Noah to blush heavily. That was definitely not an adjective he'd ever expected to be used to describe anything about himself.

"Now, one last thing. For how young you are, you handled yourself with Tsunoda quite well. I can't help but wonder; where did you learn to move like you did back there?" Miku finally asked, eager to learn even just a bit more about this young British boy who'd unexpectedly come to be a very pleasant new acquaintance for her.

"Oh, well, our father is in the military, and he trained all three of us from an early age to defend ourselves, so moves like that just come natural to me these days." Noah replied, trying not to make his father's background or his intention to follow in his footsteps too big of a deal.

"Hmm, cute, witty, AND tough? Not bad. Not bad at all. Listen, class is going to start soon, but if you want, YOU can help me study some time. I find you really fun to talk to. So here's my number if you're ever up for it, Noah." Miku said in a warm and inviting voice, almost purring his name in a way that sent a pleasant tingling up Noah's spine, while quickly scribbling down her number before sliding the slip of paper into Noah's pocket. His face went red to the point it looked like steam was going to be bursting from his ears when he read it to see 'Miku Yuuki' and her number written out in pink ink with a little heart at the end of it.

"You forgot 'clever'." Noah mentioned in a rushed, flustered mumble in what was his attempt to reply, which only earned a delighted giggle from Miku before he quickly took off, not only to avoid further embarrassing himself, but also in the hopes he could still get to class on time.

"Even if it's not to study, feel free to call me any time you're feeling lonely, Noah!" Miku called after him in invitation, causing his cheeks to turn red again as he tried to get his mind back in the game of getting settled into his classes. Yet from that moment on, even despite his best efforts to participate in the lessons and lectures to come, Miku was constantly floating about in the back of Noah's thoughts.

 _(Several hours later)_

The last bell of the school day had finally rung. Noah emerged from the school, still as delighted and eager as when he first entered. Despite the few incidents, this was a perfect first day to him. When he looked around to see if anyone was looking at him, he cautiously reached into his left pocket to make sure the paper with Miku's number was still there. Barely a minute later, when Frasier and Marcus finally found him, they began the long walk home. Traffic in the city appeared to be much lighter now as they managed to avoid waiting at the few intersections that forced them to usually waste a good couple of minutes.

The ground rumbled at one point when a train went by. All three of them watched as it rolled on by. One of the passengers, a very young girl, appeared to be waving at them as they smiled back and waved in response. The skies were still a light baby blue with many fluffy white clouds to fill the skies. While the sun had gone down just a bit, there was plenty of daylight left for them.

"So what do you think about it so far, Noah? Still feel like magical wonderland to you?" Marcus asked sarcastically before chomping down on a seaweed wrapping while waiting for an answer.

"Yes! How can you not love this place, Marcus? It's amazing!" Noah exclaimed without dropping any hint of excitement in his voice. Clearly he'd fallen head over heels for his new high school and nothing could change that.

"Stubborn little thing, isn't he? We'll see how long that eagerness of his lasts." Frasier commented as they eventually made it back to Uncle Mark's apartment, slowly closing the door behind them; knowing that tomorrow would be just another day for the Lawson brothers; finally reunited and ready to catch up once the weekend came around. This was just the beginning.


	2. Chapter 2: Unforeseen Events

**Tokonosu City, Japan**

 **One Day Before Z-Day**

That evening, Noah found himself unable to sleep. Today had been such a fulfilling experience for him, and yet he found himself just as excited as he had been that morning. He couldn't have possibly imagined his first day at a new school with his brothers going any better than it had.

There were so many things swirling around in Noah's head after all his experiences that kept him wide-awake and eager for the next day to already begin. Would he and his brothers keep getting into fights with any local bullies, maybe become like local heroes for the weaker of their fellow students? Would he have a continuous role in helping Frasier further his relationship with that Saeko girl? Would he somehow actually get to see Marcus work up the confidence to try anything with Miss Shizuka and NOT get in deep as a result? Would Noah one day become an ace in any of his classes when the seasonal test periods would start? Would he and Kohta grow to become full-time best friends? Could he possibly get to spend more time with, and maybe even one day go one step further with, that girl Miku? So many possibilities buzzing around in Noah's head to the point he could hardly stay still in his bed.

At one point, a dim light broke through the darkness, stirring Noah from his plethora of excited musings as he saw Uncle Mark clumsily stumble in before sitting roughly on the edge of Noah's mattress. Even if he couldn't smell it on his breath, Noah could tell Uncle Mark was quite buzzed right now.

"Hey there, little man. What're you doing, looking so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this hour? Shouldn't you be asleep right now?" Uncle Mark slightly slurred as he supported himself with his hands so he wouldn't crash onto Noah's bed as his head continued to spin.

"Yeah, but I just can't help it, Uncle Mark. I just keep thinking about everything that happened today." Noah replied, still smiling brightly like a kid who couldn't wait for Christmas morning to arrive. Uncle Mark couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at how childlike Noah still was.

"Aah, it sounds like your first day at school went quite well, huh?" Mark asked, unable to resist the urge to feed Noah's enthusiasm as he could tell his youngest nephew was eager to share as much of his experiences as possible.

"Oh, it was amazing, Uncle Mark. This new school is so brilliant! And the fact I already made a friend, AND I get to keep going with Marcus and Frasier just makes it all the better!" Noah explained enthusiastically while trying his best to keep his voice moderately low, knowing full well that his brothers were both sound asleep, and he also didn't want to give Mark a headache in his current condition.

What Noah failed to notice at first was that now Uncle Mark was hanging his head in what could only be described as shame. Of course once Noah noticed how troubled his uncle suddenly looked, he was completely silent, ready to ask what could've possibly been wrong when Uncle Mark suddenly took a deep breath to speak.

"Noah…I'm sorry I wasn't there to pick you up at the harbor last night. I've become so used to it just being me while Frasier and Marcus…well, mostly, take care of themselves. But now that you're here…well, I want to do better. I know I've never really been there for any of you boys since I retired and decided to hang my hat here, and even though I've tried to be here for Frasier and Marcus these last three years, I know I haven't really been putting any effort into it. But you're here now, and dammit, you boys deserve to have a father figure who's able to support you instead of just pushing you to toughen up like Arthur did; and I want to be able to fill that role for the three of you, for real this time. So that's why I promise to dedicate this entire upcoming weekend to you and your brothers, Noah. Maybe we can all go down the beach and see if we can find some pretty girls to whistle at? How's that sound?" Mark spoke in a regretful voice knowing that he owed it to Noah to be more active in his and his brothers' lives while there was still time; desperately wanting to be a better parental figure for all three of the Lawson brothers.

"You don't need to go that far for us, Uncle Mark. But then again, I would love to see how the beaches are around here. We could really use some sun, and they've got to be better than those cold, pebble-strewn stretches we're forced to call beaches back home." Noah said without holding any sort of grudge whatsoever against Mark for his minor negligence, both of them letting off a soft chuckle at Noah's clever little bit of dry humor at the end.

"That sounds like a plan then. I know Marcus will be more than up for it, so all we need now is to convince the walking; talking piss-pot to tag along and we'll be all set. Let's hope this city can handle four Lawson's at once!" Mark then grinned as he tussled Noah's hair, only to slowly rock himself back up and leave before waking up the other two slumbering siblings.

Noah was now smiling to himself even brighter, knowing that life was finally starting to look good again. For once, it actually felt like their family had truly become whole.

 **Z-Day!**

The very next morning felt just the same to the Lawson family as it did for all the other residents of Tokonosu. The skies were a pleasant blue with the occasional white fluffy clouds, the air carried the pleasant scent of the nearby ocean, and the city was filled with the typical sounds of everyone on their daily commute to work.

The only thing that one would've considered odd if they'd paid attention was that at one point in the early morning, all the birds that had come to roost on the rooftops all across the city simultaneously took off, flying in all scattered directions as though in a panic rather than in organized formations as one would expect.

In the meantime, the Lawsons all sat together in their dining room, enjoying the surprisingly decent breakfast Uncle Mark had prepared for them now that his hangover had dissipated. He'd wasted no time bringing up the possibility of the lot of them spending the weekend together as a means of better solidifying their family bond. As he'd expected, Marcus was quick to voice his approval, whereas Frasier was unfortunately just as quiet as Mark had feared he would be.

"So, Noah, I take it you're all ready for your second day?" Uncle Mark asked when he realized Noah was unusually quiet despite being so excited last night about school.

"Oh, you know I am! It's just now that I've gotten some sleep, the aftereffect of just EVERYTHING I got to do yesterday is catching up to me." Noah replied, feeling his body go loose after all that adrenaline had finally dissipated.

"Oh, it sounds like you're going through the settling process, Noah, my lad. Soon the excitement's going to give way to routine and this school will just start feeling like any other. You'll understand how common it is soon enough, trust me." Marcus ribbed Noah as the youngest Lawson couldn't help but feel a bit concerned that Marcus was right. The whole school and the experience itself had been so positive for Noah; he didn't want that magical feeling to fade.

"Oh, by the way, Uncle, thanks to little Noah here, Frasier might finally start making his first move to Saeko soon." Marcus suddenly piped in, catching the attention of everyone at the table as Frasier nearly choked on his toast that Marcus would just out and say that without warning.

"Are you serious?! Oh, it's about bloody time, you big ponce! I knew you had a heart in there somewhere!" Uncle Mark congratulated with a loud, hearty laugh as he slapped Frasier on the back in congratulations as Frasier couldn't help but be embarrassed now that he was the center of attention for this reason above any other.

"Don't make more out of it than it is, okay? I mean, it's not like anything's set in stone…" Frasier tried to brush it all off, while deep down feeling a bit disappointed as he spoke, feeling a bit more than sure that nothing would really happen between him and Saeko even if he did try to make a move.

"Oi, don't count the chickens just yet, alright? You don't know any more how this might work out than the rest of us do. Who knows? You and the bird might just hit it off. And if it ends up going a bit…FURTHER, if you find yourself in need of some 'protection', just say the word." Uncle Mark continued with a sly smirk, actually causing Frasier to bow his head in embarrassment that his uncle was actually trying to offer him any kind of assistance in regards to anything involving his non-existent sex life.

While enjoying watching Uncle Mark give Frasier a hard time, Marcus proceeded to poke at his breakfast in mild boredom, before noticing that Noah was looking over a small piece of paper in his hand in his peripheral vision.

"Hello, what's this you've got here?" Marcus asked in an intentionally loud, attention-grabbing tone as he suddenly snatched the paper right out of Noah's hand, holding it up high at arm's length so Noah couldn't grab it back, while Frasier and Uncle Mark's attention had simultaneously been shifted.

"Hey, Marcus, give it back!" Noah demanded as Marcus kept him in his seat by pushing his head down so he couldn't get up whilst deciding to have a gander at just what could've possibly had his little brothers' attention.

"Well, ho-lee shit! Noah, why didn't you tell me?! Hey, guys, looks like Noah here's got himself a girlfriend!" Marcus announced, causing Noah's face to turn deep red as Frasier and Uncle Mark were both visibly taken aback at this unexpected turn.

"No I don't, she just gave me her phone number after helping her out, that's all!" Noah tried to deny it as Uncle Mark broke into another loud, hearty laugh.

"'That's all', he says! Do you know how many boys your age would kill to be able to get a girl's number on their very first day of school? Even me and your father weren't THAT lucky when we were you boys' age! You're shaping up to be a natural-born Casanova, my boy!" Uncle Mark congratulated as he playfully tussled Noah's hair, as the youngest Lawson couldn't help but feel a smidgen of pride welling up in his chest at the fact that he'd actually managed to beat both his brothers to something.

"Oh, wow, that's not even the half of it! I know this girl! Miku Yuuki! Goddamn, Noah, you lucky dog! Not only did you get a girls' number, but you managed to get the number of one of the hottest and most popular girls in the whole damn school! What's your bloody secret, eh?" Marcus exclaimed in mock jealousy as Noah finally snatched the paper back and shoved it back into his pocket, wishing Marcus would just shut up about it already. If what he was saying was true and word somehow spread, who knew how many enemies Noah would end up making without even knowing it?

"Just be sure to tread carefully, Noah. I've heard some…peculiar things about that girl around the halls." Frasier suddenly piped in, his voice showing no sign of humor but a rather heavy air of warning that left Noah more than a bit concerned.

"Jesus Christ, Frasier, at least let Noah enjoy the feeling for a moment before you try to kill the mood." Marcus snapped, clearly disapproving of what a buzzkill Frasier had decided to be. There was no way it could've been out of some kind of jealousy. Frasier could never be that petty, even Marcus knew that.

"I'm just trying to make sure he makes the right decision, Marcus. Surely you've heard at least some of the same rumors about her that I have." Frasier retorted, not backing down an inch when it came to ensuring Noah's well-being in every way, shape and form.

"Uh, I don't know if you know this, but high school kids tend to run their mouths about each other every year like it's going out of style. Did it ever occur to you that maybe some of the other girls started those rumors out of jealousy that she's so popular? Or maybe some boy started it so he could look cool to his friends?" Marcus immediately fired back, not letting Frasier gain any ground either as he wanted to make sure Noah could actually legitimately enjoy himself instead of constantly being on guard like Frasier.

"Perhaps you're right, but you could just as easily be wrong, Marcus." Frasier spat unexpectedly irritated that his brother was actually talking back to him in terms of what was best for Noah.

"Stop it, both of you!" Noah suddenly interfered, effectively silencing both his brothers while Uncle Mark simply sat back to observe how this was all going to play out.

"I understand what Frasier is trying to say, even if he is coming across as a bit paranoid; and I also understand what Marcus is trying to say, too, even if he may be a bit too lax about it. I appreciate that you're both looking out for me, but this is something I want to be able to face on my own. Maybe these so-called rumors, whatever they may be, are true or maybe they're not, none of us know. I just know that when we talked yesterday, Miku actually seemed really nice; so please let me proceed with this my own way, alright?" Noah explained calmly as both his brothers visibly backed down as they couldn't think of anything to either support or argue against his reasoning.

"Well look at you. Only fourteen and already one of the most mature of us here. Nicely said, Noah." Uncle Mark commented as he laid a hand on his youngest nephew's shoulder, smiling proudly at just how much Noah had already grown up, in a way being much more mature than both his brothers.

"I think this just proved it. You're destined for great things, little man, I just know it." Marcus added, playfully tussling his little brothers' hair, unable to help but feel immensely proud to call Noah his kin.

"I can't say I'm not still concerned…but I trust your judgment, Noah." Frasier said in a low voice that betrayed the almost unnoticeable smile on his face. In a way, this moment had established a much deeper understanding among the brothers than they could've ever expected.

Shortly afterwards, the three quickly finished their breakfast and began their regular trek to Fujimi Academy. The morning air felt crisp, fresh and inviting as they ascended the hill overlooking the city where the school sat proudly.

 **Fujimi Academy**

Just as before, the three brothers soon went their separate ways, and with a much better sense of direction, Noah soon found himself in his first class for the day. His mind was once again solely focused on everything the teacher said and scribbled across the blackboard as the rest of the class remained virtually silent. It continued on this way for the first two periods until Noah's third class.

"Hey, Hisashi; have you seen Takashi anywhere? This is the third time this week he's missed class." a female student soon whispered from behind Noah as she tried to keep her voice relatively low to avoid drawing the teacher's attention.

"No. He hasn't been answering or returning my phone calls either. He's been acting really distant lately and admittedly for good reason. I still feel really bad about what happened, Rei." a male student then replied, no doubt coming from the one known as Hisashi.

"So do I. But things have changed between him and I. You know that it wasn't working out as much as it should've, and Takashi wasn't taking any action to make things between us go smoother. And with everything that's been going on recently…it was just more than I could handle. I am still worried about how he must be taking it, though. I'll check up on him later." the female student now known as Rei replied. Seeing how this was clearly something personal between the two, Noah decided to tune himself out and focus on solving the problems before anyone else could; eager to prove himself to the rest of the class.

Several minutes passed by silently, when the classroom door suddenly slammed wide open, making a few students jump in reaction to it. Everyone suddenly turned their attention towards a male student entering the class; his footsteps more of a dizzy stumble while his chest was inhaling and exhaling rather fast, as if he had just sprinted all the way here.

He was of an average height with standard brown eyes, spiky black hair with a bit of a purple hue, and a slender yet reasonably strong build that would suggest he was quite agile if nothing else. He wore the typical black school uniform with a visibly red T-shirt underneath. But it was the look in his eyes that really caught Noah's attention, seeing how intensely serious they appeared to be. Whatever he was here for, it sure as hell wasn't to attend class.

"Komuro! You couldn't be happy with just skipping my class?" the teacher asked in an irritated groan, annoyed that the class had to be interrupted because of the young mans' lack of judgement. The teen known as Komuro however just ignored the question entirely before approaching Rei.

Rei had long, straight golden-brown hair with bangs and two antenna-like strands sticking out from the top of her head. She also had a small single ponytail on the back of her head, leaving the rest of her hair hanging long. Her legs were noticeably toned, and even in her uniform, she clearly had an impressively curvaceous yet athletic-looking body with a supple, buxom chest to compliment her undeniably healthy figure. Her reddish-brown eyes looked up at Komuro with deep concern as he stood over her now.

"Come with me. We're going to get out of here." he suddenly said whilst tugging on Rei's arm, forcing her to her feet; his voice indicating that something unspeakable was very wrong here; something that had stricken sheer terror into his heart.

"What are you talking about?" Rei questioned with genuine concern in both her voice and body language as she was momentarily too stunned to try and get out of his grasp.

"Dude, Takashi, what are you doing?" Hisashi suddenly intervened as they both knew something clearly had Takashi on edge. His hair was a dark grey and his eyes were the same color as Takashi's.

"Some people just got killed by the front gate. No bullshit." Takashi answered in a hushed whisper as he took a moment to relax and calmly explain himself. If any of the nearby students weren't paying attention to his outburst before, they certainly were now with THAT being said.

"Whoa, hey man, are you serious?" Hisashi then asked somewhat out of disbelief, his eyes wide with shock. An annoyed look formed along Takashi's face as he narrowed his eyes at him.

"Of course. What reason do I have to lie about something like that?" Takashi asked impatiently, clearly not in the mood to get into an argument about whatever could've possibly horrified him so much as to act like this. Hisashi let out a heavy, almost weary sigh as he was hoping this was just some crazy cry for attention.

"Jesus! What's going on? I can never understand what-" Rei suddenly announced in a furious tone before pulling her hand away, her expression turning into one of impatience as she couldn't stand to see Takashi acting so passive aggressive if this really was as serious as he claimed.

 ***slap***

Before she could finish her sentence though, it was suddenly interrupted by a quick slap to her cheek from Takashi. At first she was silent, but her surprised expression quickly turned into an angry scowl as she glared up at him with a burning intensity in her red eyes; tears now welling in the corners of her eyes as she held her own stinging cheek, feeling it throb a little as her cheek turned a bright red in the shape of Takashi's hand.

"Listen! Just listen to me! There isn't much time before it reaches here too. We need to go now!" Takashi continued to shout, only for Rei and Hisashi to reluctantly follow him out of the class before the teacher could stop them from leaving. Not that he exactly gave it his best effort to prevent it.

"And that's why you don't involve yourself with troublemakers such as Komuro. Does anyone else want to be marked as truant? No? Alright, then let's get back to work." the teacher then questioned while he proceeded to mark all three of their names down for detention and a truant offense.

"Wow, pretty crazy stuff, right Kohta? Kohta?" Noah whispered, only to realize his friend had suddenly vanished from the seat beside him. He then looked around, only to see Kohta's feet at the last second by the lower corner of the door frame. Apparently he had crawled out sometime during the commotion.

Noah however just shrugged his shoulders at the whole situation. He knew that if any of what Takashi said was true, someone would've seen something by now. It was broad daylight in a peaceful metropolis. How could people killing one another in the open not be seen and reported? The next few minutes were uneventful as class continued on without any further incident or outbursts.

Just when it all seemed clear, though, the speakers mounted along the wall began to crackle and buzz. The announcer's voice was drenched with panic as he tried to catch his breath.

"This announcement is for all students. An emergency situation is taking place inside the school right now. All students must follow your teacher's instructions and evacuate. I repeat: An emergency situation is taking place inside the school right now-" the voice behind the mic instructed over the intercom before it made a loud screech that echoed through the entire school, as if the mic had been knocked over the desk and onto the floor.

The entire school was on the edge of their seats as the frantic warning then began to sound like two or more figures in the background were caught in a struggle. A gurgling groan could be heard before the announcers voice came back.

"No! No! Get away from me! Get back... Argh! Help! HHEELLPP! Aaaaahhhh!" was all that could be heard before turning into a blood curling scream, just before the intercom went silent again after a loud *crunch* could be heard. Only this time, it stayed silent. Noah was unknowingly tightly gripping his pencil with intense adrenaline pumping into his heart, until he finally snapped the pencil in two.

 **[Bear McCreary – The Pulse]**

And in that instant, like an entire herd of wild animals being spooked by a predator, almost every single student and teacher at the same time began to flee the facilities in a torrent of panicked screams. The hallways were instantly flooded and stuffed to the point some students unlucky enough to trip were immediately being trampled on; their bones breaking beneath their classmates and teachers' shoes. Screams and yells of terror echoed and raged on for minutes on end as vicious growls and snarls soon came to accompany the madness. Nobody knew anything as to what was going on, other than the fact that staying here was a guaranteed death sentence.

Noah, in a momentary state of petrified fear, however, decided to stay inside his classroom; knowing full well that the halls couldn't possibly accommodate everyone at once. Thinking just in case whoever or whatever was attacking the school decided to come up to his level, he quickly shut and locked the door once he realized he was the only person still in the classroom, and began to quickly barricade it with desks and chairs for additional defense. It was quite clear in his mind the police would've been contacted by now, so he decided to send both Marcus and Frasier a quick and desperate text message to meet him at this very classroom so they could figure out what they were going to do.

 _'Oh my God, this is insane! There's no way this is happening! Not here! Not in a place like this! There's just no way this can be real!'_ Noah's mind screamed to itself while trying to desperately rationalize what was going on while somehow finding a way to deny what was clearly really happening.

He then hesitantly walked up to the window to see entire droves of students and teachers running from the school and over the grassy hills a few hundred meters away. At first it seemed they were all gone and would never turn back. At least, that was the case until those same people began to suddenly flee back from that very direction, as if they had just run into a massive ambush that was just waiting for them. Shortly after, Noah could see several new figures slowly stumble up from the hilltop. Numerous students and teachers amid the crowds could be seen tumbling over each other and fighting on the ground. Almost instantly, dark splotches of maroon colored blood splashed all over the lush green grass and granite black asphalt. Noah could've sworn he even witnessed one of the students biting into another students' neck like a vicious lion would to a zebra in Africa.

Noah could feel his stomach begin to twist in reaction to the grisly scene outside. This was a nightmare slowly coming to life before his very eyes. Noah couldn't even tell what this was for, or who was doing it. It just looked like senseless killing to him. He was too far away to be able to properly identify friend from foe amid all the chaos. Both his knees felt wobbly as he could only hope his older brothers were alright, somehow able to stand against this tidal wave of madness. Noah's heart now felt like it was a stubborn anchor refusing to get back up after witnessing the brewing chaos and hearing the horrified, anguished screams. If it looked this bad outside, he could only imagine the hell those trapped inside were facing.

 ***bang* *bang* *bang***

Noah felt his heart suddenly skip a beat and his whole body jump nearly a foot in the air as he turned out of sheer reflex to see the shadow of someone at the door trying to get in. Whoever it was knocked hard at the door in hopes that Noah would be able to hear it over everyone else's screaming and yelling echoing through the halls.

"Hey! Let me in! Quick!" a male student began to plead in desperation as Noah quickly ran over to help, knowing he couldn't possibly let someone else die because of his own personal fear of whatever the hell was going on outside.

"Alright, hold on! Let me move some of these desks aside!" Noah replied while dragging the desks and chairs apart to make enough room for this stranger to enter his temporary safe haven.

"Hurry up! I don't want to die like this!" the boy pleaded as he began to bang on the door harder; his voice echoing down the hall as the screams of the other students began to steadily decline with each passing second.

Finally, the last desk was moved aside and Noah could finally click the lock off. When he did, the door swung wide open to reveal a boy, most likely fifteen, standing there in the door frame, sweating and panting heavily, completely out of breath.

"Oh my God, thank you...thank you so-AGH!" the boy began to thank between gasps for breath, only to suddenly be tackled into the classroom by two other students. It all happened so fast that Noah had no time to react and instead was knocked over onto his back.

His vision was spinning a little as his head hit the floor fairly hard. When he came back to his senses, he looked up in horror to see the boy he presumably saved screaming in agony as the two students that had tackled him began to sink their teeth into his neck and lower back. Noah's eyes widened; bile beginning to rise in his throat when he could instantly see the two students viciously biting at the other boy had torn entire chunks of his flesh out with their bare teeth.

They both had dark grey skin, both eyes an eggy white coloring that seemed to look off in different directions, as if they were suffering from amblyopia. Fresh blood stained their nails, teeth, and uniforms while they tore apart the boy Noah failed to save; his blood gushing all over the floor and splattering against the wall. By now, the boy was completely motionless, his face frozen in agony and terror, sending a horrified freezing chill through Noah's body as his gaze continuously switched from the dead boys' body to the two eating the flesh from his bones. Soon, the ice cold fear that had consumed Noah gave way to an unexpected burning anger as his focus remained on the two cannibalistic assailants.

"What the fuck ARE you things? Get off of him!" Noah demanded, enraged as he sprung forward and kicked one right in the temple; deep down feeling like he had to do something, despite knowing it was far too late for the poor boy.

To his dismay though, the kick had absolutely no effect on the murderous student. Instead, it just caused the fiend to shift his focus upon Noah now, who was still lying on the floor. A low, ghastly groan escaped from its mouth as it slowly stood up, only to stumble towards the youngest Lawson who desperately began to crawl backwards on his hands and feet. The sound of the students' wheezy groaning made Noah's hair stand on end as his inner voice couldn't help but question why he wasn't moving or doing anything at all. He should've naturally gotten back up to fight tooth and nail to survive this horrific encounter, but the shock and fear made his mind go blank, unable to remember his training now out of sheer terror.

"Stop! This isn't right! I don't want to have to hurt you!" Noah began to explain as the student just kept shuffling closer and closer. A large chunk of his leg had been chewed right through, making it hard to walk normally without an obvious limp.

Knowing he'd feel bad for this later, Noah kicked his leg straight out into the grey skinned boys' chewed up leg, only to watch him suddenly crumple over due to lack of balance. Despite how painful that should've been, the student showed no signs of feeling neither the pain nor any noticeable discomfort at all. Instead, he began to slowly crawl towards Noah with his mouth wide open. A putrid smell of decaying flesh filled the air, causing Noah to nearly gag at the unexpected scent emitting from the grey student's mouth.

Just when it seemed like this abomination was about to make Noah its next victim, a strong pair of hands suddenly wrapped around the back of its neck and by the loop in its pants. Noah watched as the wretched grey skinned student let out a vicious snarl, only to be lifted high up into the air. Right beneath it stood Frasier, with a furious look in his eyes as he then proceeded to launch the grey-skinned student straight into a nearby window.

 ***crash***

The window shattered as the student plummeted to what was without a doubt their death. Noah remained sitting up against the wall, stunned at how his older brother just murdered another human being like it was nothing.

"Jesus Christ, Frasier! You could've just thrown him over there!" Noah suggested incredulously as he then looked over to see Marcus had put the other grey student in a head lock, struggling to maintain his grip as the student thrashed about to break free.

"Someone get over here and knock this wanker out! He's way stronger than he looks!" Marcus shouted desperately as he had to use all his strength to keep this one from biting him now.

However, the student suddenly stopped struggling and immediately began to make a wretched jerking motion that allowed his head to slowly swerve around past Marcus' headlock, accompanied by the sickening sound of the students' own neck snapping as he moved against the incredible pressure Marcus tried to put on it. His jaws began clamping together over and over as if anticipating Marcus as his next victim.

"What the-?" Marcus muttered in horrified shock as he watched the spine tingling contortion maneuver soon turning into his arm, about to bite into his upper arm as he could only try his best to hold this student down.

 ***crunch***

Without hesitation or mercy to be had, Frasier grabbed the second student by the head, only to shove it with all his strength into the side of the door frame. Blood almost border lining on being a black paste coated the door frame as the student just as suddenly stopped moving. Marcus let go just in time to watch the figure slump over against the wall. A massive gash in the scalp indicated that the blunt impact had caved in the student's skull. Marcus stepped back as he watched the various fluids leaking out onto the once spotless floors.

 **[]**

"Okay...that was definitely not good." Marcus said, struggling to catch his breath as he then observed that they were the only ones left alive in the room. Not wanting to waste any time, the three of them slowly stepped out into the vacant hallway.

"You…y-you just killed them…l-like it was nothing..." Noah mumbled in shell shock as he stumbled towards them, trembling in raw fear from witnessing his brother mercilessly kill two teenage boys, along with the fact he had just realized all those students and teachers he saw outside were being eaten alive like that poor boy Noah had tried to save only a minute ago.

"Yes and many more will share the same fate if they dare try to even lay a hand on a Lawson. I won't let either of you die here; not like that poor bastard right there." Frasier said in a cold, brutally calculating tone, showing absolutely no hint of any remorse in his actions as he motioned them to now follow his lead.

Noah looked around as he could see the hallway once flooded with students and teachers pushing, shoving, and trampling over one another, accompanied with screams that echoed throughout the entire school, had now been replaced by an eerie silence; random blood stains contrasting the beige interior paint job, and even a shoe someone left behind in their desperation sat alone in the middle of the floor.

"What the hell is going on, Frasier? W-what is happening down there?" Noah asked as his body was visibly trembling all over now. All three brothers stepped forward to observe the athletic courts from another window in the hallway.

"I don't know, Noah. Everything was so quiet and calm just before the announcement. If I had any answers, I'd already have told you." Frasier said as they all witnessed one student running across the courts for her life. She suddenly turned back when realizing more of the grey-skinned people were heading for her. When turning to head back, she was met by more that had approached from another angle. Before she could even considering heading another direction, she was suddenly swarmed and immediately overwhelmed.

Noah and Marcus both looked away and cringed at her screams for help that were swiftly silenced when several sets of teeth began to sink into her soft flesh. Frasier on the other hand cared not for her fate, but rather just observed how these grey-skinned monsters were impressively efficient killing machines, operating without uttering a word to one another. If one could see the look in Frasier's eyes as he watched, it would look almost as if he was studying their behavioral patterns and key ways to distinguish friend from foe. If there was any pity or concern to be had for anyone falling victim to these monsters, it certainly wasn't going to be found from him.

"Oh shit…it's not just happening here. Look, I can see at least four separate smoke trails." Marcus suddenly commented as he pointed out several ash grey columns of smoke rising in the distance. No doubt what this was had not been just exclusive to Fujimi Academy.

"Oh God, I hope Uncle Mark is okay. Fuck, this is terrible! What are we going to do now?" Marcus asked as they quickly checked their surroundings to make sure they weren't about to be flanked or ambushed.

"First thing's first, we'll need to learn more about these freaks and form a plan before we can even consider leaving. This place is one big kill zone and we aren't even armed." Frasier answered as he listed what had to be sorted out first. Clearly this was beyond them simply fleeing as the others had attempted. The blood and strewn body parts that now painted the school grounds stood as testament to how well THAT had worked out for all of them.

"Yeah…yeah, good thinking. I guess it would be too much to hope that this is somewhat covered in your training, Frasier? Cause I seriously don't recall father ever covering anything like THIS when he was training me." Marcus asked nervously; flinching after hearing another student's scream suddenly pierce the air.

"Simulation 32: deep in enemy territory without any proper equipment. Move fast, and avoid drawing any unnecessary attention to yourselves. Stop for nobody." Frasier commanded as he basically recited all that from what his memory recalled from all those years ago.

"Nobody? Not even if we can save them without any risk on our part?" Noah asked, deeply concerned at the callous attitude Frasier was showing.

"Nobody, Noah. We owe them nothing, and they'd most likely do the same to us should the roles be reversed. Besides, my priorities only lie with ensuring the survival of all Lawsons. That's it." Frasier said as Noah and Marcus looked at each other in deep concern at such an outright claim. They weren't used to seeing Frasier act like this; to be so brutally serious and have total disregard towards the potential lives they could save along the way.

"And what if they WOULD help us?" Noah brought up as he was certain Frasier would be able to help anyone they could if he tried. He knew it was possible if they'd all work together. And if those people actually were able to help the Lawsons, then surely that would give Frasier incentive to help them in return. For Noah it made perfect sense.

"Then they're fools. Look, I know it sounds cruel for me to say such things, but that's the price I'm willing to pay in order to remain realistic and stay alive. I advise you two do the same and fast." Frasier replied in a low, calm voice as his eyes kept scanning for any of the grey-skinned assailants; showing that even he was self-aware of his cynical view on this dire situation. Without another word, Frasier began to make his way down the hall, spurring Noah and Marcus to follow suit.

"He can't possibly mean that…right?" Noah softly muttered to Marcus as they walked behind their elder brother as he kept shifting his gaze around the hallways, scoping out any trouble that might be coming their way.

"This situation clearly has him tenser than ever, Noah. Just like us, but I'm sure he won't be nearly as ice-cold when we actually find more survivors. He just can't be." Marcus replied as he tried to instill some faith into Noah that everything was going to be alright with their elder sibling in terms of his sanity and sense of humanity. Although in all honesty, Marcus was also trying to reassure himself of the same thing as well.

They remained completely silent when they began to descend the stairwell; listening for any nearby sounds whilst ready to freeze like human statues if they saw so much as a shadow from another human being. Luckily their sneakers weren't heavy and their footsteps were taken with such precision that one would need to be right next to them in order to hear anything.

"Two more over there! Get away from them, Toshimi!" a male's voice immediately and urgently announced, immediately catching the Lawsons' attention. They swiftly moved in to see three students, one male and two females, with their backs against a rail as four of the grey skinned students approached with their hands reached out and jaws hanging wide open in anticipation. Noah instantly could recognize the two girls being Toshimi and Misuzu from his first class.

The male he didn't recognize stood roughly 6 feet tall and was most likely Frasier's age, given how mature his face appeared. He was definitely European upon noticing his light complexion compared to all the local boys. His curly dark brown hair was well groomed and rather complimented his green eyes. His frame was somewhat average, but he certainly seemed to have a strong determination, seeing how he stood out in front to protect the two girls, armed only with a mere mop he'd picked up from the floor.

"Wait, we have to help them! Let's go!" Noah suggested as he began to move in, only to feel himself being pulled back by Frasier.

"Noah, they aren't worth it. Just keep moving and don't look back." Frasier instructed in a quiet whisper, obviously disapproving the idea of jumping into a fight that wasn't necessary; knowing he had to keep them out of the fight as much as possible to increase their chances of survival.

"Fuck that! There are seven of us and four of those...things. We've got this!" Marcus said eagerly before he and Noah unanimously took off before Frasier could respond and pull them back in time.

"Naive little muppets." Frasier groaned under his breath before taking off like a speeding bullet, charging in with his brothers just in time to body slam three of grey students back a good couple feet before the fiends tumbled over each other from lack of balance. The other male student quickly shoved the mop into the face of the closest one only to push him back into the others piled on the floor; the clearly old mop handle snapping from the force behind his desperate attempt to gain some breathing space.

"Thanks. Now let's get out of here while we can." the male student then suggested as all four of the grey assailants had recovered and began to stumble in for another attack.

"He's right, let's book it!" Marcus responded as all six of the survivors began to head back up the stairs and quickly bolted down the hallway before locking the door to the classroom adjacent to the one Noah was originally hiding in. All four boys quickly erected another barricade as they then waited in frightened anticipation for the four grey students to find them; but as time went on, it was safe to assume they'd gone away in search of someone else to make their next victim.

"Thank you for your help. Most people would've just left us to fend for ourselves. My name is Johann Kessler, by the way. Who are you three?" the male student said between his gasps for breath while trying to recover from the attack, yet still feeling he should at the very least show his gratitude.

"We're the Lawson brothers. I'm Noah, and these are my big brothers Marcus and Frasier. Listen, I hate to ask you this already, but is there anything you can tell us about those freaks out there? Any information at all on what you know about all of this would greatly be appreciated." Noah said before Frasier could say anything that might start trouble, seeing how he didn't even want to help initially.

"It's nice to meet you all. I can only guess what's going on right now. Everything just happened so fast. I don't even know where to start." Johann said with a weary sigh as he felt rather stumped as to how one could even hope to explain this hell on Earth.

"Well, take your time. We aren't leaving until we know what we're up against anyway." Frasier said calmly as he moved to the window and began to observe the grey-skinned people mindlessly wandering outside as if searching for something; as if any normal looking people had either made it out or had all been killed by now.

"Well, I'm sure you've noticed that anybody with that grey skin will attack anyone they can get their hands on. Everybody out there's clawing and eating each other like they've all completely lost their minds…its absolute madness!" Johann attempted to explain as he could hear those horrifying screams and growls echoing in his head.

"I just barely got out of my classroom in time and managed to find my girlfriend, Toshimi, and her best friend, Misuzu, in the library. They were cornered…a-and I had no choice but to…KILL the son of a bitch trying to hurt them. I can still see his skull all caved in…a-and already having this rotting smell that makes me sick just to think about." Johann finished as he then took a deep breath before Toshimi lovingly rubbed his back in hopes of keeping him at ease for the time being.

"Interesting, is there anything else? Anything at all at this point is vital to us." Frasier pressed further as he was hoping there was more to it than what they pretty much already knew about their attackers.

"I'm sorry, but that's all I've got. So I take it the police aren't going to come and resolve this then?" Johann finished, hoping to hear that some sort of police intervention was underway to get them out of here in one piece.

"That's…extremely unlikely to be honest. It seems like it's happening outside of the school grounds as well, so it looks like we're on our own for the time being." Marcus replied as he then motioned towards the window to show the various plumes of smoke rising off in the distance to indicate it was just as chaotic out in the city.

"Ah, that's a shame. Well, maybe if-" Johann began to suggest before Misuzu suddenly started coughing violently. Everyone immediately turned their attention to see her trying to hold it in, only for blood to suddenly spill past her lips.

"Misuzu!" Toshimi cried out in terror as she rushed over to hold her friend while Misuzu's whole body began to tremble as though from a seizure, before she suddenly vomited nothing but blood onto the floor. Both her legs were trembling heavily before finally giving in to her weight. Toshimi could only stand there, feeling her whole body go stiff and cold with horror, her hands trembling violently as she didn't know what was wrong with her dearest friend in the whole wide world.

"What's wrong with her?! Was she hurt earlier?!" Noah asked in a concerned yet panicked tone of voice as they all watched how deathly ill Misuzu had quickly come to look, her skin already turning pale as dark rings began to form around her terrified eyes. Her eyes could barely remain open as she tried desperately to fight off whatever was happening to her body.

This was a losing fight however, as Misuzu continued to cough heavily before her entire body began to shake and thrash on the floor at the unholy amount of pain she was now feeling. The poor young girl then, without any warning signs left, went limp and completely motionless, causing tears to burst from Toshimi's eyes as the rest of the room remained deathly silent at what they had just witnessed.

"No! No, Misuzu, no! Wake up! Please, Misuzu, wake up!" the girl began to beg and plead as she rushed over to her best friends' motionless body, shaking her by the shoulders in a desperate attempt to wake her up, as if to try and convince herself this was nothing but a bad dream and Misuzu would wake back up completely unharmed, unable to accept that she was undoubtedly gone now.

Everyone else was in such shell shock that they could barely bring themselves to move, before Noah finally worked up the courage to step forward, kneeling before Misuzu's body. Deep inside, he was hoping she was merely unconscious, but when he put his fingers to the side of her neck, he could feel his skin get goosebumps as he felt absolutely nothing. Unable to bring himself to say the words, he looked up at Johann and could only bring himself to shake his head, confirming the worst.

"Oh, God…I'm so sorry, Toshimi... she has no pulse. She's gone." Johann expressed sympathetically, his words lined with heavy sadness of his own, before holding her tightly as she continued to weep, knowing at this point that all he could do now was be here to comfort her loss.

"W-what? What do you mean she has no pulse?! What the hell just happened?! She was fine just a few seconds ago, wasn't she?!" Marcus asked in shock to hear that she died so fast without any obvious indications such as heavy blood loss.

"I'm just as confused as you are, Marcus; but there's nothing we can do about it now. For now, let's move her away to the back of the room. They don't need to see this." Frasier suggested before they nodded in agreement and walked over before gently lifting her up only to gently set her down away from the others. Misuzu's body was heavy like a bag or rocks, indicating it truly was over for her. Toshimi continued sobbing heavily with her tear-stained face buried in her hands while Johann sat loyally at her side, gently wrapping his arms around her, holding her close, trying his best to be here for his beloved.

"I'm so sorry, Toshimi-san. I really am." Noah said sympathetically as he stood over them to provide any extra support he could possibly offer to her.

Marcus soon headed over to join them in mourning Toshimi's loss whilst Frasier knelt down to observe Misuzu's motionless corpse. His eyes were quickly scanning over her for any potential clues that could indicate what had caused her rather sudden and unexpected death. Just when he'd given up, he noticed a rather well hidden scratch mark on her left arm that was initially hidden from them by her sleeve. At first he figured it was worth looking into, but he then realized he could still hear Toshimi sobbing rather loudly.

He stormed over to the small gathering, ready to tell her to lower her tone despite the context of their situation, and the fact that her best friend just died before her very eyes, leaving her powerless to do anything about it. As Frasier covered the distance, none of them noticed one of Misuzu's hands begin to suddenly twitch before her chest lightly began to heave up and down again with silent, raspy breaths.

"Be quiet. You'll draw attention to us if you don't keep it down. I know this is hard, but it'll be ten times worse if we're discovered." Frasier said in a soft yet equally cold voice as he motioned them all to keep it down now.

"I-I'm sorry... I-it's just that…s-she was my best friend...she was a-always by m-my side for the longest time...she was-Misuzu?" Toshimi apologized before explaining just how hard this was for her between each gasp for air. At the end, her tone went from immensely sad to confused, as she looked past Frasier to see Misuzu's body was gone.

"Yes, I already know her name, but that doesn't change-" Frasier expressed, unmoved by her words or emotions before she cut him off.

"No! I mean where did she go?!" Toshimi cut in as she motioned them all to look over and realize that her body was no longer lying motionless in the corner of the room.

Suddenly, a soft yet garbled sigh filled the room. They all turned to see Misuzu standing upright, her body slowly shambling forward in their direction as her right foot dragged along the floor, almost as if her body could barely control it. The five survivors looked up at her in total shock to see that her skin had turned a dark grey color just like all the others had, and her once vibrant brown eyes were now that sickly egg-white color with the faded pupils staring off in random directions.

"Misuzu, you're alive! It's me, Toshimi! Are you alright?" Toshimi said as she stood up and began to approach Misuzu, as if she couldn't even see the drastic transformation they all could. It was all too painfully clear to the others that the trauma of losing her best friend had caused her to become delusional and blind to what was really going on.

"Toshimi...get away from her." Johann suddenly interrupted as held her back from taking another step closer to her reanimated friend.

"What are you talking about? She's alive! She's..." Toshimi attempted to explain, only for Misuzu to suddenly lash out in an attempt to grab her. A vicious snarl escaped her lips as her arms were extended out.

"No, no! This can't be happening! She can't be one of them! She just can't!" Toshimi said in despair before Frasier could no longer keep himself from taking command of the situation.

"Well she bloody well is, and there's nothing you can do to stop it!" Frasier said in a firm tone as he suddenly launched his right leg out, kicking Misuzu back to give them some breathing space.

"Stop! Don't hurt her!" Toshimi pleaded as tears flowed down her cheeks. She instinctively cringed each time as she witnessed Frasier relentlessly kicking and punching her best friend back until it finally happened.

The last kick landed with such impact and precision, it launched Misuzu off her feet, and she directly landed her back against an overturned desk. All five survivors felt their eyes widen seconds later.

 ***squelch***

A sickening piercing noise now interrupted the chaos. Misuzu's body was now sliding down one of the four legs of the desk that had been driven right through her chest. It only took a split second of such a traumatic sight to cause Toshimi's body to go completely limp before finally fainting and collapsing into Johann's arms. The other four students just watched in horrified awe as Misuzu was still moving and clearly not finished just yet.

"Fucking A...she isn't even dead! How is that possible?!" Frasier commented in genuine shock as he was uncertain what to do now. That should've taken anyone out even if they couldn't feel it. Misuzu's body began to slowly rise up in an attempt to pull itself free.

"Frasier...you have to destroy her brain. That's the only way to kill her. Do whatever it takes, just don't get bitten or scratched." Noah finally said in a grim tone as he took a moment to recall how Frasier stopped that student from biting Marcus earlier.

"What? Are you certain about this?" Marcus questioned as Frasier nodded in acknowledgment to what Noah just told him to do, ready to carry out the unthinkable now.

"It has to. It's the only thing that makes sense to me right now. It just does!" Noah said as they both watched their eldest brother raise his foot only to bring it straight down into Misuzu's forehead.

 ***stomp***

Her head bashed hard against the floor as she let out a low groan. Frasier's foot slammed down several more times, causing blood to ooze out the sides before his last attack caused her head to turn to the side, effectively exposing a softer target for him.

 ***smash***

Putting all the power in his leg and stomping down directly into Misuzu's temple, a sickening crack echoed through the room before a more squishy noise took its place. Her blood coated the cuffs on his pants and the entirety of his shoes, with the floor now pooling with her dark colored blood. After a few more twitchy and jerky attempts to get free, Misuzu's body went limp again and did not get back up this time; her body once again silent and completely motionless.

While Noah and Marcus turned away from the gruesome scene, they could still hear the messy sounds it made when her head caved in. Misuzu's final expression locked in place as the top half of her skull was now a pile of broken skull fragments and squashed brain matter. Frasier slowly walked away as he knew what to do from now on should this ever happen again.

"So…it IS just like in the movies then. Oh…God help us all." Noah muttered in a horrified whisper as he looked back to see Johann looking over the unconscious Toshimi in his arms.

"What do you mean, Noah?" Frasier asked confusedly, as this was something he'd never even remotely heard of before.

"I mean these things are like zombies. Corpses revived by witchcraft, at least as far as certain religions go. They go around trying to eat anyone they can find, and anyone who's bitten or scratched eventually dies from it and ends up coming back as one of…Them." Noah struggled to explain as his mind was still having trouble accepting that this insane scenario was actually happening before his very eyes.

"Rubbish. That's absolute rubbish, Noah. Clearly it's a bacterial infection of some sort, and it's most likely become an epidemic by now. Perhaps mimicking the features of...zombies, said?" Frasier retorted, unable to believe that superstition had anything to do with this. He was only willing to accept the hard, cold facts as far as explanations for this phenomenon were concerned.

"No, Frasier! This isn't like some kind of super flu or some weird strain of rabies! I swear this has to be the real thing! I felt Misuzu's pulse myself, and I'm telling you right now, she was GONE! It should've been impossible for her to get back up, but we all saw that she did! How else could you possibly explain that, and the fact she ignored getting impaled like it didn't even happen?" Noah argued, letting his previously reserved panic out for a few seconds once he'd realized Frasier was casting his only reasonable theory aside. Just as quickly as it had started, Noah quickly regained his composure as Frasier couldn't rightly argue against THOSE undeniable facts.

"Yeah...well whatever this is really doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that we get out of this school and back to Uncle Mark. We can properly arm ourselves there and perhaps hold down the apartment." Marcus intervened knowing that talking about these monsters' origin would get them nowhere.

"He's right. So what's the plan?" Noah agreed before turning his attention back to Frasier who was once again peering out the window, once again watching the now confirmed walking dead not like the monsters they were, but rather studying them as if they were just another common enemy to bring down with any weakness he could locate.

"Hmm…looks like they completely control the school and are just roaming around now. I think it's best we try to create a diversion, then slip out without having to fight our way out. We'll need as much energy as possible if we want any chance to survive." Frasier observed as he tried to keep an eye out for anything worth bringing up to the others.

"Well, it's a sound plan, but do we have any idea where to even start?" Johann asked as he laid Toshimi comfortably on the floor with his uniform's shirt folded under her head, still looking her over worriedly.

"I have an idea. We could create a powerful launcher, like a sling shot or something along those lines to shatter the windows in one of the other buildings. I could easily put something together if we can access the wood shop class." Noah brought up as he now began to study their environment to see any potential advantages to tip the balance in their favor.

"Good thinking, Noah. But how do we know that will work long enough for us to get out without being seen? Sure, some might go to investigate, but look how many of them there are out there. Clearly these creatures work in packs." Frasier then said as he pointed out a flaw in Noah's strategy, noting the sheer number of them he could see roaming the school grounds alone.

"Have any of you looked into their eyes yet?" Noah asked, silently hoping the theory he'd just come up with was somehow right.

"Yeah, they have a rather dead look to them now that you mention it. What's your point?" Marcus replied as they all recalled how every one of the creatures they'd encountered thus far had milky white eyes that both would actually be fixed looking in all kinds of directions.

"At this point I feel it's a safe bet to say that these...things...'Them', whatever you want to call them, can't actually see us. The eyes never moved once, but the ears certainly did when Misuzu began walking towards us again." Noah explained as he recalled watching and studying her actions like a diligent hawk while Frasier held her off.

"If hearing is how they find you, then this plan just might work after all. A few good broken windows, and pretty much all of the ones on the ground floor will be out of the way within minutes; giving us an opportune path of exit. Proper job, Noah." Marcus complimented as the youngest Lawson could not help but take pride in feeling much more useful to the team now, no longer just a little kid having to rely on his brothers to do everything for him.

"Right. So now here comes the next phase of our plan: gathering all the supplies that Noah will need. Noah, tell us exactly what you need and it will be done." Frasier announced as all three of the older students shifted their focus upon Noah. He was ready though and grabbed a piece of chalk to scribble down his list of demands.

"Looks like parts you'd be using for...a potato launcher?" Marcus commented as Noah finally finished his list; earning an eager nod from his younger brother while Johann and Frasier continued to read on.

"Yes...gathering these items should be no problem at all." Frasier said aloud while nodding his head before trying to think of the best paths to take in order to grab what Noah required.

"Noah, you and I will head for the wood shop class. You grab all the parts while I carry the heavier ones and protect you from whatever we might come across. Marcus and Johann, you two go to the kitchen and gather any potatoes or hard, potato shaped like objects you can scrounge up. Remember; don't try to fight these things beyond one on one. They're much stronger than they look." Frasier began to order as he decided it would be best to move in smaller teams in order to save both time and reduce the likelihood of them being detected.

"What about Toshimi? There's no way I can just leave her all alone and defenseless in this room. She needs me." Johann suddenly brought up in concern as Frasier just scowled at him.

"She'll be fine so long as she keeps quiet and stays in here. All the more reason for us to move faster and get out of here before it gets too dark to even head home." Frasier said as he had no time for someone's feelings to jeopardize the mission, knowing that their time was limited enough as it was.

"I...I can't do that. I'm sorry. I want to help you guys out, but not if it means leaving her alone even for a minute. Anything could happen at this point." Johann explained, conflicted and unable to change his mind on the matter.

"Fine. Noah, you stay here and watch Toshimi. I'll get the parts from the woodshop class myself." Frasier finally sighed as he knew that a compromise was needed; willing to grab the launcher parts himself if it meant Johann could go with Marcus.

"I still don't like not being here personally...but it's better than nothing. Thank you, Frasier. Well, let's get going then." Johann said as they were finally at a reasonable compromise.

With nothing left to be said, Johann and Frasier carefully dismantled the makeshift barricade before they cautiously checked outside the room, only to see it was clear for the time being.

"Be careful, Marcus." Frasier said before the two teams had to split up by the stairwell.

"No, I thought I'd be rather reckless and get myself bitten. But yeah, will do. You be careful too." Marcus replied sarcastically, to which Frasier just rolled his eyes, before Marcus spoke in a more serious tone, well aware of the danger they were currently in.

Marcus and Johann slowly traversed down the stairs and over to a whole different section of the school, looking out at the destruction consuming whatever remaining students left alive there still were while walking over one of the two bridges that connected the three main buildings together.

"It's so quiet now. All the yelling and screaming now reduced to almost nothing spare the occasional cry for help. It's so fucking eerie." Marcus commented as Johann remained completely silent, his mind clearly focused on gathering whatever they could so he could return to Toshimi and they could all get out of this horrible place that much faster.

It wasn't long before they stood before the two large doors that lead into the cafeteria. They didn't even need to be inside to know that the undead were on the other side. The sounds of jaws chomping and ripping up flesh were abundantly clear as it was gut-wrenching just to think about.

"Take off your shoes." Marcus instructed as he already got started on just that, much to Johann's confusion.

"What? Why?" Johann whispered back as he was unsure what the middle Lawson had in mind now.

"If we take our shoes off, we'll be nearly impossible for those things to hear. Even walking quietly, our shoes still make some noise against the surface of these floors. Not our socks, though." Marcus explained before demonstrating by lightly walking back and forth.

"That's not such a bad idea, Marcus. Assuming they can't smell or somehow sense heat." Johann complimented while trying to make it clear that this was still risky and very dangerous.

"Fine, I'll go first then. Just be ready to book it if I'm wrong on this one." Marcus grumbled before volunteering himself to do something only an insane person would even consider doing. Both boys were now holding their own pairs of shoes in each hand, knowing it would be painful to try and walk outside with nothing to protect their feet once they got out of here.

Johann nodded in acknowledgement before they slowly pushed the doors wide open. Both of their eyes widened as their jaws slowly dropped in sheer disgust and terror at the sight that lay before them. Entire piles of dead students and teachers had been dragged to this location. Some were reduced to only mere fragments of clothing and severed limbs, while others were splayed out with their ribcages torn wide open, revealing chewed up organs and cracked bones. Their blood painted the lower half of the room and walls like some sort of twisted alternative artist had a field day with their canvas. Even if one were to overcome the horrific sight, it would still be tough to endure the putrid smell given off. This was truly hell.

However, by the sheer willpower to survive alone, the two remained dead silent. Marcus slowly stepped forward as he said he would while his left hand covered his mouth and nose. He did not dare even breathe to an audible level lest it provoke the various packs of 'Them' that were crowding around the piles of body parts. Johann soon followed close by as his eyes would try to look out for any stains to avoid slipping on. If any of 'Them' caught even the slightest hint that Marcus and Johann were here, it would be over within a matter of seconds. Being completely surrounded and heavily outnumbered only raised the tension as sweat began to pour down their faces from the fear and anxiety. However, the fact they'd come this far into the infested cafeteria clearly showed that these things were incapable of sight. Now all that remained was how 'They' would react to sound and possibly smell.

"He-Help me..." a student suddenly pleaded as he weakly held his hand up, reaching for the two boys as they passed by. He had gaping, bleeding bites all along his legs, arms and shoulders, and he couldn't move from the pile he was lying against. His uniform was stained with his own blood and most likely the blood from the other bodies around him.

Within a few seconds though, three of 'Them' noticed the strained voice and spared no time to pounce on their prey. Marcus and Johann instantly looked away as they could hear it all happening right in front of them. There wasn't even enough energy left for the poor bastard to scream in agonizing pain while being eaten alive.

After careful and steady navigation, the two just barely managed to get themselves behind the counter and into the storage room where all the meal trays and spare food was being kept. The swiveling door slowly closed, giving them enough of a barrier to whisper to one another without the undead monsters behind them being able to hear any of it.

"Keep an eye out for any of 'Them' that might be in here." Johann softly whispered as Marcus nodded in response, still too afraid to even remotely utter a word out, in fear of being detected.

The lights were still on, so within a minute they managed to search the area to see it was completely cleared out, entirely free to explore without any risk of being ambushed from one they might've overlooked or passed by.

"I've got something. I think...yup...oh yeah, I've got exactly what we need." Johann said suddenly as he opened up one of the pantries to see an excess amount of bagged up potatoes.

"Well that was rather quick, but then again I really shouldn't be complaining. Let's get back to the others." Marcus retorted as he helped Johann carry a decent amount of the healthy looking spuds over his shoulder before quickly swiping a small bundle of steel wool from a counter.

"Steel wool. Who knows, it just might come in handy at some point." Marcus quietly explained when he saw the slightly confused glance Johann shot at him.

As he hoisted the sack of potatoes over his shoulder though, Marcus failed to realize that he had swung it too hard.

 ***crash***

An entire row of dishes had been smacked, and they both watched in terror as a miniature avalanche of plate after plate shattered against the floor. They didn't even want to look outside to see that all of 'Them' in the cafeteria slowly shifted their heads and focus entirely upon their position.

"Oh, shit! We're dead! We're fucking dead!" Marcus muttered in a panic as he and Johann tried to look for another way out of the room, knowing that going out the front wasn't going to happen.

"Up there! The air vents should be just big enough for us to use!" Johann exclaimed as he jumped up onto a counter, only to pry off one of the overhead grates that would be used to keep the kitchen cool. He then tore the fan clean off before seeing enough space for them to use.

"Cmon, c'mon!" Marcus muttered aloud as the first of 'Them' had reached the door, ready to feast on their new prey; their groans and sighs filling the room now.

"Quick, Marcus, take my hand!" Johann instructed as he helped hoist Marcus up just in time to avoid being chomped down on and overwhelmed by the undead.

Both of them desperately struggled to crawl up the vent shaft with their hands and feet while still carrying their potato sack between them, before the shaft finally lead to a horizontal one they could access. Johann slung the only bag they could recover out in front of him as they just lied in place, breathing heavily while attempting to recover from the intense and WAY too close call.

"After that…this had better fucking work." Marcus grumbled as he tried to wipe some of the sweat from his face, still feeling his heart racing way too fast for comfort.

"No kidding. We better keep moving so they don't have to wait on us." Johann agreed before proposing that they continue until their task was finally completed. The sooner they could escape Fujimi Academy, the better.

Meanwhile, Frasier was all alone as he walked through the empty hallways that would take him directly to the wood-shop class. His mind was disciplined and entirely immune to the horrific, gruesome sights he'd come across, as if his training had in fact covered this. There was one thing that did manage to cause a growing concern at the back of his mind though. What had become of Saeko Busujima? At first he could only assume the worst and downplay his sorrow in order to remain focused on what he had to do now.

However, when he came across a slain pack of 'Them' by Miss Marikawa's infirmary, he noticed that all of 'Them' had massive cranial intrusions that matched not only a wooden blunt object, but rather that of a kendo practice sword. He even took a moment to observe the wounds, just to be certain it wasn't his mind being overly optimistic. A faint smile formed along his lips before he left, knowing he had to gather those parts without further delay.

 _'She's a strong woman, Frasier. She can handle this. She must have killed much more. Yes. That must be what happened.'_ Frasier thought to himself as his eyes kept scanning the area in case he had to make a quick reaction. Part of him was somewhat glad Noah stayed behind so he would only need to focus on his own personal safety down here. Having Noah here would only slow him down. It was hard to deny how he felt about Saeko the more his mind would try to linger on her as he continued on his way.

Suddenly, one of 'Them' walked from around a corner. Frasier froze in place to see how it would react to him now. His breathing was controlled and tight as his crystal blue eyes locked onto the infected female student. She had numerous bites along her neck and shoulders. Frasier then felt the creature slowly bumping into him; however it had zero reaction to it despite brushing up against a large, fresh meal.

 _'Do it. Give me a reason.'_ the eldest Lawson brother growled in the back of his mind as he watched it slowly look up at him, only to suddenly shuffle away as if any interest was lost then and there. A rather disappointed, yet very low, sigh escaped from his lips before he finally made it to the shop class.

The door had been torn clean from its hinges with multiple corpses piled along it. Each one had clearly turned, only for a survivor to effectively put them down. Rather fascinated by the lack of blood, Frasier crouched down only to spot that each one had a nail protruding from their heads.

 _'A nail gun? Interesting.'_ Frasier thought to himself as he was quite impressed at the ingenuity of whoever thought of using a nail gun as a weapon against 'Them'.

He stood back up to see various parts had already been used and scrapped to most likely add onto said nail gun. Frasier then looked at the back of the classroom to see multiple parts and components scattered around from other projects.

' _Hmm, this should be enough. Better grab some extra parts though, just to be on the safe side.'_ Frasier thought to himself as he started to place various tubes and devices he knew Noah needed for certain into a book bag he found that someone most likely abandoned when fleeing for their life.

The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand as it felt like he was being watched; his ears paying close attention for any signs of 'Them' approaching on his six. Luckily, he did not make much noise, so his part of the plan turned out to be rather easy thus far.

 _'I wonder if the chemistry lab is still accessible. We might need some extra stopping power.'_ Frasier then thought before he began to think of Saeko again. Part of him wanted to find her and ensure that she she'd be safe along with Noah, Marcus and their Uncle Mark. From what he saw at the scene outside the infirmary, her foot prints were marked with blood, which would help set him on the right path to her.

He soon found himself standing at the door to the chemistry lab as he debated what to do next. The door was hung wide open with a large pool of blood smeared on the floor that led into the room; a bloody hand print on the wall beside the lights.

 ***click***

A bright flash of light filled the class room to reveal a young female teacher with glasses, and reddish-brown hair in a loose ponytail with long strands hanging down in front of each ear. What really caught Frasier's attention though, was the massive chunk of flesh missing from the right side of her neck.

Somewhat curious to test the extension of the hearing of 'Them', he pulled out a hammer from a side pocket in the newly acquired book bag. He set down the massive tube he'd been carrying under his arm before he then began to knock on the side of the wall with his knuckles.

In an instant, her head slowly cocked to the side before she walked over with a severed hand gripped tightly in her hand. Frasier cautiously backed away from the spot as he watched her completely avoid him only to suddenly walk face first into the wall with a low *thud*. Her flesh and blood stained teeth started to making chomping sounds while Frasier began to determine the best spot on the skull to strike.

 ***thwack* *thwack* *thwack***

With several swings and strikes, he managed to bash in the back of her skull, causing the undead teacher to drop like a bag of rocks; crumpling to the floor and remaining completely motionless as a thick, dark crimson pool of her own blood now added to the excess amount already at the doorway.

The eldest Lawson then took a moment to realize his entire body was basking in the otherwise tense moment; the adrenaline flowing through his veins giving him an almost euphoric feeling. It felt all too good to be so powerful and in control, to finally put all those years of training to use. Best of all, he felt completely natural doing it. Anyone watching would have no trouble seeing that there was no hesitation from his reflexes or any remorse being expressed from his face.

'Not so tough now that I know your weakness.' Frasier thought to himself, keeping the hammer in his right hand as he proceeded further into the classroom, looting the various cupboards and forming a rather sly grin when he found just what he had in mind for Noah's device.

 **The Safe Room**

Roughly twenty minutes had passed since the two teams split up. Frasier was the first to return and see that Toshimi had finally woken up while Noah was watching over her. As Frasier re-entered the room, she looked up at him, but not in contempt or anger at what he did. No, instead she simply had a look that cried out 'Why Misuzu? Why did it have to be my best friend in the whole wide world?'. Frasier remained silent though, feeling it would be pointless to dwell on something that could never be changed.

"Frasier, oh thank God you're okay. You got what we need? Excellent! Start unloading it over there and I can get to work immediately." Noah asked before seeing his oldest brother had not failed to deliver the tools and resources he needed to get cracking on his escape plan.

"Did anything happen while I was gone?" Frasier asked out of brotherly concern, wanting to ensure Noah was alright.

"Yeah, you missed one of the mini-busses come out of nowhere and smash the iron gates off the entrance. It was pretty damn cool, and it actually gives us an easy exit, too." Noah replied, clearly excited that not only were they the only survivors in the school, but also that they'd managed to get a break after all the chaos beforehand.

"Hold on, do you hear something?" Frasier said as they all froze in place as the sound of something rustling against metal could be heard; the sound slowly drawing closer and closer, despite them being unable to see anything.

"Noah…are these things capable of climbing and entering ventilation shafts?" Frasier questioned as he pulled out the hammer from earlier, limbering up his arm as if expecting a fight.

"They shouldn't be...but taking risks isn't exactly a luxury. Get ready." Noah replied nervously as he and Toshimi ended up backed up into a corner while Frasier licked his lips in anticipation, ready to kill again.

"Easy…easy...and there we are. I told you it was this one!" Marcus' voice suddenly said from above, just moments from a grate opening up to reveal both him and Johann slowly dropping out from it with a sack of potatoes in hand.

"Johann!" Toshimi exclaimed in a cheerful voice before rushing over to hold him tight while Marcus looked over to give a thumbs up to Frasier and Noah before holding up what they managed to salvage from the kitchen.

"Steel wool…and I found some sodium chlorate, sugar and a bottle of sulfuric acid in the chemistry lab. I think I've got an idea for all this. Alright, we've got what we need, so let's get to work. The sun will be going down in about two hours. I want this thing operational in one hour max." Frasier instructed as it was quite obvious that traveling in the dark would be near suicide, especially due to how poorly equipped this group was.

As the Lawson brothers gathered around the parts laid out before them, Johann and Toshimi sat together to talk things out in the meantime.

"How are you holding up, Johann? I know this must be so hard for you right now." Toshimi asked as she was looking all over for any signs of damage or injury on Johann.

"Me? It's you we should be worried about, Toshimi. You…you lost your best friend. How are YOU holding up?" Johann responded as he was somewhat surprised to see her no longer crying so soon, especially considering how close she and Misuzu were.

"It's hard, Johann. I-it's so hard. It's like a piece of my soul's been ripped out of my body today. I honestly wish I could've known sooner and kept her safe, but without you coming in earlier, both of us would be long dead. It's not fair that Misuzu had to die the way she did, but clearly there's only one thing to do now, and that's remember her. Survive and never forget." Toshimi explained as she tried to hold back the inevitable tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Shh, come here. So long as I'm here, I promise I will keep you safe." Johann vowed as he wrapped his arms around her, soon feeling her arms slide around to grasp onto his back as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, just like she always had when she was sad back when they were little kids. A soft sobbing sound could soon be heard from her as he gently rubbed her back. There's always motivation for man to survive whatever situation he finds himself in. For Johann, it was the girl in his arms.

 **[30 minutes later]**

"So is that it? Does anything else need tuning?" Frasier questioned as the Lawson trio was putting the final touches to their device.

"Nope. This bad girl is ready to rock some cocks." Marcus replied, earning a light chuckle from Noah and a sigh of annoyance from Frasier.

All three stepped back for Johann and Toshimi to look in awe at the sight of what looked like an old fashioned mounted war cannon composed of various everyday items, almost like something pulled straight out of MacGuyver. The barrel was a good seven feet long, and a large tripod held the massive construct in place with a swivel attachment, giving them the ability to turn on demand.

"Oh man, that looks so awesome! Will it really work, though?" Johann questioned as he couldn't help but show great excitement over such a clever design.

"Oh, trust me, it will. I've built much smaller ones back home." Noah replied with great confidence in his voice, remembering a prior summer day all three of them spent launching spuds across an empty field.

"Is there anything else we need to do before we can begin?" Frasier questioned as he needed to be absolutely certain before they made their next move.

"Name. It needs a name." Noah then answered as Marcus nodded in total agreement.

"I vote for Dick Cannon, like Richard Harrison in that kung-fu movie Uncle Mark showed us last April." Marcus suggested with an eager grin on his face.

"No." Frasier grumbled as he shook his head, completely unamused.

"Ass Blaster?" Marcus tried to suggest as a backup, hoping Frasier would let this one slide.

"No." the eldest Lawson grumbled as he stood firm on the name being called virtually anything but that.

"Oh, c'mon! Don't hold my creativity back, you stick in the mud!" Marcus replied as he wanted something really funny, and really not wanting Frasier to chastise his desire for humor now of all times.

"Fine. Just stop wasting time on a bloody name! We don't have long until sundown." Frasier groaned as he realized this was a battle he shouldn't be fighting over with someone the likes of Marcus, who would without a doubt argue over it all day and night.

"Hot Spuds." Marcus then suggested as he got a nod of approval from Noah, and eventually Frasier formed a smile of approval and nodded, seeing how for Marcus that was rather tame.

"Alright, listen up! There are at least fifty of 'Them' outside in plain sight. We want to exit through those broken down gates. Noah and I shall provide over watch with...'Hot Spuds', whilst you three move towards the exit point. Move slowly, and if anything tries to engage you, just run. We'll take care of it. Any questions?" Frasier said as he paced back and forth while the group looked up at him, somewhat inspired by how much control and confidence he was able to instill within them.

"Let's do this." Marcus replied as he and Johann began to escort Toshimi down to the first floor while Noah and Frasier prepared the first launch from the floor above.

"Angle it up a couple of degrees...and...fire!" Frasier announced as Noah grasped the custom trigger on the side.

 ***thoomp***

The potato cannon shook a little as a single spud rocketed through the sky at high velocity. Both brothers watched as it came down and pegged one of 'Them' wandering around. The momentum and force was so strong that it actually knocked their target down.

"Beautiful. Reload and fire on the windows at the next building." Frasier complimented before ordering Noah to readjust his aim to initiate their escape plan.

 ***thoomp* *crash***

Moments apart from a second launch, a window had been shattered with little to no resistance. All of the walking corpses that heard it on the ground floor slowly titled their heads in that direction before slowly shuffling towards it. With neither sight nor common sense, the creatures shambled towards the new source of noise, their decrepit jaws hanging as low groans and gasps escaped from them.

"Lovely, looks like it's working. Fire another to make sure 'They' don't lose interest." Frasier commanded Noah as he loaded up a third round.

 ***thoomp* *crash***

A second window was now shattered as the undead continued their long limp session to investigate the strange yet loud noise that lured them away, despite the fact that it soon became silent again.

"They're on the move. I see a straggler already. Load up a heavier one, but watch your fire." Frasier observed as he handed Noah a potato hollowed out only to be filled up with the hard head of his hammer.

"Roger. Firing now!" Noah replied as he took a moment to aim at one of 'Them' that had heard the ground team fleeing at top speed.

 ***thoomp***

The undead corpse suddenly stopped pursuing the ground team as its head had been nailed hard with a heavy round. The body swayed back and forth before collapsing to the ground with a hammer head lodged deep into its skull.

"They sure must be enjoying that thing up there. That's the fourth launch in a minute alone." Marcus commented as he moved at a slower pace so Johann and Toshimi could keep up with him.

"They're losing interest again. Load up the 'Irish Rose'." Frasier ordered as he could see a pack of 'Them' making a beeline towards the fleeing survivors. Taking a bit longer to prepare, the wait was more than worth what was about to happen.

 ***thoomp***

A hollowed out potato filled with nails, steel wool, sodium chlorate, sugar and the small bottle of sulfuric acid, complete with a small lit fuse they'd managed to stick into it, landed against the chest of one of 'Them', only to ignite at that very moment and burst in a tiny contained explosion a second after, sending several bits of shrapnel in a small, contained radius. Flesh was sliced wide open as seven of 'Them' were now filled with a few extra holes before falling over and staying down for good.

Just as it looked like things were in the group's favor, the barricade to the room began to shake as it was clear they had drawn in some attention of their own.

"Noah, start climbing down the side. If you fall, try to land on a bush or something to break the fall. I'll cover you." Frasier instructed as Noah was hesitant to leave his brother alone against an unknown amount of 'Them' banging at their weak barricade.

"You better be right behind me, Frasier." Noah said before he climbed out the window and started to make his decent.

 ***crash***

Just as he was hanging on the window sill to the second floor, he watched as Frasier spun the spud cannon around only to fire at the first of 'Them'.

"Get a taste of this, you pricks." Frasier announced before gripping the trigger mechanism.

 ***thoomp***

The last of their ammunition had been spent, but the final one contained more of the sodium chlorate, sugar and a tinier flask of the sulfuric acid. The first of 'Them' was launched straight back from the sheer force as a contained burst echoed across the classroom, sending the other undead in the doorway flying. The recoil caused a piece of the cannon not attached properly to fly back and hit Noah.

Losing his concentration, he suddenly fell down and hit the ground hard. The wind had been completely knocked out of him as he let out a painful gasp for air. Several of 'Them' near the doors trying to now get in the building noticed this, and began to shamble over to him.

"Noah!" Frasier's voice echoed as the youngest Lawson looked up in a daze, taken aback as he watched the nearest of 'Them' instantly get slammed to the ground when Frasier's body dropped down from the second floor window.

"You will not have him!" Frasier cried out, trying to draw the small pack of five away from Noah so he could hopefully make a faster recovery and run. The eldest Lawson stood his ground as he kicked and shoved the undead back in a desperate last stand.

Two of 'Them' jumped onto him as two more had tackled into his legs. To Noah, it was like watching lions overpowering a large wildebeest. He shook his head in disbelief as Frasier was unable to push the undead fiends back, witnessing the unthinkable as his brother was being overwhelmed and dragged down helplessly.

"No...no, Frasier, you can't be..." Noah said in horror as tears filled his eyes, watching his brother sacrificed himself for his survival; a pit of guilt forming in his stomach and throat.

Just at the last second when all hope had been extinguished for the eldest Lawson though, all five of 'Them' suddenly were launched back a couple inches to reveal Frasier standing in a defensive pose with both arms held out separately with a fire burning in his light blue eyes. He then rolled forward and over Noah, locking his arms around so that when he was on his feet, he had Noah in a fireman's carry.

"You're alive?!" Noah exclaimed both overwhelmingly shocked and glad to see that his brother had made it out somehow without being torn to shreds. Upon further inspection though, Noah could see that underneath the shredded uniform sleeve was a thick layer of duct tape wrapped around Frasier's forearms. The clever bastard planned for something like this to happen and had covered both his forearms and shins with the stuff.

"I will never die so long as you two are in danger. I promise you that much, Noah." Frasier replied as his entire body was fueled by adrenaline and the will to survive; his feet pounding against the ground like he was a walking tank. Carefully maneuvering around the undead that appeared to be honing in on them now.

"Go, go, go! Burn rubber, you pillocks!" Frasier roared out at the others who were standing at the gate, waving him over before they were all now caught up and fleeing the outskirts of the school with just barely enough time to spare before the sun began to set in the distance. Roughly an hour remained before the darkness would completely cover the city.

 **[Johann Johannsson – The Keeper]**

Halfway across their journey back to Uncle Mark's apartment, the sun was in its final hour for this tragic day. The various sights and horrors they had all witnessed would not be so easily forgotten. The stench of smoke and death filled the air. A dozen separate funnels of said smoke stained the otherwise beautiful sunset as it had become more than clear the entire city was in an uproar. Screams of the innocent, cries of defenseless victims, and the occasional crackling of gunshots and the wails of firemen, paramedic, and police sirens could be heard for miles around. The police especially were overwhelmed on every front and were spread far too thin to be able to effectively hold any ground from 'Them'.

It was just a beautiful metropolis a mere three hours ago. The questions rang true in all their minds. How could this have happened? Who or what was responsible for this madness and chaos that had been unleashed upon the innocent with nothing to keep it in check? Despite those who could hold their own, far too many people had been infected and added to the exponentially growing hordes of 'Them'. It was hard to tell who was still left now, but the undead appeared to be on the move towards the north, so it was safe to assume that there was still hope that the government had control somewhere.

 **[]**

"It's so quiet now. Do you think Uncle Mark is alright?" Noah commented before speaking to his brothers with deep concern in his voice for their Uncle's safety.

"He can hold his own without question, Noah. Uncle Mark might not be nearly as strong and disciplined as father, but he surely can pack a punch still." Frasier explained, confident that everything would be alright when they arrived.

"And if not?" Noah then followed up as he saw a body bag hanging out the back of a crashed ambulance nearby, squirming around as if trying to get free. No doubt in his mind that it was one of 'Them'.

 ***ka-pow***

Before anyone could answer, the sound of a gunshot could be heard not too far away from their position.

"That sound...that has to be Uncle Mark. Move it! Double time!" Marcus said as if he recalled it from long ago, before he took off at top speed, prompting the others to follow. He was the closest to Uncle Mark; at this point he was more like a real father to him than Arthur ever was. Losing him would figuratively kill Marcus inside.

Just as they got through into the complex at foot of the steps that would take the group straight up to the Lawson's home the next floor up, a body suddenly rolled down the stairs. A grey skinned man with a business suit rolled down the concrete stairs with a kitchen knife wedged between the eyes. A large chunk of flesh could be seen torn from his back.

"Behind us!" Toshimi announced as Johann instinctively stood between her and the several of 'Them' approaching from all sides.

"Oh, shit! What do we do now?" Noah asked as they all found any exit point being cut off by several of the undead fiends that had been alerted to the gunshot.

 **[The Dark Knight Theme]**

Suddenly, a large figure dropped from the balcony above, landing atop the nearest of 'Them'. He held a combat knife in one hand, only to stab it sideways into the temple of the undead woman's skull he had pinned beneath him. In a single yank of the arm, blood gushed from the fresh wound and dropped from the tip of the blade.

Up stood Uncle Mark, dressed in what looked like his former BDU attire. Black combat boots were wrapped securely around his feet as the rest of his torso was covered by a black ballistic vest, most likely from his glory days given the marks and scuffs it had on it. The Lawson brothers in particular were shocked to see him move so fast and limber especially compared to the laid back Uncle they'd been accustomed to in the prior years.

"C'mon, you pint-sized twats! I've got loads where that came from!" Uncle Mark suddenly announced as he drew out a Glock 17 sidearm using NATO standard 9x19mm cartridges.

With the slight pull of his right index finger, the semi-auto pistol fired off multiple rounds. Toshimi covered her ears and looked away from the violence as the others watched in awe as every shot connected perfectly. The heads of his target's rocked back with pieces of their faces being blown in and out by the close range stopping power of the handgun.

One of 'Them' stumbled forward with his jaws hung wide open, a couple of teeth already falling out as it had both arms reached out for him.

"Hungry, are you? Try this, you skinny twat!" Mark then suggested before ramming his steel blade straight up against the bottom of his undead neighbors' jaw. Before the monster could even consider retaliating, Mark placed the gun to the side of its head and pulled the trigger, causing an excess amount of fresh blood to paint and splatter on the wall beside them.

"Alright, you bunch of muppets. Which one of you is ready to go to the gates of hell and kick the devil himself in the jewels before we tell him to 'fuck off' with all this rubbish?" Uncle Mark said in the most awe-inspiring voice as he held up a cigar only to light it up like an old school action movie hero as the others were stunned in silence by his immense comeback from what was meant to be a long retirement.


	3. Chapter 3: No Easy Choice

**Tokonosu City**

 **Z-Day!**

"Jesus fucking Christ, that was awesome!" Marcus exclaimed enthusiastically while Mark took a puff from his cigar, grinning proudly to know that he still had the moves after all these years.

"Hell yes, it was! Do you think you can teach me how to do all that?" Noah added as he was still trembling from the rush of adrenaline after such a close call.

"Impressive. Glad to see you still breathing, old man." Frasier complimented, which was really rare considering how normally, nothing was ever enough by his standards.

"Thanks, same to you. So I take it you've all noticed that things have gone rather to shit in the past few hours? I can't honestly say I'm surprised, considering who I'm talking to, but I'm glad that you three made it out in one piece all the same." Uncle Mark retorted as he walked over to take his three nephews into a massive bear hug.

"Friends of yours, I take it?" Mark then questioned when taking a moment to realize Johann and Toshimi were also with them.

"Oh, y-yes, sir. I'm Johann Kessler, and this is my girlfriend, Toshimi Niki." Johann nervously introduced, still in shock at seeing this middle-aged man expertly take out a whole bunch of 'Them' like it was nothing.

"We happened to run into them at school, and I figured we'd help them out, seeing how it's better to fight in numbers." Marcus answered as Uncle Mark nodded to the two newcomers.

"Along with it just being the right thing to do, of course." Noah suggested as he lightly nudged Frasier's ribs, since he clearly stood by his intentions to leave them behind earlier.

"Right, well you did what you had to do. You two are more than welcome to tag along with us if you like. Its best we get moving now, though. It won't be long until more of those things start coming by after all those gunshots." Uncle Mark nodded to his nephews before offering Johann and Toshimi the chance to tag along with them.

"Thank you so much, sir. Do you think we could possibly go to my house to get my aunt and uncle on the way? It's only a few blocks away, and my Uncle also really knows how to fight." Johann replied, heavy gratitude lining his words with a slight trace of intimidation as well; knowing he couldn't just leave the fate of his only real family in these parts to chance.

"Of course, lad. Just give me a second with the boys, will you?" Uncle Mark acknowledged before he then motioned the Lawson trio to follow him upstairs; leaving Johann and Toshimi to quickly follow behind, knowing they'd have no chance if caught in the open by 'Them'. The two close lovers followed the Lawsons up into their home before promptly closing and locking the door just to be safe.

"Look, I know this is early; especially for you two...but I think your father would be just as proud and accepting of the choice I'm about to make." Mark announced once he was sure it was just him and his nephews in his room while he rustled through a lockbox. The three boys couldn't help but be curious what he was doing before he stood before them holding out a beautiful mahogany colored case.

 ***pop***

The case opened up to reveal three 17 cm (7") stainless steel blades. The tops were serrated to very fine points while the handles, wrapped in black leather, were approximately 11 cm (4.75") long. Along the sides of the blades, each one had 'Who Dares Wins' inscribed into them; the famous founding phrase of the British S.A.S. Regiment.

Noah and Marcus without hesitation took their respective knives and began to observe them in awe at the detail and quality of them, not even sure why Mark had these here. Frasier on the other hand was hesitant and just stared at his own, voices and images of his father telling him he was no longer worthy, drowning his mind in doubt.

"Go ahead, Frasier. Despite what HE might have to say about you receiving this great honor, I think you are more than ready to uphold the family name in the field. The telly has shown this shite is happening all over the world, so I think it's quite clear we'll be on our own for a bit." Mark said as he could've sworn he could see Frasier's lips slightly tremble as he tried his best to show no emotion towards the sheer gravity of this moment.

"It's beautiful. The design is completely flawless, and it's so lightweight. T-thank you, Uncle Mark. I'm sorry if it ever seemed like I doubted you." Frasier said softly as he then attached the sheathe to his hip before walking up and legitimately initiating a hug; causing Mark to chuckle softly before holding his eldest nephew, knowing he was still just a human deep down inside, despite the distant and cold vibes Frasier constantly gave off before.

"Don't apologize for doing nothing wrong, chap. There's no doubt in my mind that you'd be the perfect recruit for the regiment. Prove me right, Frasier." Mark then said as he patted his eldest nephew's shoulder before walking away to leave Frasier to his thoughts.

"Did you say this is happening all around the world? Did I hear that right?" Noah asked as soon as Mark stepped out of his room, already proceeding to raid his kitchen cupboards of any canned goods he could get his hands on, stuffing them all into one large backpack sitting on the counter.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so, my son. Moscow's gone dark, Rome and Paris are dealing with massive riots, Beijing has been set aflame, and even the bloody Yanks are having trouble holding their own from what they showed before the reporter was cut off. According to them, however, London apparently has their shite under control, so perhaps they've caught a break, or maybe the infection might not even have reached home yet. All I know is, given how fast this has spread, there will be no rescue anytime soon." Mark answered as he began to name off some major capitols of first world countries that had unbelievably fallen in only the last few hours.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Marcus inquired as he attached his knife to the loop in his pants, not too keen on just sitting around, waiting for something as unreliable as the government to sort everything out.

"After we pick up Johann's aunt and uncle, we should then head north. They're saying to stay indoors, but clearly these things are all over the bloody place, and 'They' will eventually break in. There have been a few convoys of busses evacuating and picking up survivors all across town, last I checked. We find one of those convoys; we have all the more chance of surviving this mess." Uncle Mark explained before finally zipping up the backpack, now filled with tools and rations to last them all a couple of days if not weeks.

"Right, sounds like a solid plan. Let's move while there's still time." Frasier announced in agreement before they all began to walk out of the apartment and back onto the dangerous streets of what was once a metropolis, and now appeared to be a war zone.

Uncle Mark was the first to look outside and scout out the nearby proximity just outside the apartment block. When it appeared to be clear for the moment, he motioned the group to follow him around the building corner and out onto the street. They could see a few bundles of 'Them' heading towards the apartments, clearly drawn in by the gunshots from a few minutes ago.

"Frasier go with Johann and take point. Marcus, cover the rear flank with me. Noah, stick with Toshimi in the center for protection. If any of you see anything, let the rest know, but do try not to yell. We want to attract as little attention as possible." Uncle Mark commanded in a whisper as he motioned where everyone should stand before everyone slowly shifted into formation. His years of training and experience in the field clearly had not been forgotten since his retirement began. All this really was for him was just knocking the rust off.

Moving at a fast walking pace without any rest, carefully weaving around any small numbers of 'Them' along the way, it only took them roughly twenty minutes to finally reach Johann's home. It looked no better, as along the way, they found more scenes of carnage. Cars could be seen crashed against one another as the drivers either hung halfway outside the windshield or face first into the steering wheel, all completely motionless.

Once they reached the apartment block where Johann's family lived, his hands began to open and close repeatedly, as it was becoming abundantly clear to everyone else that the tension was really breaking his focus. When he could see the door to his apartment had been broken off its hinges, not even Frasier could react fast enough to hold him back. Johann nearly tripped over several corpses lined up at the door on his way in.

"Hallo?! Onkel Jörg? Tante Andrea? Ist jemand immer noch hier? Jemand bitte sagen Sie etwas!" **(Hello?! Uncle Jörg? Aunt Andrea? Is anybody still here? Somebody please say something!)** Johann anxiously called out in German, his heart pounding so hard against his chest, it felt like it was going to jump out and start running. His green eyes were desperately scanning all over the place to see if perhaps they had left a note or something for him to find.

"Johann, stop!" Frasier ordered in a low hiss as the both of them could hear rustling coming from upstairs. Without hesitation, Johann darted through the living room and up the stairs before Frasier could even try to convince him to slow down as the others rushed to catch up.

Rushing into his aunt and uncle's room, Johann froze dead in his tracks, standing there as if he'd been frozen in the midst of a blizzard. The sight before him made his lips tremble as he couldn't move a muscle. Both his aunt and uncle were laid out upon the bed, virtually torn apart; their blood splattered all over the room. An empty handgun loosely hung in his uncle's hand.

Johann fell to his hands and knees; his head throbbing and his stomach twisting as he beheld the worst sight he could've possibly hoped to find here. With his head hanging low, he couldn't help but break out into devastated sobs, trying to resist the urge to scream in sheer agony. This was the only family he had out here, the only family he'd ever had for the longest time in his life; now leaving only one person whom he could truly trust and confide in with the utmost confidence.

"Johann..." Toshimi softly spoke as she knelt down and gently wrapped her arms around him, as if trying to ease his suffering with her presence and unspoken support. In all the years they'd known each other, Johann's aunt and uncle had come to be like family to Toshimi as well, so she could understand even a little of the pain Johann must've been going through right now, but nevertheless, all she could think to do was be here for the one person she'd come to love the most, instead of simply falling into despair with him.

"Toshimi...it's all my fault. I should've been here to protect them. If I had gotten here sooner, they'd still be alive. I could've done something!" Johann muttered as his body trembled all over while his voice was filled to the brim with guilt, trying to stifle his hysterical sobs between his words.

"You did all that you could, Johann. We were stuck in school, and we barely got out ourselves. There isn't much I can say to make this any easier, but what I can't say in words, I can with actions. I'm here for you and I'll always be at your side, just as I've always been, and just as you've always been for me. I promise." Toshimi said with heartfelt emotion in her voice, causing Johann to close his eyes only to turn his body over to hold her close in return. Both of them remained in a warm embracing hug as the Lawson family slowly secured the area, checking room by room, just in case whatever killed Johann's aunt and uncle was still lurking in the shadows.

"Check those corners." Uncle Mark reminded them as they would enter each new room; knowing that if one of those things was still here, they'd need to be able to react in time if it jumped out at them.

"Right, keep the formation loose." Frasier responded as each Lawson sibling had their own personal knife in hand, ready and poised for the potential danger they might come across. Mark meanwhile had the safety off to his Glock and kept it on standby in case his nephews couldn't handle themselves.

"Clear." all three brothers announced as they simultaneously checked the first floor only to come up with nothing aside from a few knocked over pieces of furniture. It was clear there was a scuffle here, but who or what was responsible remained unknown. Without any traces of 'Them', it was rather unnerving, given how badly the sight of Johann's aunt and uncle was from what little they had managed to see.

"Nothing. No hostiles or anything else. Go grab Johann and Toshimi and let's keep going. There's nothing worth staying here for." Frasier instructed to Marcus and Noah, whom both nodded in response before heading up the stairs to check on their emotionally shattered associate. Suddenly a scuffle could be heard, causing Frasier and Mark to immediately bolt upstairs to reinforce the younger of the Lawson family.

Just as they were about to enter the room, a man was suddenly launched out of it and bashed against the wall with a low *thud* echoing through the house as he let out a painful grunt. Without hesitation, Frasier wrapped his forearm hard against the neck of the man and kept the knife close to his temple, poised to add another kill to his record.

"Wait! I'm alive! I'm alive!" the man suddenly said in a raspy voice as he gasped for air. Frasier however kept his hold at the same pressure, regardless.

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?" Frasier interrogated roughly the moment he realized that this man wasn't infected as far as he could tell. Yet he still spoke as if it made no difference.

"I'm the Kessler's neighbor! I rushed over when I heard a struggle, but everything fell apart from there!" the man explained as his face began to turn red, his scrawny hands trying to force off the thick forearm squeezing into his throat.

"Frasier, let him go. I know him, he's telling the truth. I need to hear this." Johann suddenly announced in an emotionless yet firm voice, enough to catch Frasier's ear. Frasier knew that despite being much stronger than Johann, his current state of loss and anger was something Frasier should not be eager to test anytime soon. The rest of the group could now be seen assembling behind the eldest and most aggressive Lawson.

With a hesitant sigh, Frasier pulled back his arm, which spurred the man to cough heavily as precious oxygen could fill his lungs again; his neck now showing a large red choke mark along it.

He was a rather thin spindly man with short blonde hair who stood no taller than 5'8". His two blue beady eyes glared up at Frasier, only to be met with an equally untrusting glare from the young Brit, whom showed absolutely zero remorse for choking him at knife point. The rather weak looking man wore what looked like casual wear that was just barely professional enough to be used for the workplace.

"I'm Joe. Joe Berlemann, if that shit matters to you. I live next door with my two girls, Katherine and Bonnie. As I said, when I heard a break in, I rushed over with my buck knife and found they'd managed to fight off several of those…things. But more quickly showed up and forced us up here, and…I-I just panicked…I was so scared; I hid in the closet while those things just…just ATE them and left. Not too long after the matter, you all suddenly showed up, but I couldn't be sure if you were looters or more of those monsters." the neighbor answered with an undeniable American accent as he rubbed his neck gently in an attempt to soothe it while walking over to pick up a large blood coated buck knife that had been knocked from his hands in the brief scuffle.

"I'm sorry about my friends here, Mr. Berlemann. We were expecting to be met with the bastards that did this to my family. Where are Katherine and Bonnie?" Johann said in apology to Joe, even though Frasier didn't seem to show any, given his distrusting facial expression.

"It's fine. They're still secure in my apartment next door, most likely still hiding under their beds like I told them to before I came here. So, now that we've cleared all that up, what's the plan with you folks? Any good idea as to where you're going?" Joe said before getting straight down to business with no intention of dwelling on Johann's tragic loss.

"North, with the hopes that we can catch one of the busses heading towards any evacuation center the Tokonosu Police Force is trying to setup. What about you?" Mark answered, also clearly eager to get the group moving again.

"That won't do you much good, friend. I've got a much better plan to survive, if you're interested in hearing it." Joe said, already unimpressed with their plan to survive this nightmare.

"You see the best thing to do in a crisis such as the one we're in is to isolate yourselves and get as far away from everyone else as possible. The less people there are, the longer you can live without concern over yourselves and your supplies. This buddy of mine; one of those survivalist types who goes around saying the apocalypse is upon us, which it very well may actually be, happens to have a perfect bug out shelter just outside the northern edge of town, equipped with everything we can possibly need. Trust me, I've seen the place myself more than once. There are plenty of guns, food and water there. The guy's even gone as far as to include a solar panel setup for personal electricity separate from the grid. Frankly, you'd be nuts not to come along." Joe explained as if he knew everything to do in scenarios such as this one; his rather confident tone resonating from person to person during his little speech to convince them to join.

"He does make some good points. I say we go for it. Once we find my family along the way of course. They're just on the other side of the river." Toshimi agreed with a bit of naivety evident in her tone, showing no hesitation to the idea.

"The government would be able to control a small scale group, though. Set up a perimeter and hold the line, surely." Frasier suggested as he tried to show an alternative scenario they could possibly follow.

"Frasier, how well do you think the government can possibly handle anything after today? At the rate things have changed, I'm willing to bet they couldn't get their heads out of a plastic bag, let alone keep us all truly safe." Marcus suggested as he was certain Joe's plan was the best option for the long term.

"So it's settled then. We head north on one of the evacuation busses and get off when we near the outskirts of town. Solid idea, don't you think chaps?" Uncle Mark said as if the group had already made the unanimous decision as they all nodded in silence.

"Good choice. Let me scrounge up my daughters and we can head out when you folks are ready to go." Joe said before taking off to do as he said he would.

"I'm sorry, Johann. I truly am. I know this can't possibly mean much from an old stranger such as me, but I promise you that I'll do everything in my power to keep you and your lady friend here safe. You have the official Lawson word and protection. Isn't that right, chaps?" Mark suddenly announced when placing his hand gently on Johann's shoulder, only for the three brothers to answer "too right" in perfect agreement.

"Thank you. All of you. I honestly didn't expect such kindness from anyone else, truth be told. I'm glad I was wrong." Johann said in gratitude as they all smiled in response, Frasier excluded despite giving a nod to acknowledge that Johann could now be considered a family friend to himself and the others.

 _(Two minutes later)_

It wasn't long before the group, now accompanied by Joe and his two little girls were back on the road. While the two acted extremely shy towards the group at first, there wasn't much doubt that they felt safer now being a part of a larger group. They followed right behind Joe as he and Mark now covered the front flank.

"Hey Marcus, do me a favor and keep an eye on that Joe character." Frasier suggested to Marcus in a low whisper as he narrowed his eyes while looking at their new American compatriot. Something about him just did not sit well with Frasier's instincts, which to him was enough to warrant his feelings of distrust towards the man.

"Why? He seems fine to me. A bit twitchy perhaps, but after what occurred today, I can't exactly hold it against him." Marcus responded as he couldn't see what had caused his brother's minor paranoia towards Johann's neighbor.

"It's not that...never mind. Just keep your guard up and your knife close. We can't afford to let our guard down from here on out." Frasier sighed as he realized perhaps he was being a bit too judgmental towards Joe, given the current situation. However, that did not prevent him from keeping his senses on alert in case he was right.

"Whatever you say, you nutter." Marcus said dismissively as he wasn't sure why Frasier would bring up something so random and then drop it just as quickly.

It became increasingly harder to survey their surroundings as only the street lights and various lights left on by the nearby shops could illuminate the street they walked on. The occasional car could be seen zooming by every now and then. Luckily the worst in this area had already occurred, so no further car accidents were to be witnessed. Most of 'Them' were most likely also heading north towards larger populations to prey on. The numerous noises being made off in the far distance would surely attract more and more of 'Them'.

"It didn't occur to me until just now, but do you think they have that offshore airport locked down? That's got to be the most secure place around here by default, don't you think?" Marcus asked Noah in an attempt to break the awkward silence while trying not to give away their position to any of 'Them' that might be nearby.

"Oh, without a doubt. I spotted a couple Self Defense Force helicopters flying by on our way home. They seemed to be heading in that direction. I can't imagine they'd want anyone else leaving or entering the area now, though. It should be that way all over the world now." Noah replied as it was rather clear to him how drastically things had changed; fully certain that instead of saving everyone they could, the government would try to instead treat this like a raging oil fire by cutting its path of destruction off, and letting it burn itself out in due time.

"Especially home. They've got an advantage, being an island separated from the European mainland. I can't imagine they'd be too welcoming of refugees at this point." Frasier then added as he was certain that the most secure countries and regions across the globe would do everything in their power to keep such a hellish outbreak contained and away from their people.

"Too right." Noah and Marcus both responded softly before things became silent yet again. Johann, for obvious reasons, was at a loss for words, still trying to keep himself together, given how he had already lost his only family here. Toshimi however was loyally at his side, holding onto his arm for comfort, knowing she wanted to be here for him just as he was there for her after what had become of Misuzu.

"Look up ahead. We've got something." Joe suddenly called out, causing everyone behind him to peer over to see a large fire truck crashed into the side of a bus.

The lights still flashing and revolving around in circles without any sound coming from it was a bit haunting. One fireman could be seen laid out in the street, as though he were flung when the two large vehicles crashed. A large blood stain trailed from where his body landed. It was quite clear he was killed on impact. The driver on the other hand was sitting face first against the wheel as the front half of the vehicle was smashed into the side of the bus.

"What a bloody mess." Uncle Mark commented as Frasier climbed onto the side of the fire engine, only to pry something out of an equipment compartment, presenting a 36" long fire axe in hand.

"Here, take this, Johann. It's better that you have some means of defense." Frasier announced as he hopped off the crashed fire engine, handing the long axe to Johann for his own protection.

"Thanks. Makes it much easier compared to just using my hands." Johann thanked as he took a few practice swings after stepping away from the others, while Frasier silently nodded in acknowledgement before they group continued their long journey north.

 **[Piotr Musial - No Good Choice]**

Just when it seemed like they were heading in the wrong direction due to a lack of any living or undead, they could hear small yet very hard to miss gunshots ringing out only just a few hundred yards away. The group spared no time to move up a curved highway exit, only to see a battle between what looked like a small squadron of the Tokonosu Police Force and several packs of 'Them'. Upon closer inspection, their stances seemed tight and rigid as they fired round after round; most of their bullets either missing or striking the torso of the approaching creatures.

It was somewhat astonishing to see 'Their' bodies take such punishment yet shrug it off like it was nothing. 'Their' open wounds leaked out blood with each new hole put into 'Their' bodies. 'Their' jaws hung widen open as 'Their' hands would slowly reach out and extend the closer 'They' got.

"Dammit! These things aren't going down! What the hell do we do?" a terrified young male officer announced as it was clearly a futile effort, seeing how their shots didn't seem to be affecting 'Them' in the slightest.

"Stop aiming for 'Their' center of mass. Go for 'Their' heads. That's the only thing I've seen that actually works!" another officer, this one being female and far more confident, announced as she fired two more rounds, causing one of 'Them' to topple over.

"Just keep moving, everyone. This lot is done for, and those shots will surely bring more to their location." Frasier commented as he already began to head down an alternate route, knowing this was a losing fight they should avoid.

"Wait, we can't leave! Those officers are protecting people in those busses over there." Noah announced in a concerned hush as he motioned his elder sibling to stay.

The group slowly turned their gaze to see two busses parked on the side of the road, most likely broken down, given the fact they could see a light amount of smoke coming from one of the vents on the front of the first bus. The other one appeared to lopsided, so it was most likely a flat tire that had caused them to halt for repairs.

"Noah, we can't save every bloke we come across. Let the police handle it." Frasier insisted as he began to tug on his younger sibling's arm, knowing this was far too risky for their group to get involved with. Nevertheless, it felt like Noah dug his feet into the ground so Frasier couldn't pull him away.

Frasier grumbled as he tried to keep control of the situation, only for him and Noah to look up when they could see the people on the busses panicking as one of 'Them' that had managed to break through the police's defensive lines unnoticed, was now trying to pry open the doors. The youngest Lawson however seemed to already have made up his mind on the matter the moment he could hear the cries of an infant between the loud volleys of gunshots.

"We can't hold them back for much longer!" the first officer announced as he slid open the chamber to his pistol in an attempt to reload his weapon while the other two officers began to continue selecting and taking down their acquired targets; completely unaware that one of 'Them' had gotten past their defensive formation. The heat of battle clouded their senses as the revolvers they fired began to create a ringing noise in their ears.

"Shit! Does anyone have a few spare rounds? That was my last one." another male officer shouted in an near panic while desperately patting himself down to locate more ammunition to keep up the fight.

"Reinforcements will arrive! I'm sure of it!" the female officer announced as she attempted to make every last shot in her revolver take at least one of 'Them' down. Her finger pulled the trigger several more times before that dreaded clicking sound indicated she was out too. As one of 'Them' drew near, she flinched out of reaction and fell backwards in an attempt to pull away.

An undead officer towered over her, a dark crusty coating of blood from his torn open wound along his shoulder staining his otherwise clean uniform. His jaw however was covered in a fresh bloody red stain, indicating he had already taken another person's life since he'd turned. Bits of flesh could be seen wedged in his rotten, decaying teeth as he began to move in for yet another kill.

Just before the female officer or any of her fellow officers could react, a much larger figure leapt right over her and plunged a sharp knife right into the underside of the undead officer's jawline. A low groan escaped its lips before falling over flat onto its back, staying down for good now. The female officers' eyes looked up to see two crystal blue eyes glaring at the undead pack approaching him now, as his short blonde hair began to flow with the soft breeze that passed by.

Suddenly, three more young men caught her attention as they rushed in from behind before they dragged the undead woman away from the bus doors, only for one to hold a fire axe over his head moments before swinging straight down between the eyes. They then rushed over to stand at the side of the first bus, ready to aid the overwhelmed officers.

"Alright, chaps, we know what we need to do here! Noah, keep this on you just in case you need to change position. I want to know where you are always!" Uncle Mark announced as he produced a small walkie-talkie from his hip, handing it to Noah, who could only nod in understanding as he clipped it to his own side, hoping he wouldn't need to use it anytime soon.

"Stand your ground and give them everything you've got! Nobody is dying on our watch!" Uncle Mark announced in a powerful voice for all to hear as he took position beside the four teenage boys at his sides; his pistol firing off several rounds and managing to pick the first of 'Them' off without a hitch.

Frasier and Noah covered the right flank that would lead to the busses directly while Johann and Marcus handled the left flank to support the other two male officers that were completely defenseless now that they had no ammunition to defend neither the downed convoy nor themselves from the relentless undead wave.

Frasier quickly sheathed his knife before ducking down to avoid two long arms reaching for his shoulders. Knowing Noah was ready to back him up, he grasped the undead mans' legs, only to wrap his arms around them and lift the undead fiend up off its feet.

 ***slam***

He then slammed the grey skinned man face first into the street before placing one foot on the spine to keep it in place. Both its' arms were flailing around in an attempt to grab something for leverage.

"Noah, don't hold back! These bastards are no longer human!" Frasier called out as he watched his brother unsheathe his own knife before looking down at the back of the head, knowing he should strike now while he had a chance. He couldn't help but hope that if he could convince his youngest sibling to not perceive these creatures as what were once people, then he wouldn't have any moral issue with killing 'Them' himself.

Letting out a frightened yet adrenaline-fueled battle cry, the youngest Lawson grasped the knife with both hands, only to bring it straight down. The steel blade had no issue penetrating the weak grey mush of skin and then cracking right through the skull. Both his small hands slightly trembled as he had just snuffed out another life. It may not have been human, it might have been trying to kill them, but at some point this man had a family that loved him and a dream that would now never be fulfilled. All of this coursed through Noah's mind before he suddenly snapped back into reality.

Both his dark blue eyes watched as Frasier kicked one of 'Them' aside before slashing the fingers off of another one. He seemed so confident in his movements that fear didn't even seem to register through his mind. Noah could only hope one day he could set aside his fears and be just as good, if not better, in order to survive all this.

Meanwhile, Mark continued to fire his handgun whilst Johann and Marcus would have one lure the nearest of 'Them' and then the other would stab or chop at the back of the head. Johann's axe split another undead officers' head clean in two before the sharpened blade got snagged into the bone and mangled flesh. Johann held onto the handle with all his might, only to lose balance when the body toppled over backwards.

Just as an infected mail courier towered over Johann with a very devious and fixed grin on its' face, Marcus came running over only to jump on its' back with his legs wrapped around the torso. He proceeded to repeatedly stab his knife into the back of its head before it finally collapsed, pulling Marcus down to the asphalt with it.

"Thanks. Guess I should be ready to drop this thing if it gets stuck." Johann said gratefully before prying the axe out, a trail of blood splashing against his shoes and the road as the blade came free.

"Good call. Just back off if it occurs again and I'll try to cover your arse." Marcus explained as they both prepared for the next bundle of 'Them'.

As Noah proceeded to stab another one of 'Them' Frasier had crippled for him, the eldest Lawson himself soon found himself grasping the wrists of an undead student that had managed to wander thus far out. Despite being much stronger at first glance, this one suddenly seemed to be increasingly stronger than the rest Frasier had encountered up to this point as it was able to actually push Frasier's arms back. It made no sense to him though, since he'd contended with much bigger ones without any issue at all. Something was not right here and it made Frasier immensely nervous if not legitimately frightened.

"Noah...Noah, get back! These ones are much stronger somehow." Frasier snarled as the undead student began to viciously snap its jaws at him with saliva drenching the road beneath it. A rotten tongue stuck out before Frasier pushed it back, only to punch it dead between the eyes.

The head recoiled back sharply before three more of 'Them' had managed to corner Frasier up against a safety rail that faced a sheer drop to the ocean below. Frasier quickly stabbed one through the face before the other two had managed to get ahold of him, only to effortlessly shove him back as if to soften up 'Their' prey.

"Omph!" Frasier grunted out in pain as his body was shoved back against a car right behind him; his body rolling off of the hood as his head was now spinning from the impact.

"Oi! Get away from him, you rotting bastards!" Uncle Mark suddenly called out in an attempt to delay 'Them' before he body slammed all three over the railing. The first two went over without a hitch, but the last one had grasped onto his collar at the last second. The creature went over first as Mark was then dragged over in succession.

At the last second, he grasped the ledge while struggling to kick off the undead man that had taken ahold of his leg with a vice like grip, just barely hanging on now. Uncle Mark turned his head only to start kicking down with his other foot. After several attempts and ineffective blows to the head, the infected man finally let go. Bits of Mark's pants had been torn away as he winced in pain before trying to climb back up to safety.

Frasier quickly regained his senses only to rock himself back up and dash over towards the rail to make sure Mark was okay. A large sigh of relief sounded when he could see just his Uncle was hanging on with both hands on the safety rail. Both of Frasier's hands then grasped the back of Mark's armor, ready to hoist him back up with all his strength. However, when he looked over the edge, he could see fresh blood trickling down the back of Mark's left leg. A deep scratch mark was embedded deep into his flesh, and bits of pants could be seen shredded up whilst Mark expressed pain while trying to keep himself up.

"Mark, your leg-" Frasier muttered in absolute disbelief, only for his Uncle to suddenly push him back a bit as if for his own protection. Both of them knew what this meant before Mark suddenly let out a soft chuckle as if he did not fear his fate now.

 **[]**

 **[Antonín Dvořák – Requiem Aeternam]**

"This is it, chap...You know what you have to do. Take care of those two for me. Tell them I'm sorry for letting this happen…and don't you dare let them become one of those bloody monsters." Uncle Mark suddenly said to Frasier, who was still visibly stunned. Mark slowly slid back as he slid his sidearm, knife, and the other walkie-talkie to him.

"Uncle Mark...I...You can't-" Frasier expressed with deep emotion over what would become of the group now as he could only shake his head in some attempt at denial of what he unfortunately knew was inevitable.

"Frasier…you've changed so much since you've arrived here. I want you to know that your brothers and I are all proud of you, no matter what your father might say. I only regret that now I will never see you three grow up. Now go...they'll need you now more than ever!" Mark began to express in absolute sincerity before he began to cough; feeling the spread of the infection already beginning to take hold over him as his muscles felt weaker by the second.

"I will not fail you." Frasier said in a far more confident voice with no fear at the end; accepting the honor and duty with pride, knowing he was the best option for his younger siblings now.

"Mark? Mark, what are you doing?!" Marcus' voice suddenly called out as the middle Lawson turned around to see his Uncle dangling from an edge while Frasier stood there completely helpless, as if frozen in place. Both he and Noah immediately rushed over to help now that the last of 'Them' had been taken care of for the time being.

"Boys...I love you all so very much. Forgive me…for everything." Uncle Mark sighed softly as a last confession before he finally let his fingers open up. His body gently slid off the edge of the safety rail as Marcus came sprinting over the moment he saw this, only to just barely miss grabbing one of his Uncle's hands.

Tears flooded from Marcus' green eyes as his Uncle Mark simply formed one last smile before giving his middle nephew a salute of respect moments before quickly vanishing under the dark blue waters. Marcus' eyes desperately began looking around, hoping to see Mark come back up for air so he could jump down and rescue him. However, deep down, he knew that was it. In the blink of an eye, the closest thing to a loving father he ever had had now been taken forever from him, never to be seen again.

"Mark…get back up here, you lazy bastard! Swim the fuck back up! Please...please, don't leave me. Come back." Marcus shouted in absolute rage and hysterical despair as his voice slowly trailed off into utter sadness, knowing he was powerless to do anything now. It felt like his entire throat had swollen up as his eyes began to sting from the tears that flowed down his cheeks. His hands slammed with such force against the safety rail it actually managed to break the skin, his own blood gently seeping from his white-knuckled hands.

"No. Oh, god, no...Mark! MARK! Why?! Why did you do it?!" Noah cried out as he fell to his knees; his hands slowly covering his face as he couldn't help but practically bawl his eyes out. His chest was heaving in and out as his body trembled all over. It now felt like an icy cold hand had reached deep into all three of their chests only to squeeze their hearts tightly.

"Marcus...his leg was scratched. There was no use in saving him. You know what would've happened." Frasier finally said in an attempt to rationalize and keep his brothers on point; not wanting his siblings to break down while they were all out and exposed in the open. Marcus then turned to him with a fire in his young eyes.

"No use? NO USE?! How dare you say that, you fucking twat! There's always a way if we try! LAWSON'S DON'T KNOW THE MEANING OF 'NO USE'!" Marcus scolded as his voice raised from a deep growl to a furious shout, his hands tightly clenched as if restraining himself from striking Frasier.

"Marcus, I didn't mean it like that!" Frasier said defensively as he realized that Marcus was clearly taking it the wrong way; trying his best to control the already emotionally delicate situation.

"Maybe if you showed more humanity every now and then, perhaps Father would've seem you more as a son than just another tool! Maybe then you'd actually give a shit about all the people we've seen die today!" Marcus said hostilely as tears continued to flow down his red face; his look of uncertainty and sadness forming into that of twisted anger he could not keep at bay in the face such a heavy loss. The middle Lawson then went one step further as to get in Frasier's face as his words were drenched and seeping with venom.

"THEN WHAT SHOULD I HAVE DONE, MARCUS? WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE JUST LET HIM SUFFER UNTIL HE TURNED INTO ONE OF THOSE THINGS? IS THAT WHAT YOU SUGGEST I SHOULD'VE DONE INSTEAD?!" Frasier suddenly roared out of rage and anger at such a personal and rather harsh accusation of his personal character, mixed up with his own personal feelings upon Mark's death occurring right before his eyes. His chest was puffing in and out as he towered over his younger sibling who had stepped far over the personal boundaries with him. Never had Marcus heard him emanate such raw, uncontrolled anger before, causing him to back down now that he could see Frasier was hurt by all this as well. Just in a way not so open for all to see.

"I...no! Of course not! Just...I just..." Marcus responded in total shock as he was both visibly and mentally taken aback, knowing he couldn't hope to respond to that kind of question. He gradually recoiled back before turning away to start mourning their loss once again. However, he was caught off guard when Noah suddenly turned him around and held him tightly, as if to say he understood Marcus' inner pain and loss better than Frasier could ever hope to.

Both of them were soon sobbing in deep sorrow as Frasier just looked at them. He felt the pain swelling inside himself, but for different reasons most likely. He had failed to protect a Lawson, despite his Uncle Mark being more than capable of protecting himself from danger. Perhaps this was guilt he felt, knowing that if he had not underestimated 'Them' so quickly, that Mark might still be around. His eyes began to water at first, but he just shook his head and simply kept a close eye on his siblings as they were able to express their loss more openly than he could've ever hoped to.

Suddenly, Frasier took a step forward to say something, only to hear a metallic jingling sound under his shoe. He slowly knelt down and picked up whatever it was that he had stepped on.

"Marcus, please take this." Frasier said softly as he held up a round, disk shaped metallic tag that had Mark's name engraved on it. The dog tags swayed back and forth on a thin chain as Marcus stared at them intensely, only to slowly grasp them and hold them tight. He then looked up at Frasier, only to be surprised even further when his older brother slowly pulled both him and Noah into him. While only for a brief moment, it was more than long enough for the younger siblings to see that their eldest brother did indeed feel their pain; unable to completely mask the humanity he'd been conditioned to ignore for more practical reasoning and cold, hard, logic.

Minutes passed by as eventually, the younger two of the three Lawson's had run out of tears to shed; slowly cleaning their faces off they before they placed Mark's knife through a wooden post connecting the safety railing together. The blade proudly stood firm in place as Marcus was given the honor of securely planting it in while Frasier took the handgun and second walkie-talkie, keeping them close on hand; knowing that more would eventually come and that should he be forced to take drastic action, he could still communicate with Noah.

 **[]**

It had felt like hours to the remaining three Lawson's, but to the others who could only awkwardly look away and remain silent until they eventually could approach the grieving trio, it had only been a few minutes. Johann and Toshimi eventually reunited with them and could only offer their deepest condolences given how all five of their group had now lost someone dear to them within the same day.

The young female officer from earlier suddenly approached and stood before what remained of the group (excluding Joe and his daughters, who were currently standing by one of the buses as they chose to stand back during the fight). The female officer stood roughly at 5'8"; she wore the standard female police cadet uniform of the Tokonosu Eastern Police, which consisted of a white shirt, a black tie, a blue jacket with a green band wrapped around the left sleeve adorned with two white stripes, and a blue skirt.

"This officer would like to thank you brave young boys for your assistance. Most people would've just kept running. There's just enough room left if your friends and you would like to come with us. We just need to finish making a few repairs to the buses, and then we'll be heading north out of the city to the nearest rescue station." she said with the most sincere gratitude before proceeding to offer them the best aid she could think of at the moment.

"Don't mention it. No, really, don't mention it. The sooner we leave the better. I don't want to think of this bloody place any more than I have to." Marcus said in response as he brushed past her and stepped onto the bus only to be met by a sea of eyes from every seat.

Just when he thought he could rest for the first time that day, he was greeted with applause from the refugees trying to escape this part of town. Normally he would've been basking in the glory, enjoying the fame he'd just earned. But after what happened to his Uncle, how could he? No. All he wanted now was silence, and to get as far away from this place as possible now. He slowly and awkwardly walked down the aisles only to find an empty spot by a window in the back, slowly sitting down before trying to contain himself from having another emotional outburst.

"So the plan is to still go across the Tokonosu Bridge, right?" Johann then asked as he and Frasier were keeping an eye out for any of 'Them', both fully certain more would arrive after all the gunshots that had sounded.

"Right; we keep moving north with the convoy, then we break off when Joe gives the word." Frasier responded as he checked the Glock 17 to see just how many shots he had left in it. While there were only twelve out of seventeen cartridges left in the clip, it was better than having none at all.

"Sounds as solid as any plan, I guess. I just hope we don't lose anyone else. Too many people have died today already." Johann agreed before expressing his sorrow over all the death they'd been forced to witness today alone. If this whole mess wasn't going to be fixed anytime soon, who knew just how much more suffering they'd all have to go through?

"Mhm. Go check on the progress of the repairs. The sooner we leave the better." Frasier responded in a rather dismissive tone, not wanting to dwell on the subject. His eyes kept a look out for even the slightest movement in the distance; occasionally checking back to make sure they weren't being flanked at the rear.

Noah meanwhile was at the side of a mechanic; both switching off to observe and tweak whatever it was that caused the engine to the first bus to stop working. Luckily, through their combined effort the first bus suddenly started back up and appeared to be in working condition again.

"I can fix the next one on my own. You can go rest on the next bus, kid. Thanks again!" the mechanic said in a gracious tone before motioning Noah to take off.

As Noah climbed onto the bus, he couldn't help but notice a man roughly in his mid-thirties wearing suspenders over a white shirt. His eyes were a dark black shade while his short hair appeared to be a dark blonde coloring. A thick wrench rested on the side of the seat next to him while a young girl, no older than seven, was holding onto him for comfort.

The little girl's reddish-pink hair was at shoulder-length with bangs that reached down from the side of her temples, stretching outwards. Upon further inspection, a tiny mole under her left eye could be seen while a white headband covered the top of her forehead. She was wearing a white jacket, a pink dress top and a light blue skirt, black socks and shoes.

"Is that one of them? One of the people who saved us?" the young girl asked as if intimidated by Noah, which was rather funny for anyone who actually knew the most innocent of Lawson's when it came to his friendly nature.

"Yes, and don't stare, honey." the man responded while trying to avoid eye contact; knowing that the last thing he'd want is to show disrespect towards one of the survivors that just saved the convoy and all its inhabitants.

"Don't worry. I'm one of the good guys." Noah said as if he was trying to reassure the little girl, who in return gave him a faint smile before closing her eyes. Clearly she had a long day, and it was growing closer to being midnight now. She must've been dead tired.

Noah himself slumped in his seat beside Marcus. Both could feel that the muscles in their legs were now heavy and sore from the non-stop moving this day. Not once did they even take a moment to sit down, seeing how all the adrenaline and shock had kept them up in case they were ambushed or caught off guard by 'Them'. For the first time that day, they could finally relax and close their eyes.

Unfortunately, this momentary peace was cut rather short when Frasier suddenly burst into the bus, causing everyone to look up, all growing deeply concerned with the look on his face.

"Everyone stay quiet, and don't move! We've got company!" Frasier whispered just loud enough for all to hear before motioning them to keep the volume at absolute zero.

"What's going on?" Marcus asked as he and Noah walked over to see just what had their otherwise fearless sibling been so spooked by.

Just over the distance, they saw not ten, not twenty, not even fifty, but literally hundreds of 'Them' slowly yet surely shambling and limping towards the two buses. It was like watching a tidal wave of death and decay coming to collect the living; each one looking like something out of a living nightmare, especially when clumped so close together.

There was absolutely no way they could hope to handle this many on their own. Not without some serious firepower to help even the odds. Luckily, the undead proved to be just as blind as ever when they just shambled and brushed around the buses and nearby cars. Their bodies occasionally bumped up against the bus, causing it to lightly tremble whenever a few of 'Them' did it at once. The sounds of teeth chomping together, accompanied by deathly groans and sighs could be heard outside; causing everyone's hearts to sink, knowing that even the slightest sound made by any of the other survivors would result in a brutal death.

While Frasier had rushed onto the second bus and Johann had gotten onto the first one to be with Toshimi and Joe, the mechanic Noah was helping out earlier was caught off guard and ended up hiding under the safety of a nearby car. His eyes timidly watched every pair of feet shuffle past him as if waiting for an opening to get out from cover and into the second bus. Just when it seemed like his chance had finally come around, his phone suddenly went off.

All the undead at once had heard the loud ringing sound, which caused all of 'Them' to slowly cock 'Their' heads towards the source of the sound. The people on the bus watched helplessly as the car the mechanic was hiding under was suddenly flipped over. He just lay there, shaking all over and in tears, completely frozen in shock before the undead spared no time pouncing upon the defenseless prey. Despite how vicious 'They' normally were it seemed these ones were even worse as 'They' literally tore the man's own limbs off to the point every scrap of flesh was mercilessly consumed before he could even attempt to scream.

"What do we do?" Marcus asked as his eyes could only focus upon the gory massacre taking place before him.

"Stay here. I have one last trick up my sleeve." Frasier expressed before he walked to the front of the bus only to wave over to Johann.

Inside the first bus, Johann continued to try and respond to Frasier's silent hand gestures the best he could. Once he saw Frasier motioning for them both to move up to the emergency exits on the roof, Johann could feel his blood go cold. There was no way he was being serious, right? There just couldn't be a way he was that insane.

However, when Johann looked upon all the people on the bus, he couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation churning inside his chest. If he didn't do something to lure away the dead, these people would ALL die…including Toshimi.

With a heavy sigh, Johann slowly approached his girlfriend as she looked up at him with frightened yet curious and somewhat hopeful eyes.

"What's going on, Johann? What are we going to do?" Toshimi asked in a frightened whisper as Johann knelt before her and placed reassuring hands on her shoulders, looking down at the floor as though steeling himself for something.

"Toshimi…me and Johann are going to try and lure those monsters away so you all can get out of the city safely." Johann finally explained, and just as he'd feared, Toshimi's instant reaction was to tightly wrap her arms over his shoulders, holding him close as though it were an attempt to keep him from leaving.

"No, Johann! No, you can't go! Please don't leave me here! It's not safe out there! Please, just stay here with me! I don't want to lose you too." Toshimi pleaded, once again burying her face into the crook of his neck as her words quickly turned into sobs as Johann could only bring himself to embrace her in return.

"Toshimi, if we don't do something, those things might end up coming in here, and then we'll all be killed. This is the only way I can keep you safe. If there was any other way we could do this, I would. I don't want to leave you alone, you know that. But this is my only option right now." Johann explained to her, trying to be as reassuring as possible as she didn't let up on her tight hold on him.

"Johann…please don't do this. I'm begging you. I don't know what I would do if I lost you, too." Toshimi whimpered through her tears as Johann gently lifted her chin up so they could look into each other's eyes.

"I swear to you, Toshimi, I'm not going to let anything happen to me. I promised you I would keep you safe, and I'm still standing by that promise, now and forever. I swear I will return to you. Do you understand?" Johann explained, trying to both encourage her and himself that he could make this insane plan work.

For a few moments, Toshimi remained completely silent; her tears continuing to roll down her cheeks, before she suddenly took Johann's head into her small, delicate hands and leaned in without any hesitation; putting all her swelling emotions into the loving kiss she planted on his lips, remaining in that position for several seconds that to both of them felt like endless minutes.

Once their lips finally parted, Toshimi wiped the tears from her shimmering eyes as she managed only the faintest of smiles.

"I understand, Johann. It's a promise. I'll wait for you as long as it takes. I love you." Toshimi finally said, earning one more loving embrace from the young man she loved with all her heart before he finally stood back up and headed back to the front of the bus, wholly rejuvenated as he continued to make hand signals to Frasier.

"I love you, too, Toshimi." Johann finally replied as he gave one more gaze to her as he continued to mentally psyche himself up for what he and Frasier were about to do.

After a series of further hand gestures, the two young men slowly headed for the emergency at the roof of each bus.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you nutter? Have you gone completely mental?" Marcus hissed in a low yet deeply concerned voice when he saw Frasier literally about to leave him behind.

"Shh. Take this and stick to the plan, Marcus. I'll be back. I promise." Frasier whispered only to slowly hand Marcus the Glock 17, knowing that Marcus might need it more than he would.

"You better come back, you daffy bastard." Marcus muttered before watching his brother and Johann slowly scale the top of the busses, only to be standing before the vast horde that now refused to move onward, almost as if 'They' sensed more food nearby but just couldn't find it yet.

"Are you sure you really want to do this? I only needed you to tell the other driver my plan." Frasier questioned as he and Johann stood side by side now on the top rear of the second bus.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Nobody should have to do this alone. Besides, if it will keep Toshimi safe, I can't exactly say no. You might be tough, but I don't know if you can do this alone. Failure isn't an option now." Johann explained as he was determined to help as much as he could.

'Noble words. Let's see just how long that lasts.' Frasier thought to himself before they both hopped off the bus's roof, only to start sprinting as fast as they could possibly move once they made contact with the ground.

They began scaling the back of a few cars to avoid charging right through the more heavily concentrated clusters of 'Them'. People in both busses watched in awe as they managed to actually break free through the barricade of the dead. The sea of undead corpses began to growl and snarl whenever the two would run by. Both Johann and Frasier had to carefully avoid tripping or having their feet pulled out from under them whenever one of 'Them' would try to reach out in advance.

"These things seem to be a lot more reactive than earlier. What do you think has 'Them' so amped up?" Johann announced as they stopped, only to suddenly leap onto a large news van and quickly roll off the sides. Now out of the massive horde, they began to head towards a car that appeared to be locked and fully functional.

"You're asking the wrong guy here, Johann; although 'They' did seem much stronger than before, despite looking no different." Frasier responded before he took the fire axe Johann handed, only for the eldest Lawson to swing the powerful tool overhead and into the car's windshield.

 ***crash***

The moment the sharp axe penetrated and completely shattered a majority of the glass windshield, an alarm immediately began to pierce the air. The undead horde unanimously let out a series of grunts and groans before every last one of 'Them' began to head towards the car. Just as the path was clear, the two busses took off without hesitation, to the dismay of Frasier and Johann, especially when they could see Marcus, Noah and Toshimi respectively crying out to them from inside the busses as they drove off.

"That wasn't part of the plan...was it?" Johann questioned nervously as the undead now drew nearer by the second.

"No. Bloody cowards couldn't even wait for a single minute. No matter though, just move while we still have a chance!" Frasier announced as they both began to flee for the highway exit they entered through earlier, only to be cut off. The dead were now slowly cornering them in, only to just narrowly miss when the two vaulted over the railing's edge.

Both landed on the roof of a car below, only to set its alarm off as well. Their bodies slowly recoiled from the drop as they rolled off the roof and began to stumble before finally taking off, with the horde just a few yards behind in a slow pursuit. Luckily they were able to get away completely after five minutes of nonstop running.

When they stopped, Johann began to breathe heavily as he grasped his kneecaps, his chest heaving up and down as Frasier patiently waited for him to recover some of his stamina. Johann then stood up with his hands over his head to help open up his airways.

"We should go. Something tells me these creatures don't tire out like we do." Frasier suggested when he could see a few had begun to appear in the distance. Whether or not these ones were from a few minutes ago, it was hard to tell. In the dark, and at such a distance, the best the young Brit could see was dark silhouettes slowly swaying back and forth as they slowly drew near.

Johann hesitantly nodded before they began to head west; knowing that if they wanted any hopes of reaching Tokonosu Bridge in time, they had to keep moving on foot. The only thing to lead them now was the various street lights and the burning determination to reunite with their loved ones. Armed only with a fire axe and a knife; the two young men ventured into the darkness together as if they were now official comrades.

 _[Fourteen hours later]_

 **Z-Day+1**

The sun now hung high in the middle of the sky as the afternoon had finally come around. Johann and Frasier slowly passed through another abandoned neighborhood. On nearly all the buildings and walls were posters reminding people to avoid the infected at all costs as well as to stay indoors if possible. Others claimed that the north was a safer bet to go with and people should travel with only the bare essentials. Both young men's eyes were constantly checking out the environment, just in case another horde would be just around the corner. Luckily they were able to avoid getting into any further confrontations, which helped reserve some of their energy despite the fact they had been walking the entire night with minimal stops.

"Alright, so tell me this, Frasier. Besides Noah and Marcus, is there anyone else you're on the lookout for?" Johann suddenly asked in order to break the unbearably long silence, seeing how Frasier clearly wasn't going to start up any conversation.

"What? Why are you asking me this now? Does it really matter?" Frasier asked, startled by Johann suddenly speaking up after the last several hours of silence.

"I'm just curious. You might be content with awkward silence, but most people aren't. Besides, I'm really curious now, given how defensive you suddenly sound." Johann answered as he formed a smirk, feeling that Frasier was definitely hiding something now.

"I'm not being defensive! I just don't see the point in focusing on something as irrelevant as talking about Sae...just be quiet and keep moving." Frasier said dismissively just as he caught himself nearly slipping up and practically blurting out Saeko's name.

"Oh, so you are thinking of someone! I knew it! Almost sounded like a girl's name, too. You know you can be honest with me. I promise not to tell your brothers so you can remain all tough and broody to them." Johann playfully mocked whilst enjoying this moment of weakness he didn't expect Frasier to be showing.

'Suddenly the living dead don't sound so bad.' Frasier groaned in the back of his mind as if he would seriously prefer fighting for his life against reanimated corpses over having to talk about the warm feelings he could just barely bury in the recesses of his heart and mind. His cold, heartless logic and ruthless outer shell could only deflect so much before giving in to those fuzzy feelings Saeko could make him feel whenever they so much as made eye contact. His heart began throbbing faster just thinking about her now, before it skipped a beat when he could've sworn he noticed some quick movement up ahead. They looked to be a small bunch of shadows rushing into a nearby store.

"Heads up, Johann. Contact ahead." Frasier suddenly whispered in a dead serious tone before motioning Johann to look straight ahead into a nearby outlet store with its storefront window smashed in.

"I don't see anyone or anything, but perhaps we could find something more useful inside perhaps?" Johann suggested as Frasier simply nodded in response. Clearly something was brewing up inside his mind, but Johann just couldn't put his finger on it just yet.

He was the first to enter the store, looking all across the trashed interior. Clearly the place had already been heavily looted since yesterday. The lights were all out, making it hard to see anything beyond several feet in front of him. His eyes carefully looked around to make sure none of 'Them' were hiding in the shadows while his ears could definitely pick up something other than his own breathing, almost like very light footsteps from within the shadows.

"Frasier, I don't see anyone, but I'm pretty sure we aren't alone. What do you think? Frasier...?" Johann began to explain to his new comrade, only to be met with an eerie silence. He turned his head back, only to be shocked to see Frasier had completely vanished from his sight without a single trace.

 ***clonk***

Without any time to react, Johann was immediately struck in the back of the head by a fire extinguisher. His body collapsed to the floor as his eyes could only see several figures now towering over him as his head rung mercilessly. His eyes slowly closed as everything went fuzzy moments after the lights suddenly came on. He could soon feel his body slowly being dragged away from the door and further into the depths of the store.

Several moments later, he managed to regain consciousness, immediately attempting to move, only to find he was set upright in a chair with his hands securely tied behind him and to the back of the chair. Quick to recall what happened to him, he looked around only to see four people standing before him, each one his age, if not possibly younger. Each one wore a soaking wet student outfit belonging to another school. Two were male while the other two were female.

The first boy to approach him had grayish black hair in a pompadour with freckles under his brown eyes. A necklace hung around his neck and a set of piercings could be seen in his ears. His face showed nothing but intense annoyance for Johann suddenly entering this store completely unannounced, almost as if he'd been personally disrespected in his own domain.

"What should we do with him now that he's awake, Hide?" the other male student asked as if this Hide was the leader of these overly aggressive misfits. This one had shoulder-length brown hair and simple brown eyes, with a rather sadistic looking grin on his face while softly swaying a 2x4 in his hands.

"I don't know, Tate. Perhaps learn what the fuck he's doing here, first of all? I feel that's a good ice breaker, don't you?" Hide asked rhetorically before holding up a baseball bat and carefully lifting Johann's chin so they both made eye contact now.

"I'd start talking if I were you. You don't want to mess with us." one of the female students brought up. Her skin was much tanner compared to the rest, and she had long blonde hair that completely clashed with her skin tone. Along with the other girl, they both wore a navy blue uniform with a red tie and white undershirt beneath it, along with a grey skirt with black stripes to finish the contrast between these students and the ones that once attended Fujimi Academy.

"You get one chance, asshole! I'm not messing around here, seeing how we just got blasted off the fucking Onbetsu Bridge by the damn police an hour ago! We barely got to the shore to begin with, let alone kept from getting grabbed by any of those rotting fuckheads in the river. So yeah, I'm kinda in a bad mood if you haven't noticed." Hide then brought up as if to reassure Johann just how much trouble he'd be in if he didn't choose to answer wisely.

"Why the hell are you people doing this? I'm alive! I'm not one of 'Them'! What the hell is wrong with you-" Johann questioned out of sheer bewilderment, only to suddenly be punched across the face. A red mark formed across the side of his face as blood began to gently trickle along the side of his soon to be swollen cheek.

"I warned you, dipshit! Tate, hand me those bolt cutters!" Hide instructed as the other boy did exactly as he was told, just moments before he and the tan girl held one of Johann's arms in place to keep him from potentially struggling.

 ***shikk***

Johann's eyes shot wide open as he felt the sharp beak of the bolt cutters suddenly connect, snipping right through two of his fingers without any resistance. He let out a horrified cry of ungodly pain before having his mouth gagged to avoid making too much noise. The two stubs where his fingers used to be twitched a little as he could feel blood gushing heavily from his mutilation. The pain was so immense, his vision instantly went blurry before his head slumped down, slipping back into unconsciousness.

"Oh, what, he's out already? What a fucking pussy. Somebody grab a towel so he doesn't bleed all over the place." Hide suddenly ordered with absolutely zero remorse for the atrocity they'd just committed.

Just as he said that, the lights above suddenly shut off without warning. All four of the students began to look around, feeling the hairs on the backs of their necks standing up as the power couldn't have possibly gone out everywhere, given how the other buildings nearby seemed to still have power.

"What the fuck? Who turned off the damn lights?" Tate said aloud as the two girls with them began to freak out that they could no longer see.

"Go check the switches in the back. If that's not it, go look at the circuit breaker." Hide instructed as if showing a hint of competence for once in his life.

"Circuit what? What would I even begin to do with that?" Tate questioned while just standing around with his hands in his pockets, almost as if expecting someone to go with him to check it out.

"Hell if I know! Just start hitting shit and see if that gets it working if all else fails." Hide responded in an impatient tone before trying to motion his friend to just do whatever he could; his voice starting to show aggravation with what now felt like stalling.

Without any further reason to be standing around in the dark, Tate did as he was told and entered a storage room in the far back of the store. After several moments of awkward navigation and cursing under his breath every time he stubbed his foot on something he couldn't see, the young teen eventually found the light switches.

 ***flick* *flick* *flick***

After several attempts, the lights still remained off. Just then, he could just barely see a large grey box hanging alongside the wall. Without hesitation, he headed towards it only to see it had already been opened. Upon closer inspection, he noticed what looked like five wires which had fallen out of their sockets. Expecting this to work, he simply lined them up to their respective holes and stepped back when the lights instantly flashed on again.

He formed a rather proud smile, despite only really having to play connect-the-dots with some obviously pulled plugs. Just as he was finished feeling proud of himself, he suddenly noticed his shadow looked far too big to be his own. Before he could instinctively turn his head around to see who it was, a hand firmly grasped the back of his head, the immensely strong fingers wrapping around his hair with a vice like grip.

"Hide, hel-!" Tate began to shout in terror before his face was suddenly slammed with extreme force into the fuse box.

 ***smash* *crash* *zzzzz***

After two more savage slams into the fuse box, the third one caused Tate's entire body to tremble as the voltage coursed through him before his body collapsed back with his bloodied, singed face looking straight up at the ceiling with his lifeless eyes. His blood stained the fuse box as bits of metal had embedded into his face. Aside from the occasional twitch, his body remained completely still now.

"Tate? What the fuck is—HOLY SHIT!" Hide began to question before he and the two girls entered the storage room and instantly found his motionless corpse, looking like somebody had viciously smashed his face in. The two girls let out a shriek of terror before fleeing back into the store. Whatever had killed their friend was most likely still dwelling within the store and ready to claim another victim.

Suddenly, the metal security fence went down along the door and windows, effectively trapping the three survivors inside with no hope of escaping. It was all too clear to the three of them now that if they wanted out, they'd have to fight their way out. Hide clenched the baseball bat in his hands as he looked around nervously with both girls cowering behind him, each one feeling their hearts ravaging against their chests as the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer, despite the fact they couldn't see anything.

"W-what's the matter? You scared? Not so tough now that you're caught in the open, huh?!" Hide began to call out in fear as he desperately tried to play it off as another of his loudmouthed boasts.

However, he was only met with a rather twisted chuckle that began to echo across the entire store. His body trembled all over until out the corner of his eye, another aluminum bat was thrown at him like a spear, landing square center into his stomach. The impact sent him falling to his knees as he felt their air knocked out of his lungs. All he could do was cough and gag as the other two girls panicked only to run for the back door. Hide slowly stood up only for the girls' screams to suddenly go silent.

As he cautiously stumbled through the store, he could see one of their feet sticking out from around a corner, slowly being dragged away only to be followed by the sound of bone being snapped.

"Oh, fuck this! I'm outta here!" Hide cried out as he sprinted for the rear exit, leaving his other two friends at the mercy of their attacker, whether they were still alive or dead. His heart raced while sweat poured down his face. He ditched his weapon as his hands began to desperately pull at the door handle. A brief amount of sunlight pierced through the door frame as he opened it, only to suddenly feel a sharp prick in his back, directly into his spine.

Before he could even reach back, the door was thrown wide open as the mysterious attacker was without a doubt behind him. The knife wedged in Hide's spine was slowly yanked out before he was shoved out the door and into an alley that connected the neighboring stores together. His body tumbled, crashing into the asphalt. Hide could feel his blood go cold once his mind registered that he could no longer feel his legs. If that prick in his back was what he thought it was, then he could feel the urge to vomit once he realized he'd just had his spine severed. Before he could even try to cry for help, he suddenly felt someone slowly drag him by the neck a few feet out into the open street until he could hear something else. To his horror, an infected woman could be seen just less than a foot away, consuming a severed leg she had most likely pulled off some unlucky victim.

"What are you doing? No! No, wait-" Hide started to plead as he began to desperately struggle and attempt to break free. However, it was a fruitless effort that was quickly cut short when the infected woman suddenly lunged and took a large bite out of his neck; pulling a large strip of meaty flesh from his neck as his blood spewed out everywhere. A slight tremble and gasp for air escaped his lips as he was visibly stunned by all of this before his mind went black.

The rear exit to the store slowly closed behind the relentless killer, who completely shut out Hide's cries of pain and suffering from behind as he then looked at both his hands. A slight tremor of power and enthrallment consumed him in the moment, right before interrupted by the walkie-talkie on his hip going off.

"Hey, Frasier? Please tell me you can hear me now..." Marcus' voice announced from the other side as his voice was that of desperation and concern for Frasier's well being.

"I'm here, Marcus. I'm fine. Sorry if you tried to reach me earlier this morning. I had to keep the noise to a minimum to avoid detection from those monsters. How are things on your end? Over." Frasier then responded as he just stared at Tate's motionless corpse slowly bleeding all over the floor; a grin of satisfaction forming along his lips.

"It could be worse. The buses were caught up in a traffic jam near the Tokonosu Bridge. After a few hours of waiting in line, those things showed up and started dragging people out of their cars. It was a bloody massacre and the police couldn't do a fucking thing to stop it.

"That Joe guy managed to get Toshimi and his girls out in time. I saw them leave via an abandoned white van with a blue star on it, but that's all I saw before we were all forced to split up. That police girl, Hitomi I think her name is, managed to take charge and got Noah, myself, and a few others out. The others ended up splitting off from us along the way, but we're holding up for now in a nearby hotel on the other side of the river. You can't miss it; it's one of the taller buildings on this side of the city. I think if we set up a blockade and keep someone on watch, we'll be able to hold out for a while. What do you think? Over." Marcus explained for several minutes while Frasier remained silent, shuffling through the store to find anything of use. He found a large black laptop bag that seemed like it could be useful; slinging it along his shoulders should he be able to scavenge up any decent items.

"It sounds like a good plan to me. I'm on my way now. Just stay quiet and don't let anybody else in the hotel in the meantime. You are ordered to shoot to kill. Understand? Over." Frasier replied as he already began to formulate plans for the local hotel as their new established shelter.

"Well, I can't exactly sharp shoot with just me and Hitomi's pistols, but I understand. I don't like it...but after seeing how some survivors were treating each other...beating and openly fighting one another to get away from the dead, I don't think I have any other choice. You can count on me. Over and out." Marcus responded with conflict in his voice only to conclude that his elder brother was ultimately right to give such an order. The radio went quiet again as Frasier then looked over to Johann.

He just knelt down and observed his unconscious compatriot. Both his crystal blue eyes narrowed at the sight of Johann's two severed fingers and their respective stumps, as well as the all-too undeniable possibility that he wouldn't be nearly as useful in combat with only eight fingers now. They had no medical supplies, and his first-aid skillset was very basic, seeing how he was expected to never be hurt to the point a medic would be required.

Frasier began to leave after placing the bolt cutters in his bag, knowing Johann was more of a burden than he was worth. Just as he was inches from exiting the store, he stopped walking and let out a heavy sigh, knowing that despite the logic that bringing someone this badly injured was a liability, part of him felt Johann could still be of some use. Taking a gamble for once, he turned back around and proceeded to untie Johann from the chair with his blood stained knife slicing right through the ropes with little resistance.

 ***rip***

Grasping the sleeve of a nearby baseball t-shirt hanging on a rack besides him, Frasier tore it clean off before proceeding to tie it around Johann's two stubs in attempt to prevent further blood loss; knowing that if he took Johann, he couldn't be bleeding all over him.

'I don't know if you're really worth it, Johann. But I guess I'll find out when you wake up.' Frasier thought to himself before fireman carrying Johann out of the building and out onto the streets again. Roughly an hour went by after they managed to cross one of the much smaller bridges across the river before Frasier could see the large hotel sign in the distance hanging just a bit over a few other buildings.

Papers would occasionally breeze by while the sound of car horns and the sound of people screaming could be heard echoing from the distance. They must have been coming from where the Tokonosu Bridge was located. Gunshots could be heard echoing out every now and then as a few sirens blared from the scene. It was becoming more apparent with each passing hour that nobody could hope to stop the utter chaos now.

"Hey, Frasier, I can see you two from up here with these binoculars we found on the way here. Wait…what happened to Johann? Is he hurt? Hurry up and get inside. Just head north-east and you'll be here in no time." Noah's voice suddenly announced on the walkie-talkie before cutting out when he realized Frasier had his hands full with carrying an unconscious Johann along his shoulders.

Minutes later, Frasier carried Johann up a grassy hill and across a street before finding himself being motioned into a moderately-sized parking lot that led to the hotel his group was currently residing in. Marcus and Noah were the first to rush over across the lot to greet him.

"Oh, thank God you're alive! I can only imagine the shit you two have had to go through." Marcus said as he smiled seeing his brother was still alright. His smile then turned to shock when he noticed Johann's bloody rag wrapped around his left hand.

"Was he bitten?! What the hell happened to him?!" Noah asked in momentary panic as Frasier gently set Johann's body on the ground before beginning to stretch out his now sore back. Both younger boys looked over just to be sure. They physically recoiled when seeing the two blood-covered fleshy stubs of what used to be his right ring and pinky finger.

"He wasn't bitten. We were ambushed by some other teenagers. Johann was captured and they must've cut his fingers off for some reason. Don't worry though. I took care of them." Frasier explained as he then just smiled at the end, which warranted some suspicion from his brothers as they hefted Johann's body onto their shoulders.

"What do you mean by that? Frasier? What do you mean you 'took care of them'?" Noah asked in a rather concerned voice as he and Marcus had no idea how to interpret that.

"I mean I did exactly what I was trained to do. Terminate all hostiles by any means necessary. The results were...very satisfying" Frasier said with a rather proud, if not twisted grin as the two younger Lawson's looked up at him to see in his icy blue eyes that there was no regret. There was no remorse. And there was certainly no mercy to be found in the eerily low voice of his. This was his calling, and it was now clear that those four were just the beginning.


	4. Chapter 4: Armed to the Teeth

**Tokonosu City, Japan**

 **Z-Day+1**

While the hundreds of people now caught in backed up traffic on the nearby Onbetsu Bridge attempted to gain access beyond the police barricades and checkpoints, Noah just watched it remain a complete standstill from the safety of his vantage point of the hotel. Part of him hoped that the police would show some form of leniency and start moving people now before one of the hordes he witnessed last night would catch up, especially with all the various shouts and cries of the people accompanied by a barrage of various car horns. There was no way the dead on the south side of the city wouldn't be able to hear all that noise. If all those people on the bridge were to be devoured and reanimated, it would be near impossible for the police to control. He then set the binoculars down on the ledge of the balcony before retreating back inside to see the female police officer who brought him and Marcus here; using one of the emergency first-aid kits they'd found in the manager's office, currently using it on Johann's mutilated hand as he was laid out on the dining room table.

The hotel itself was a large three-story I-shaped building that gave the group a great sight advantage over the local area. The management office was on the left side of the bottom floor of the building while on the opposite side was where the storage had been kept. In the basement level was where the generator powering the entire building was kept. Between the other various utility sections were over twenty-seven personal rooms across all three floors. Best of all though was the two glass doors at the front of the hotel that served as the only main entrance, since the back doors had already been locked by the staff by default beforehand. Better yet, the glass doors were made of tempered glass, making them virtually shatterproof, and as though fate had decided to provide them a lucky break; Noah had managed to come across the keys when he, Marcus and their police girl escort had first arrived here, allowing them to rest easy that no unexpected guests would arrive. This hotel was more than ideal enough for the newly reunited group to survive in, let alone the fact it had running showers, electricity, and some food and beverages left over when abandoned by the former owners and its' guests. That had also thankfully left the whole hotel free of any lingering undead occupants when the group had initially moved in.

"It's a shame you couldn't keep the severed fingers with you. This officer might've been able to do something, but my humble guess is that you were just in the heat of the moment. Nevertheless, I'm sorry about your friend. I can't imagine it's going to be easy for him to cope with this when he wakes up. So what became of the bastards that did this, if you don't mind my asking?" the female officer explained as she finally finished wrapping Johann's wounds up after disinfecting and treating his hand for the last two hours; turning her gaze upon Frasier as she wanted to know if they should stay vigilant for this mysterious violent group or not.

"Just as I told my brothers, officer: I took care of them." Frasier answered bluntly without even trying to conceal what he did.

"YOU took care of them?" the female officer inquired with a raised eyebrow; her tone now very suspicious, and for very good reason too.

"Like a wolf among lambs." Frasier continued without any humor in his voice; almost as if deliberately admitting to a crime.

"You took the law into your own hands, then? Well, normally that would be a serious problem, but given the circumstances we're facing...this officer has no choice but to focus on the more vital priorities right now. This isn't over, though. I hope you understand this officer will have to keep an eye on you from now on." she responded in a dead serious voice; still somewhat shocked to hear that this boy would go as far as to slaughter four people without any hint to feeling regret or remorse.

"Go ahead. A fair tale of caution, though...you might not enjoy what you see, officer. I will do anything to protect my brothers. Even if it means-" Frasier said with a far more firm tone as his stance began to form into a slightly more aggressive one, with his shoulders slightly cocked up as if trying to intimidate her. Marcus suddenly rushed in, covering his mouth before he could say something to set the young officer off. She just shot Frasier a cautious glare before slowly walking away; checking the ammunition count for her pistol just to feel some form of security around him. Luckily she managed to find some extra bullets off of an undead officer Marcus had shot when they fled from the evacuation bus last night.

"What the hell are you thinking?! We don't exactly have many friends here right now, Frasier; so burning our bridge with a police officer of all people is not something I'd advise on doing." Marcus scolded in a soft whisper as he held his right index finger in Frasier's face to keep him from arguing with him.

"I still can't believe you killed those teenagers...h-how do you feel?" Noah asked concernedly, still in disbelief before asking how this emotionally affected Frasier; silently hoping to get a real answer from him.

"I feel like I need to change out of these clothes. I look like something out of one of those horror movies you and Marcus would watch together back when we were little. Now are we done here?" Frasier responded in an emotionless tone, completely missing the intention of Noah's question.

"Y-Yeah, I guess we are done for now. That police officer's name is Hitomi, by the way. You know, she wanted to wait for you two to catch up to us before discussing what our next move would be. Almost like she believed you would come back to us like me and Marcus did." Noah then said as he was somewhat stunned, feeling a deep brotherly concern over Frasier's non-existent empathy for taking human lives like it was nothing.

"Help me move Johann out of here, first of all. We can set him up in one of the bedrooms for this suite while we come up with a new plan." Marcus said to Frasier as he nodded in response, picking up Johann's unconscious body off the table effortlessly before slowly dropping him into the nearest bedroom with a decent looking bed for a relatively small hotel with a modest suite.

"I remember you mentioned some other survivors followed you and the police girl here from the bus on the walkie-talkie. Where are they?" Frasier then inquired as he finally noticed it seemed rather empty around this hotel.

"Well, most of those who weren't killed when the dead caught up to us fled in all directions, including the two other police officers that were initially with us. Some others were able to keep a cool head, though, and followed Officer Hitomi and us to this abandoned hotel. However, they all felt this place wasn't worth hunkering down in, so they took their chances and left to go further north since we were able to cross the river into this side of the city. I hope they made it out alright." Marcus explained as he could still remember Hitomi taking immediate charge despite the panic and chaos that had encircled them at the Tokonosu Bridge. Part of it almost sounded like he was expressing admiration for her brave efforts.

"Hmm, well at least that's a few less mouths to feed. With any luck, we can actually settle down and hold out here. This hotel does seem sturdy enough, and it could prove to be a real safe haven if we touch up the perimeters just right. Where is the police girl now? It's best we start making plans while this window of opportunity is present." Frasier then followed up as he clearly didn't share a second thought or concern for the wellbeing of the other survivors that had left.

"I'm right here, and my name is Hitomi, young man." the police woman suddenly announced before approaching the three brothers with her police cap off. She had semi-long raven black hair tied with a pink ribbon in a ponytail on the left side of her head that slightly flowed with any gusts of wind that would pass by through the open balcony door. She had two gorgeous amber-colored eyes that seemed to show genuine maternal concern while matched equally by an intense fire that accentuated her tough girl attitude. Despite her attitude and physique, she had a delicate-looking face adorned with light freckles on her cheeks, which helped her overall look fall much more on the 'cute' side of the spectrum as opposed to 'beautiful', but she was still undeniably attractive in that 'cute' way. She had taken off her police jacket while still wearing the accompanying skirt, and she had rolled up the sleeves to her tight-fitting white undershirt to reveal some rather toned arms. Her chest was somewhat average in terms of bust size, most likely a C-cup, yet it seemed actually befitting to her strong, authoritative figure.

"Who do you think you're calling 'young man'? You barely look older than I am." Frasier retorted, clearly not liking being spoken to by a girl who looked like she was barely even into her 20's, regardless of whether she was a cop or not.

"I may be 19, but I still expect you to treat me with at least a little respect as an enforcer of the law; especially if we're going to be staying here together for the foreseeable future. So I would appreciate it if you would address me by name instead of just as 'police girl'. You do that, and I won't call you 'young man' if it bugs you so much." Hitomi shot back, this time not intimidated by the advantage Frasier had over her and everyone else height-wise.

"You'll have to forgive my older brother, Miss Hitomi. All this running and constant struggle for survival has made him rather cranky." Marcus suddenly interjected before Frasier could spearhead Hitomi's trust any further than he already had; the eldest Lawson raising an eyebrow to the suggestion that he might be 'cranky' as if he was now being compared to a child or an old man.

"Please, if we're going to be staying here together, let's not stand on formality here. You can just call me Hitomi. But with that being said, before we begin to discuss our plans for any long-term survival, I'd feel much more comfortable knowing a little something about you three first. I hope you don't mind?" Hitomi brought up, giving a faint smile at Marcus' willingness to play peacekeeper before making her request in a more approachable tone.

"Certainly! I-I mean...of course. Heh, I'm Marcus! Our unconscious friend you just patched up is named Johann Kessler. The little bugger over there is Noah, and the cranky one is Frasier. We're the Lawson brothers; at your service, ma'am! You can especially rely on me for anything, anything at all, no matter what." Marcus said excitedly with a rather flustered look on his face that caught not only Hitomi's attention, but Noah and Frasier's as well. Hitomi however found it somewhat amusing and undeniably a bit cute, and couldn't help but form a half-smile at his frantic introduction.

"Well, lucky me. It's really nice to officially meet you all...well, most of you, anyway. So, I take it you know just how serious our situation has just become?" Hitomi responded as she spoke with direct conviction, cutting straight to business.

"Well, if we intend to hold this hotel efficiently for the foreseeable future, I suggest we do several things. One: Set up physical defenses and ensure the perimeter can't be breached from all levels. Two: Locate and acquire firearms, or at least some better melee weapons to increase our combat effectiveness against both the living and the dead, because if living people are already becoming as dangerous as the ones who attacked Johann were, then we'll need to be prepared for more. Three: We need to find a suitable food source and try to get as much preservatives as possible. A lot of food will be spoiled if we don't act fast, and I can't imagine the stores will be restocked anytime soon." Frasier explained as he paced back and forth, listing off what he considered to be a rock solid plan.

"Hmm, not bad. You're a bit too calm and on point to be a civilian if you ask me. You wouldn't happen to be military or one of those survival enthusiasts; would you?" Hitomi begrudgingly complimented as she was now somewhat curious what these surprisingly resourceful kids did before the world had turned upside down.

"Well, aren't you observant? Yes, all three of us have been trained by our father to survive and fight. Very strong military history in our family, you see." Marcus said in a friendly tone as he seemed quite eager to impress her with how he and his siblings could clearly easily hold their own.

"Yes, I thought as much. That would also explain how you've managed to acquire a handgun. I hope you realize that civilian possession of a firearm is a very serious offense, right?" Hitomi asked in a more inquisitive tone as if this had suddenly become a cross examination.

"Would you rather have us be defenseless, Hitomi-san?" Frasier then countered as he wasn't sure why she would care about something like that, especially given the current situation of the city.

"No. I'm just saying that other officers might not take as kindly to seeing a civilian they've never met before wielding a semi-automatic handgun with a seventeen round capacity. That and I want to be sure I can trust you, since you know I intend to stay and try my best to keep you three safe." Hitomi tried to explain her perspective as her authoritative tone suddenly began to shift into one of concern instead; almost as if she felt personally duty-bound to look after these three young men in such a crisis, despite the fact they just claimed to have serious military training.

The brothers were rather taken aback by such a statement and proclamation to protect, especially when she could've easily just abandoned them, just as the two other officers they were with earlier had.

"Here, Hitomi-neesan. If you don't feel safe, then take it." Noah suddenly offered with the Glock 17 facing downwards in his hand for her to take. Both Hitomi and his older brothers were visibly shocked to see him do such a thing so readily. The young officer just stared at it for a brief moment as if contemplating what to do next. In the end, she gently placed her hand on his before using his other hand to cover the weapon. She then motioned Noah to put the weapon back, a gentle and warm smile forming across her lips as she did so.

"No. Its best you hold onto it for now. I'll put my life on the line and trust that you'll be responsible with it, Noah-kun . Don't let me down, okay?" Hitomi then said as she looked at the smiles forming on both Noah and Marcus' faces. Even she did not expect him to be so forthcoming and cooperative on the matter.

"Alright, now that we have that cleared up, I believe we should head over to the Eastern Police Station since it's the only station reasonably close to us. It shouldn't take us too long to get there either, depending on how the roads are. Once we get there, we have to grab as many firearms and munitions as we can possibly carry." Frasier cut in before Noah could say anything. It was clear he was eager to re-arm himself after seeing how dangerous the city had become in a matter of only 24 hours.

"It's a good start. Two of you will come with me while one stays behind to watch over Johann and the hotel. Sound good?" Hitomi then suggested before earning a nod of acknowledgment from each of them.

"Good. Before we go, I suggest you all take a moment to collect yourselves and change out of your student uniforms. Aside from the blood stains, you boys smell like a locker room." Hitomi then advised before walking off; prompting the Lawson's to take a moment to sniff themselves only to realize their uniforms were drenched in sweat, leaving a noticeably strong BO, along with the fact the blood from the undead had started to become crust on the fabric.

"Where does she expect us to get new clothes? I don't suppose any of you packed a spare outfit?" Noah said sarcastically as he pulled off his gurken to reveal a white undershirt with two large pit-stains under the sleeves.

"I would be lying if I said I had. I'm going to go check the laundry room and see if we can get some new clothes. I'm sure the people who left them behind in such a hurry won't mind…I hope." Marcus announced as he left to change and hopefully not have to smell like death and sweat for too much longer. Suddenly the fact they had running showers available had become that much more of a blessing.

"I'll go check how strong the entrance is. Just give me a yell if you find anything." Frasier called out as he rolled up his sleeves and walked away on his own.

"Really? I thought I'd keep it to myself! Yeah, I'll yell if I find something." Marcus called back with obvious sarcasm in his voice before taking it serious in the end. Frasier slightly scowled before just forming a soft grin to himself, realizing this was a rather good sign if his younger brother could still smile after all he'd been through.

Both Marcus and Noah made their way downstairs to a room with a few washers and dryers lined up along the beige walls. A couple of baskets could be seen tipped over while a small radio played nothing but static on a countertop. It had most likely been reporting the outbreaks before going off the air. A small fan could be seen whirring overhead; giving the room a refreshing breeze compared to the hot and humid temperature outside.

"Hey, Noah! Think I could work this?" Marcus suddenly joked as he held up a lacey pink bra and held it up while making a rather silly pose as if imitating a model in a photo session.

"Oh, I knew you were always a little off, but now I think this just confirmed it, Marcus." Noah said mockingly as he began to slide out of his clothing until he was left in nothing but his bright red briefs.

"Ah, sod off! I was just having a laugh. Besides, if I did have tits, it would be much bigger than a bloody B-cup." Marcus chuckled before tossing the undergarment aside to ruffle through the rest of the clothing in the basket.

 **[The Walking Dead OST - Alive]**

"Whatever you say, Marcus. I'm not judging." Noah teased as his older brother just smirked at his tongue-in-cheek attitude. With nothing left between them to say, Marcus then looked down and couldn't help but start to think of Mark. That one final smile he gave seconds before he vanished into the sea was now burned into his memory. He'd never forget such a pain as he felt at that moment.

"So how are you holding up, Noah? Are you doing alright?" Marcus suddenly asked in a far more serious tone with a hint of concern evident in his words. Noah almost froze for a moment, as if processing Marcus' words before forming a look as though he was drowning in regret.

"I...I hate that we couldn't save Uncle Mark, or even the rest of Johann's family. It makes me feel weak, and it gives me this really painful heavy feeling in my heart, feeling we could've done something if we were just faster. Part of me can even now see what Frasier was talking about. If we left those people alone, there's a big chance that Uncle Mark would still be alive, and Toshimi, Joe and his daughters would still be with us right now." Noah responded as he had to fight the tears threatening to form in the corners of his eyes; trying to remain tough in front of Marcus.

"It wasn't an easy choice, Noah. One life given to save so many more. I don't regret helping those people at all...I just regret that I couldn't be there to save Uncle Mark from the killing blow. I feel like if I had just been a little bit closer, I could've stopped the undead fuck that got him." Marcus said in an attempt to sympathize with Noah before expressing his own inner turmoil over their beloved uncle's death. The elder Lawson then couldn't help but start softly sobbing as he turned away, embarrassed to be seen crying in front of his younger brother.

"I guess we just have to be stronger and do what we must to keep those we still have alive. But Marcus...please don't blame Frasier for what happened to Uncle Mark. If it's anyone's fault, it's MINE. I made the call to intervene, not him." Noah then said with a soft sigh before he placed a gentle hand on Marcus' back; wanting there to be no resentment between what was left of their family.

"I know, Noah. It's just...you know I always used to look up to Frasier, knowing he was one of the most powerful family members in our entire family line. To see him just standing there, like a helpless child...something about it just caused me to lash out at him. I thought he of all people would've been able to do something. But I can only imagine how he must feel about the whole thing since he was close enough to do something, and he no doubt knows it. I really should go apologize to him when I get the chance." Marcus confessed as he could still remember those old days when he'd looked up to his older brother. It was quite clear that he still felt betrayed, evident by the tone in his words. He then wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffled slightly, not wanting to dwell on those brooding feelings anymore.

Noah simply nodded, pleased at the rather mature approach his brother planned to adopt before he got his mind back in the game and pulled a simple light grey t-shirt over his head and hoisted up a pair of dark blue denim jeans. Marcus on the other hand managed to find a pair of black jeans with a slight tear at the knees and a long sleeved red shirt that was almost an exact match for him despite the wrists being a bit too short for his long arms.

"Marcus, wait. Don't put that on." Noah suddenly said with a hand outreached as if it was of the utmost importance.

"What? Why? Is there something on it?" Marcus asked before quickly pulling it off to double check that there wasn't a disgusting stain or some kind of insect crawling on it that he had failed to notice.

"No. Just please don't be the guy in the red shirt. It always goes bad for the guy in the red shirt." Noah then commented as he couldn't help but make a reference that he felt only he could get. Nevertheless, it still got Marcus to chuckle a bit, which was good enough for Noah.

"You're such a dork sometimes, I swear. So, got any better suggestions then?" Marcus teased before lightly slugging Noah in the arm after he shook his head with in response to that ill-timed joke. Both of them then started to actually laugh a little harder before Marcus tossed the red shirt aside in favor of a sage green t-shirt with a leaky red heart design etched on the left side.

"It's kinda funny. I was worrying about how I'd manage to keep up with school AND make up for lost time with you and Frasier. Well, I guess I don't have to bother with the former until we're rescued." Noah softly spoke as he couldn't help but somehow find that minor detail funny in a rather morbid way.

"No kidding. Well, no use on trying to understand this mess. Its best we just do what Frasier suggests…mostly, anyway, and we'll be just fine. Those creatures don't seem to possess much beyond what we've seen. Let's just hope we can get a good haul in tonight." Marcus responded as he re-tied his shoes before turning to look out a window and see a few slowly shambling shadows moving down the street aimlessly a good distance away.

 **[]**

 _(Several hours later)_

Marcus and Noah took the next few hours as an opportunity to rest and recover after moving nonstop for nearly two days. Every hour they'd check on Johann to make sure he still had a pulse. In spite of Hitomi managing to professionally treat his wounds, he had still lost a lot of blood beforehand, so as far as they knew, what would happen to him next was anyone's guess. Luckily, he was much stronger than most would consider first glance, so it was more than likely that he'd survive despite the blood loss. Hitomi and Frasier meanwhile had been quick to set up a makeshift barricade of multiple panels of plywood they nailed together across the entrance; seeing how it was the only way into their now personal sanctuary.

"Not bad. If we can find a warehouse depot or a construction yard, we might be able to get some real defenses set up. Think we could get some barbed wire to set along the balconies and windows if it's possible?" Frasier asked, letting out a heavy sigh of relief to at least know the entrance was now a little more secure.

"Do you really think that's necessary? I mean, I don't want to underestimate 'Them', but I've noticed that the dead aren't really agile. No way 'They' can get over such a large wall." Hitomi asked as she really couldn't see why putting defenses so high up would be necessary with creatures as slow and overall dimwitted as 'Them'.

"The wire isn't for the 'Them'. What if some non-friendly survivors come around, and say some of them are exceptionally good climbers? It would be a good way to keep them from sneaking in on any floors." Frasier corrected as he kept intensely looking up as if imagining the whole hotel being strung up like an impenetrable fortress.

"Oh...right." Hitomi said, as it was still hard for her to imagine that despite all the chaos and walking dead slowly pushing humanity closer to extinction, that people could still find a reason to kill one another.

"Here, try these on. We figured this is the only thing that would fit your particular physique." Noah suddenly announced as he walked over with an outfit he and Marcus scavenged for their big brother.

"Hmm, this will do. Thank you, Noah." Frasier said gratefully as he began to look over his new outfit: a dark brown bomber jacket with a leather finish, black cargo pants with plenty of pockets and pouches on the sides, and a navy blue undershirt to top it all off.

"What? No love or respect for Marcus?" Marcus complained sarcastically to convey a somewhat obvious jealously that his older brother wasn't quick to deliver credit where it was due.

"What did you pick? You voted against this outfit." Noah suddenly protested as he nudged Marcus in the ribs.

"Yeah...that's because it will probably look silly on him. Just watch." Marcus suddenly predicted as he watched Frasier unravel the bomber jacket.

"Are you two done yet?" Frasier said as he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance at their childish bickering for his favor. Both his brothers quickly settled down now as he began to unfasten his belt buckle, dropping his trousers and lifting up his shirt without hesitation nor care that he was down to his undergarments in broad daylight.

"What?" Frasier then asked as he looked down at Hitomi, uncertain why she was just blatantly staring at him despite the fact he stripped down like she wasn't even there.

"N-Nothing. I'm just surprised you'd change in front of a stranger without any hesitation." Hitomi responded in a somewhat flustered tone as if feeling she had to be embarrassed for Frasier at this point. Her eyes were slightly trembling as they just barely were kept at his eye level. A slight blush could be seen forming along her cheeks before she managed to take a deep breath to compose herself and ignore the sight.

"Does it matter? It's not like you're seeing anything that revealing." Frasier said dismissively before pulling the red leather overcoat across his arms and zipping it up to where it appeared to only be a little firm on his arms, but otherwise a good fit.

"That's not the point, but I digress. We should go while there's still sunlight. It most likely will be dark by the time we reach the Eastern Police Station. So who's staying here?" Hitomi grumbled out of annoyance before focusing on who would be staying to hold down the fort for them.

"Marcus will. Noah and I will escort you to the Police Station. Are you ready?" Frasier then asked as Noah proceeded to hand off the handgun to Marcus for protection.

"Ha! You escort me. That's funny. Whatever helps you sleep at night, 'soldier'. Alright, let's go!" Hitomi scoffed as she couldn't help but laugh at the very suggestion that she'd need him to survive the trip to the Eastern Police Station, not even able to form a response to the fact he intended to take point.

"Hey! Can I say something before you go, Frasier?" Marcus suddenly requested as his brother turned to see him looking up at him with regret in his eyes.

"Is it important, because I really need to go, Marcus. Time isn't exactly on our side right now." Frasier asked with a hint of impatience evident in his tone as he wanted to be sure this was even remotely worth delaying their progress.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You know...about taking my anger out on you after what happened to Uncle Mark. I was being a knob head and just couldn't handle it in the heat of the moment. I hope you didn't take it too personally." Marcus expressed in a heartfelt apology; knowing that Noah was absolutely right when he said to not blame Frasier for what happened the other night.

At first there was a momentary silence. Both elder Lawson's just stared the other down before the unexpected happened. Frasier formed a genuine smile and let out what had to be a soft chuckle as if he'd been caught completely off guard and could form no other response.

"Just remember that I'm on your side, you muppet. Don't ever question my motives, no matter how terrible they might seem. I'm always going to be on YOUR side. You'd do well to remember that, Marcus." Frasier said before playfully punching Marcus in the right shoulder with restrained force, causing his little brother to jump back a bit.

"You got it, tuss-pot. I'll be sure not to let the place burn down before you return. Best of luck." Marcus said with a big smile before turning back to take up a better vantage from the hotel and occasionally check up on Johann while he was at it. He just watched from his perch on the third floor as the group slowly drove off in a commandeered mini-van with a minty green paint job.

 _(1 hour after sunset)_

Hitomi was in the driver's seat while Frasier sat in the passenger's seat with his eyes constantly looking out the window to ensure they weren't about to pass something worth of value. The mini-van slowly cruised through the streets, carefully maneuvering around various wrecks they'd come across. A few survivors could be seen running down the sidewalks every now and then as they kept to themselves. The dead had been sweeping through the southern half of the city and most likely had started bleeding into the northern side through all the various bridges along the river that had either been overrun or abandoned; and 'They' were undoubtedly slowly adding more casualties by the minute. It was quite clear that all police efforts to contain the situation were futile aside from barricading the few bridges they still had control over.

"Noah, before I forget, I couldn't help but notice the considerable strength some of 'Them' had last night, despite having a noticeably weaker build. 'They' also appeared to be far more aggressive and alert. Do you have any idea what that could possibly mean?" Frasier suddenly asked as he figured this was vital information worth bringing up to help increase their knowledge of the situation, especially now that night had fallen yet again.

"I'm not sure. There are a lot of different interpretations of what zombies are capable of. My only guess is that the living dead operate differently after the sun sets. It's hard to say without really knowing 'Their' true anatomy." Noah attempted to explain before finally giving his speculation on the subject.

"Great; all the more reason to fear the dark. Well, at least 'They' can't move very fast...right?" Hitomi groaned before an uneasy tremor ran down her spine when Noah didn't answer; now feeling that they should've left while there was more daylight. However, she kept on driving, fueled with the knowledge that they couldn't hope to hold their own without any additions to their already small arsenal.

Suddenly, Hitomi brought the van to a steady halt. The tires could be heard rolling over the asphalt as the two Lawson brothers' looked forward to see the Tokonosu East Police Station right in their line of sight; a tall building that had several officers standing outside equipped with what appeared to be more than the standard issue revolvers. Several motionless corpses could be seen lined up along the sidewalk in body bags, up to the point tarps were laid out over the rest. Even a few shells from expended ammunition could be found lying in the parking lot.

"Holy shit...Hitomi-san? Is that you? Get over here!" one of the officers called out as he waved the young police woman over when he managed to recognize her in spite of only wearing half of her uniform.

He was of average height but seemed to be particularly muscular compared to his fellow officers. He wore what looked like body armor covering his torso, and had thick service boots indicating he was most likely under an SAT (Special Assault Team) unit. His brown hair was hidden under a standard riot helmet, and light stubble could be seen along his jawline. Both Lawson's could see in his hands was an H&K MP5A4 sub-machine gun with a flashlight attachment.

"Masanori-san? I hate to admit it, but for once I'm actually glad to see you. What's the situation?" Hitomi said with a notable sense of relief as she clearly had some kind of personal history with this man. A sly smirk formed along the male officer's face as he approached her when he noticed the fact she had just rolled up in a mini-van.

"It's pretty fucked up at the moment to be honest. We're scrambling and trying to establish a line in the sand, but these damn monsters just keep on pushing us back. Luckily we seem to have Onbetsu Bridge at the moment, but we haven't been receiving any communications from any of the other bridges, so it's mainly a lot of wishful thinking on our part right now. Where are Hachi and Ryo?" Masanori answered as he explained the clearly dire situation to her. His expression became one of concern when she just lowered and shook her head without any answer in terms to their current whereabouts.

"Shit. Well, get those two civilians inside and we can brief you on what's next. The chain of command has been getting shorter by the hour around here, and we're now taking orders from a detective. He's tough as nails though, and he seems to have a plan to evacuate to a nearby elementary school. With any luck, we'll be able to start doing our damn jobs and finally save some people." Masanori said in a moment of sorrow for the uncertain fate of the two M.I.A. officers before he went on to explain who was now taking charge of the situation, stifling any of his other unnecessary emotions that could potentially make this horrible situation any worse.

"Come on, you two. Don't be shy." Hitomi then called out as Frasier and Noah stood there awkwardly by minivan. Before they could respond or begin to approach, a low groan could be heard coming from the shadows. Moments later, out stepped an undead man holding what appeared to be a microphone clutched in his cold, dead hands. He wore a rather nice tan sports coat only for it to be covered in blood, tears and bite marks.

Masanori and the other officers quickly raised their weapons up, ready to add one more to the piles of bodies, only for Hitomi to motion them not to shoot. The corpse slowly shambled over as its whole body appeared to be trembling.

"Don't fire. You're just going to attract more of 'Them'!" Hitomi warned in a hushed whisper, which caused all the other officers present to look at her confusedly, as if they didn't know it was sound that attracted the dead.

"Then how do we stop it?" one of the other officers questioned nervously as they prepared to take aim again when the monster drew near.

"Now would be a good time to help." Noah whispered to Frasier, watching his older brother nod in response before he suddenly approached the undead reporter. The other officers formed looked on in total shock as this young man was now within reach of the creature as if he'd completely lost his mind.

"Kid, what the fuck are you doing?" Masanori called out as he was poised to rush over to get him out of the way, only for Hitomi to motion him to stand back; knowing exactly where this was going given what she'd seen the other day.

The reporter suddenly lashed out with both arms outstretched to suddenly take a swipe at Frasier. A large mess of spit and pus dribbled down its jawline as the teeth could be seen chomping together eagerly. The wretched stench filled the air as Frasier was now fully aware that at night he should avoid a direct grapple with the likes of 'Them'. He quickly side stepped to avoid the rotting nails from scratching him before his leg swept at the ankles. The undead man fell onto his face before the young Brit spared no time by pinning it down with his knees on the back.

"Not this time." Frasier muttered under his breath as he grabbed a fist full of hair only to start slamming the reporter face first into the ground. The officers watching slightly cringed at the sight of the face being smashed into a bloody pulp. Bits of rotting flesh had been pulled away to reveal bone after several blows. The police had seen a fair share of gruesome tragedies the job came with in the last 24 hours alone, but to see it happening so fast and unravelling before them was something else.

"What the hell is he doing now?" Masanori asked, momentarily shell-shocked to see a kid managing to fight one of these monstrosities with such vicious and deadly efficiency.

"Being thorough. He's actually quite good at it." Noah answered as he just stood there watching as his brother began to repeatedly stab into the back of the already mangled head of the undead reporter; the steel blade gouging and mangling the reporter's cranial cavity with a squishy ***squelch*** filling the air.

Frasier then stood up and wiped the bloody knife off on the back of the reporter once he was certain it was dead on a permanent basis. He then sheathed the blade into its holster beside his hip only to approach the others. Masanori couldn't help but let out a light whistle in response, clearly impressed with what he'd seen.

"Hold on, sir. You can't enter the station with that weapon. This officer will have to confiscate it." one of the other male officers suddenly instructed as he held his hand up to stop Frasier where he stood.

"Don't worry, Hiro. You can trust him." Hitomi suggested as she was certain Frasier wouldn't start any trouble, along with the fact that he'd be in a building filled with police officers would also be a likely deterrent to not start something up.

"You know the rules, Hitomi. This officer will still need to confiscate it." Hiro explained as he held his hand out for the knife and any other potential weapons Frasier might've had on him.

"Go ahead..." Frasier responded in a low voice as he then set his arms aside with both palms open and facing outwards. His body loomed over the officer with both height and intimidation on his side. There was now deep hesitation in the officer's demeanor, given how vicious this young man proved to be just moments ago.

"Take it from ME." Frasier nearly growled in a challenging voice as if he wanted the officer to try and take the honorary knife Uncle Mark had given him. A slight twitch in his right eye went off, only upping the fear he instilled in the now terrified officer, who quickly turned back to look at his friend as if expecting backup. However, the second officer standing on guard of the police station, with an equally terrified look, simply shook his head as if knowing this could just be a one-time exception.

Frasier then lowered his stance and simply smirked before entering the precinct with Noah behind him and Hitomi in front; both of them somewhat amazed that he could intimidate two officers who were both armed considerably better than the aggressive Brit. They entered through the front doors only to hear multiple voices calling out from all across the lobby and behind the front desk. Phones could be heard constantly ringing nonstop as people were rushing around in the background. It was absolute pandemonium here.

"Wait here. Let me go see what's going on." Hitomi instructed as she had Noah and Frasier stay behind when she walked over towards a bundle of officers gathering around a television on the wall to see news feed of the Onbetsu Bridge barricade.

A large group of protesters could be seen in the background chanting and proclaiming that the police were puppets of the government. One man then stood out in front of the crowd, proceeding to shout that the United States and Japanese governments were responsible for this due to the use of a biological weapon; the people rallying behind him as he shouted and showed no signs of backing down. A single gunshot could suddenly be heard only to be followed by several more going off.

'Those idiots...they're going to be slaughtered if they don't shut up!' Hitomi thought to herself as her fellow officers all had looks of disgust and anger at the very claim that this living hell was produced by the very governments they'd sworn to protect and uphold. None of them bought it for a second. There was no way all of this could have been done by man. It was far too organized yet chaotic, seeing how it was happening all over the world at once.

"Hey...isn't that the chief?" Masanori suddenly brought up as a male officer brushed past the camera crew and boldly approached the man leading the protest, all alone. He was roughly in his late forties and had a few grey hairs hidden by his police cap.

"You must please leave immediately. I'm afraid it's too dangerous for you to be here." the older officer announced in a calm yet dead serious voice as he placed his hand on the protest leaders' shoulder to get his attention, only for it to be swatted away aggressively.

"Oh, is it?! Any more dangerous than the government? Than your conspiracies?!" the man scoffed as he made it clear he was resolute in his cause to defy and denounce the government as much as possible.

"I'll only ask you one more time. You all need to disband and go." the officer explained in his soft spoken voice, his hand slowly forming a fist as it was clear that his words simply went in one ear and straight out the other one.

"Hell no! You go!" the protest leader roared out in defiance as he appeared to be holding up his fists as if expecting a fight now; his body fidgeting in place as he glared down the older officer.

"Go home! Go home!" both he and all the protesters began to chant as they refused to take even one step back; their voices echoing through the air as they held up their signs, hatred seeping off every chant they made as tensions were very high and only getting worse by the second.

"You don't seem to understand, sir. I've been given strict orders to maintain public safety. By any means necessary…by any means I see fit." the officer said in a low voice as his hand slowly unclenched, only to slowly reach for the holster attached to his hip. Everyone in the station looking up at the screen just watched completely dumbfounded when they watched the man fire a single shot point-blank into the protest leader's forehead.

His body trembled for a second only to suddenly collapse over backwards like a stiff board being dropped. The anti-government chants instantly stopped and were immediately replaced by screams of both panic and fear from the protesters. Most were quick to flee and disband while a few rushed over to check on the gunned down man. The officers in the station felt their jaws collectively drop as they watched the sudden execution; feeling all their blood collectively go cold that things had already gotten this bad.

"Noah, follow me. Something tells me they're not keeping a close eye on the armory right now." Frasier suggested in a low whisper as he kept a close eye on the amount of officers going back and forth between rooms.

"Are you sure that's wise, Frasier? I don't think they'd really appreciate us snooping around; especially by the armory of all places." Noah quietly protested as he wanted Frasier to heavily reconsider what he was about to do; knowing that if he wasn't careful, he might end up dead.

"Now isn't the time for hesitation. We can either arm ourselves, or we can pretty much just stand around and wait to be eaten alive." Frasier said as he brushed off Noah's concerns, knowing it would be foolish to just leave when they had the perfect opportunity to better arm themselves.

Without hesitation, the older Lawson slipped through a twin set of doors before carefully maneuvering through the hallway to see the entrance to the armory was not only open, but was also completely unguarded at the moment. The officer watching over it had most likely left to see the news broadcast with everyone else, which would help explain why it was so easy for him to enter without any detection. It was quite clear now that those left over in the station primarily consisted of cadets fresh out of the academy.

When Frasier entered the room, he took a large inhale as if he felt right at home. The rows of guns stocked perfectly together on their respective racks accompanied by countless boxes of ammunition neatly stacked to the side. It was like an early Christmas for him to be surrounded by so many weapons. It was just like he was entering his father's personal armory for the first time all over again. A rather wicked smile formed along the young man's face as he stepped deeper into the armory; all the while Noah remained outside in the hallway, resigning himself to serve as lookout so Frasier wouldn't get into serious trouble if caught.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" a low, yet very firm voice suddenly asked from above Noah with a curious ring in it.

Noah slowly looked up from the chair he had planted himself in to see a tall man wearing a tan trench coat was looking right back down at him. He then knelt down, as if he didn't want the young boy to feel afraid to talk to him. The man had a soft 5 o'clock shadow and light brown hair that was kept relatively short and disciplined. He had a rather powerful build as he appeared to be at roughly 6'3" tall when standing upright. He was most likely in his mid to late thirties by now.

"I-I was brought here by one of your officers. She's been doing everything she can to help keep us safe." Noah replied with obvious hesitancy hanging in his voice; uncertain why this rather friendly man was talking to him instead of watching the declining situation on the television like everyone else was.

"I see. Well my name is Detective Tadashi Miyamoto. I can only imagine the things you've seen before arriving here, young man. But you don't need to worry; you're safe with us now. We'll take good care of you. I promise you those things out there won't get inside on my watch." the mature man vowed after politely introducing himself to Noah. He then walked away with a purposeful stride, as though eager to find out how any other stations were holding up.

 _'Wait...Miyamoto? Why does that name sound familiar?'_ Noah thought to himself as he looked away to not draw attention to himself. He felt certain he'd heard that last name from somewhere before, but couldn't place an exact memory. Could it have been one of his classmates from back in school? With that possibility in mind, he couldn't help but start silently hoping to himself that they somehow got out okay. Either way, he felt somewhat safer knowing a man like that detective was actually calling the shots around here. He was clearly living proof of how a broken police force could remain resolute despite such overwhelming circumstances.

Meanwhile, the rest of the distracted remnants of the force watched in total dismay as bit by bit, the police barricade on the Onbetsu Bridge began to slowly find itself up against the wall. Civilians trapped on the bridge could be seen jumping off of it in an attempt to escape the larger undead hordes that had finally caught up to them and spared not a single soul 'They' touched. The cameraman however just kept recording, despite the fact the young reporter he was with had been dragged down and devoured within seconds. He just ran as fast as he possibly could until a bulldozer drove by, just narrowly missing him.

The undead horde trying to get through was crushed if not rammed aside when an entire line of bulldozers attempted to kill as many of 'Them' as possible. Limbs and crushed corpses could be seen scattered along the road now as the bulldozers suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Despite the overwhelming force, some of the dead managed to get ahold of the construction vehicles and eventually kill the drivers. The best chance of pushing 'Them' back had been snuffed out just as quickly as it had arrived.

"Oh my God…t-they can't hold it. These are veterans of the force, and they're hardly making a dent in those crowds..." one officer announced aloud as they all began to talk at once in despair.

"It's no use. We're all doomed now." another said in weakly as if she'd given up all hope to restore order right then and there.

Suddenly, gunshots could be heard from outside. Most likely the two SAT officers left to stand guard were taking shots at more of 'Them'. At first, the officers all assumed everything was fine because there was no sound afterwards, meaning that it was most likely just a small pack of 'Them' that had wandered over. A moment later, one of the SAT officers walked in to give thumbs up to indicate they were alright.

However, moments later on the news feed, the undead in frame could be seen looking up before slowly shambling further into the scene. One by one, the undead that weren't busy consuming flesh were starting to advance further up the bridge, cutting through the remaining forces making up the barricade like it was nothing, as if spurred on by the sound of even more fresh meat past the victims 'They' already had right in front of 'Them'. 'They' moved like a massive wave when 'They' would stumble and limp in near perfect unison, easily overwhelming the few remaining police officers on the bridge as their screams were quickly silenced and replaced with the sickening sound of tearing flesh accompanied by the near wall of inhuman growls and moans. The cameraman caught as much as he could before the car he was standing on was suddenly pushed over. The feed finally cut off as the camera most likely broke upon impact, leaving the inhabitants of the east police station to realize that that massive horde was now left completely unopposed and most likely headed in their direction after those gunshots from outside.

"Everyone, I need you all to remain absolutely calm-" Detective Miyamoto began to instruct before being cut off by the officers suddenly rushing around as if ready to flee for their own lives. Multiple cadets and lower ranked officers stormed right past him as he just stood there, feeling his iron-strong resolution starting to fade, as if he had no idea how to calm his fellow officers down enough to listen to him.

"Fuck this! I'm not dying like this!" one of the various officers cried out in fear as he started trying to shove his fellow officers out of his way.

"Get out while you still can! This is hopeless!" another cadet warned to the rest as they all began to head for the door in desperation.

Just as it seemed there was no chance of calming the panicking remnants of the local police force, a loud whistle sounded out, miraculously making them all stop in their tracks. The loud sound echoed as all eyes and sidearm sights focused upon Frasier, who had ditched the bomber jacket for a black Kevlar vest and forearm guards most likely made of reinforced plastic. A pair of black gloves covered his hands as he clenched an MP5SFK in his firm grip.

"How the hell did that man get a gun? Did someone leave the armory unmanned?!" Detective Miyamoto questioned as he kept his hand near the grip of his revolver just in case the young man who had clearly just helped himself to their weapons might've been insane.

"All of you pansies and rookies shut your mouths and listen up! Normally I would leave you all to your fates, but due to the severity of the situation, I'm feeling generous enough to help you all out here." Frasier announced as he tried to control the crowd of fleeing officers that had felt their spirits be crushed and their hope broken beyond all belief.

"Fuck you, kid, this is serious!" Masanori called out angrily as he gripped his fist at the fact this upstart kid was trying to tell the police what to do.

"Get out of the way!" a female officer announced as the others began to join in and shout back at their aggressor.

"Hold on...HOLD ON! Listen to me, everyone! I know this guy is young, but he's also military-trained! Trust me on this; I've seen how he handles himself against these monsters. Listen to him of you intend on surviving!" Hitomi suddenly called out above the others in an attempt to bring the boiling tension down long enough for order to be restored. This rather crucial piece of information caused all of them to settle down as they just looked up at him with less anger and primal fear, but still with heavy uncertainty.

"Military-trained? Are you certain about this, Hitomi-san?" Detective Miyamoto asked quietly as he looked over to the young woman, only for her to answer with a simple nod. A sense of relief simultaneously flowed through him and all the other officers as Frasier now had an audience ready to hear him out.

"Alright, now listen up: you have guns, and you have a pulse; but most of all, you're the last, possibly only, line of defense these helpless people have left. With my strategic planning, you all just might have a chance to not only save yourselves, but help reduce the potential casualties these things will create if left unchecked and unopposed.

"I've got one rule under my command you should all take to heart. Everyone fights and nobody quits. If you so much as consider abandoning your duty to yourselves, to each other, and to the people of Tokonosu, I'll personally shoot you myself. Any questions?" Frasier warned as it was quite clear he wasn't going to accept a cowardly attitude from what should've been Tokonosu's finest, even if they were still green. Not one of them doubted that he'd do it neither, given by how dead serious his voice and glare was. Even the way he carried himself helped them forget the fact he wasn't even in his twenties yet.

"It's about time we really did something about all this. So what's the plan, Frasier?" Hitomi said with admiration in her voice as she was quite eager to do something while there was still a chance.

"As far as I'm concerned, these creatures aren't anything mankind hasn't faced before. Our largest advantage as a species is that we learn to adapt and we can overcome any situation if we use our most powerful weapon, which just so happens to be located between our ears. We lure these undead into a kill zone, just like as if it were a standard military ambush. We keep 'Them' from leaving, and then we will unleash everything we have! Now get to the armory and prepare to make a stand!" Frasier called out as he paced back and forth; speaking to the small remnants as if they were an army, seeing both their worth and potential to actually make a stand against 'Them'.

A round of applause fueled by inspiration was all that could be heard as everyone without a proper firearm and equipment quickly headed to the armory to suit up. Whether they liked it or not, this young man certainly seemed to be the best chance they had in hopes of surviving the night and restoring a bit of order to the chaos.

Tadashi approached Frasier with a rather gracious look in his eyes; the eyes of a man most would be able to see had never endured defeat before and now would not have to face it this night. His light brown eyes appeared to be tired as the stress of the last 24-hours had clearly taken a toll on him. A deep sigh of relief now could finally escape past his lips.

"Thank you, young man. I couldn't have possibly done this on my own. Those poor rookies were broken beyond my control. With your military experience though, we just might be able to survive the night after all. My name is Tadashi Miyamoto. Who are you?" the noble detective said in thanks before bowing out of respect to Frasier.

"My name does not matter right now, detective. Right now, we should focus on making a proper kill zone before that massive horde arrives. Those things might be slow, but we'll still need every last minute we can get." Frasier said in a distant tone of voice as he decided to skip the formalities and instead get straight to work. His determination was quite clear and he was not about to be broken this night.

"If you're looking for a good place to lure those things over where we can follow your plan, there's a sizable gated community just two blocks north of here, and it ends in a cul-de-sac. The houses are high enough that we could even have our forces pick 'Them' off from the rooftops if things get ugly." Detective Miyamoto explained as Frasier's eyes steadily grew wide and a satisfied smirk formed on his lips.

"Yes…yes, that's perfect! Tell everyone that that neighborhood will be where we lure 'Them' to enact the plan. And make sure you gather every last bit of ammunition and other hardware you can get. No matter how good a location this is that you have in mind, this isn't going to be easy." Frasier exclaimed enthusiastically before giving the detective the go-ahead to start rallying everyone together, eager for everyone to get their feet firmly planted in the ground for the battle that was to come.

"Very well. Just know that whatever happens, I will not forget this. I intend to rally any survivors to a local elementary school once this is all over, and you'd certainly be more than welcome to join us. Thank you again for your assistance." Tadashi said in an attempt to explain his future plans before he then left Frasier to rearm himself too.

"What can I do? And don't you dare even consider putting me on the sidelines, because I want to help too! I'm probably a better shot than most of these blokes combined anyway." Noah suddenly asked as he noticed Frasier was heading outside to start planning on his next step in preparations for the incoming horde. A strong determination and sense of duty flowed through the young Lawson's heart as he saw the intensity in Frasier's demeanor. This was virtually everything he'd been trained for, and this was finally his first real opportunity getting to put it all to use.

"Like I said, Noah; everybody will fight, including you. This is what we've been trained to do, so I hope you're ready for some REAL combat. Now go gear up and await further orders, soldier!" Frasier then said in a proud voice at Noah's show of bravery and commitment. His younger sibling gave him a proper British salute only to then follow up by hugging Frasier's torso. The older Lawson couldn't help but feel warm inside at this display of brotherly affection as Noah left to arm himself for the upcoming fight. There was nobody else he'd rather have going into the heat of battle with him, and no matter what, he was going to make sure they'd both live to see the end of it.

 _(Twenty minutes later)_

During the time the police force at the station was preparing for the massive horde to arrive, a squad cruiser had managed to pull up with blood coating the very front bumper, hood and windshield. Tadashi rushed over to see several men stumbling out of the vehicle.

"K-Kato-san? My God, is that you? What happened to you?" Tadashi asked out of deep concern as he could see his close friend slowly falling out of the driver's seat when he tried to exit the cruiser. He was a rather short man in comparison to the towering detective, with dark black hair oiled back which went rather well with this thin yet noticeable mustache. His square glasses nearly fell off as he slowly pulled himself back up.

"Tadashi-san...oh God, it was horrible! I tried my best, but those things just kept coming! All those people...I can still hear them all screaming! We had to retreat while we still could! We're literally the ONLY ones that were able to get away! We should've just destroyed the bridge while there was still time! And we kept seeing more and more of those damn things on the way here! They must be pouring into this side of the city from all the other bridges along the river that fell! There's no way we can hope to contain those monsters anymore!" Kato expressed in deep regret and paralyzing fear as he confessed that he had no other choice but to flee the failed attempt to hold the line at Onbetsu Bridge.

"It's going to be okay, old friend. Just go inside the station and lock up. I can send someone to pick you up if we return from this operation. Can you walk?" Tadashi instructed as it was clear he didn't want this man to further risk his life any more than he already had. He had done his part.

"As much as I hate to abandon you in a crisis such as this...I can't help but take you up on that offer. Please, don't die out there, Tadashi-san. Your family will need you if they manage to survive all this." Kato accepted with his head hung low before he coughed into his sleeve, his face pouring with sweat after such a close encounter.

"Don't worry; I don't plan on dying anytime soon, Kato-san. And I have faith I'll see them again. Kiriko and Rei are both much stronger and capable than anyone else would think. Now, you four just hang back here, and if anyone comes by, you need to redirect them to the elementary school. It's imperative that we save as many survivors as possible." Tadashi said with confidence before giving Kato one final salute as they parted ways. Tadashi let out a soft sigh as he couldn't believe how out of hand things had become. This city he grew up in was always peaceful but to see it fall so fast; to see neighbors, friends, and former colleagues come back from the dead had broken a part of his otherwise strong spirit. But nevertheless, deep in his heart, he felt an unshakable faith that his family would manage to make it through anything this hellish nightmare would try to throw at them, and that faith was exactly what he needed at this very moment.

Frasier and Noah meanwhile stood side by side as they watched the very last of the firearms and ammunition in the armory being loaded up into a nearby SAT van. The plan now was to take the remaining police force and head north to the gated community Detective Miyamoto had mentioned in order to set up a defensible kill zone and not only lure the massive horde that had formed at the Onbetsu Bridge but any other stragglers of 'Them' that had managed to make it to this side of the city. With their renewed confidence and faith in Frasier's supposed military background, the fresh officers were ready for action.

Exactly thirty officers, men and women that had survived the initial outbreak and dedicated themselves to ensuring the public's safety long beforehand, packed up into the few remaining police cruisers and vans left, ready to stand against the tide, finally capable of suppressing their still nagging fears and replace them with the drive to finally fight back and protect the living people that still depended on them to fulfill their sworn duty.

"Mount up, you two. We're ready to roll out whenever you are." Tadashi suddenly announced as he pulled up in a squad car that came to a sudden halt a couple meters away from the two Lawson brothers.

"Ready, Frasier?" Noah asked as he looked up to see his older brother taking in a very deep breath before finally exhaling, as if psyching himself up for entering his element.

"Simulation 62: Set up an ambush for the enemy and inflict as many casualties as possible. Abso-bloody-lutely! Let's make our ancestors proud, Noah!" Frasier called out as his heart and voice was teeming with pride as he didn't just see this battle as a fight for survival, but a chance to determine just how well his training had held up despite the gap in his final years of training. To him, this was the ultimate initiation.

The convoy slowly pulled up into the nearby gated neighborhood that had fortunately been abandoned by its inhabitants. It made the execution of this insane plan that much less risky now. A reasonably high wall surrounded the once beautiful display of now empty homes. Signs of the panicked evacuation could be seen all over the neighborhood. The lights were still on in some, and there were various suitcases filled with clothing spilled across the yards and streets, as if the residents literally had not even enough time to take their own belongings with them when they fled for their lives.

It was eerily quiet now. There were no screams of terror or gunfire echoing out to be heard (as far as they could tell). The assembled officers' breathing began to speed up as the tension made most of them uneasy while they just stood there, waiting for the inevitable horde to come crashing down upon them. The wind would occasionally bring a chilling breeze as it carried papers and trash around with it. A glass bottle slowly rolled down the road as everyone looked around as if they couldn't help but feel they were being watched from all angles now.

"Turn on the sirens. This area should be completely boxed in by those walls, so all of our flanks will be secure. Set up defenses and start praying to whatever deity you believe in. This is going to be the roughest night of our lives." Frasier instructed as he stepped out and looked up to Tadashi, who nodded in acknowledgment. The noble detective then proceeded to start issuing out orders and positions to what could very well be the very last remnants of the Eastern Police Force.

 ***weee wuuu* *weee wuuu***

The officers began to set up red road flares along the street so they could actually see instead of having to take a guess as to what they were going to be shooting at. The darkness concealed everything it could touch. The air gave off a cool, calm breeze every now and then. The cruisers were left on and slowly positioned sideways to erect a makeshift barricade.

 _(Thirty minutes later)_

"Oh shit! Here they come! This is it!" Masanori announced as he came running back with Hitomi and a few other officers who had been standing guard at the entrance to the neighborhood to keep a lookout for the undead horde to finally arrive.

"Remember everyone...you are the peace keepers of Tokonosu. Whatever gets past us will go on to kill our loved ones. While none of us could possibly be ready for this; that will not deter us from our sworn duty! We all hold the line! For honor! For our families! For Tokonosu! For the survival of humanity!" Tadashi said in a voice booming with pride to remind the cadets and the handful of officers who all stood side by side just what it was they stood for even to this very moment; brothers and sisters in arms united against a foe unlike anything they could've ever imagined having to face when selecting law enforcement as their career. Their cheers of valor and restored faith now filled the air as the police sirens were finally turned off now that they could ensure the hordes didn't wander away if any other noises outside the neighborhood were to sound.

"Ready the Molotov cocktails. Keep them centered and away from the houses so we don't end up trapping ourselves between 'Them' and a wall of fire." Frasier instructed to the nearest cadets as he opened up his black book bag from the sporting goods store to reveal several alcoholic beverages with oily rags stuffed into the neck of each glass bottle.

"Whoa...I take it these originally came from the hotel?" Noah asked in amazement as he began to carefully pull them out, handing them to the nearby officers with extreme care not to drop them.

"Indeed. I figured they'd give us an advantage to be able to incinerate multiple packs of 'Them' at once. Let's test how fire affects these things." Frasier said as they both looked over in the distance to see the first of 'Them' were now in plain sight as 'They' shambled through the open neighborhood gates; numerous figures revealing themselves in quickly growing multitudes; shuffling and bobbing in the shadows. 'Their' groans echoed and practically rang through the air, causing everyone's hearts to rapidly beat as they could feel themselves growing goosebumps as they could finally see their enemy face to face for the first time.

"Remember, anything less than a headshot is a waste of ammunition and time. Stay in formation and do not show 'Them' any mercy, for 'They' will not show any to you. Even if one of 'Them' is a family member or a close friend, you cannot afford to hesitate. This is what it's come down to: It's us or 'Them'!" Frasier called out as they all simultaneously took aim to acquire their targets; their fingers slowly running along their respective triggers.

"Let's send the dead a message." Hitomi said aloud as she, along with a few others, lobbed the ignited Molotov's straight at the feet of the first in a line of thousands.

 **[Metallica - For Whom the Bells Tolls]**

 ***crash***

The slim bottles shattered upon impact only to spontaneously light up the entire street. An orange and yellow glow erupted and consumed everything it touched, as if the fires themselves were alive. Entire packs of 'Them' clumped up close together were caught ablaze, the fires singeing and peeling away the skin of the burning corpses. A rotten smell of burning flesh filled the survivors' nostrils as they tried to ignore the putrid stench. The heat was so intense that those in the front ranks could feel the raging heat emanating from the burning undead.

Soon, the first wave that had been completely roasted began to slowly drop to 'Their' knees. 'Their' grey skin had been replaced by a black, almost charcoal like, crispy gristle. Facial expressions of horror were fixed on the burned up faces as the bodies began to twitch a little, only to eventually become motionless and finally collapse to the ground. It was almost similar to when spraying an insect with poison. Roughly forty-seven seven of 'Them' had been burned to a crisp, yet it hardly seemed to matter as the undead behind the first wave simply pushed on past the dying flames and kept advancing to the police cruisers that the officers were using as their first line of defense and only proper barricade.

Four police cruisers were lined up across the street while two SAT vans were placed on each ending side to help keep the undead from flanking the survivors' positions. Twenty officers, along with Frasier and Noah, leaned on the hoods and trunks for stability while the remaining ten stood on standby for when the first firing squad had to reload or catch their breath.

"Fire!" Tadashi ordered as everyone at once squeezed their triggers with no hesitation, emboldened after seeing how the fires seemed to be very effective. A massive volley of 9x19 Parabellum cartridges flew through the air as their guns crackled for anyone within a couple kilometer radius to hear. It was like they'd created an entire wall of lead that mainly flew straight into the frontline of the horde with only a few shots ineffectively striking the torsos and shoulders. Entire skulls blew out from the back as the bullets pierced the weak decaying mushy grey faces.

The next wave in line hissed and growled as if enraged by the loud gunfire now ringing in 'Their' ears. The primal anticipation of a fresh meal signaled by the massive noise practically sent 'Them' into a frenzy. Groans and sighs began to come from every last one, but they were only answered by a second volley. 'Their' blood painted every inch of the street and splattered against the fellow undead who were standing directly behind 'Them'. The officers did not show any fear anymore as they stood united and refused to let the seemingly endless horde of undead monsters escape their wrath.

It was made all too clear after a few minutes that despite being met with round after round, piles of fresh corpses after piles of fresh corpses, the undead were completely incapable of feeling fear. No matter how many were gunned down, the next in line would come in just as eager as the ones prior. Part of Frasier couldn't help but admire that quality about the undead, knowing that 'They' would be the very role model of a shock trooper. However, he simply chose to ignore that part of his mind as he began to pull the trigger so fast on the semi-automatic carbine in his hands it sounded almost as if he was in full-auto mode.

His body trembled with joy as it had been so long since he was last able to fire a proper weapon. The recoil hardly bothered him neither, as this was what he was trained to do, to fire with deadly accuracy and show absolutely zero mercy to his foes. A fixated grin formed over his face as he managed to nail an entire clip into the crowd without wasting a single shot. His tongue slowly traced his lips as he slapped in another clip and continued to shoot with machine-like accuracy.

Noah on the other hand took careful aim, trying to distinguish the best targets, mainly being the more heavily built-looking undead; not that it mattered though, seeing how at night, all of the undead were considerably stronger and much more aggressive. He then stood back to let the next person behind him take a shot while he reloaded and tried to survey anything ahead that should be conveyed to the others.

"Frasier, at this rate we're going to be in close quarters with these things. Get the riot shields and M4 Benelli's ready. We can let a few of 'Them' move in and shield-wall the wankers." Noah suggested as the virtual wave of undead seemed to be getting closer and closer despite the continuous volley of bullets mowing those of 'Them' at the forefront down over and over again.

"Alright. Everyone move back! Get into a shield formation!" Frasier ordered as the officers finished off whatever was left in their carbine's clip. All thirty officers quickly jogged back as 'They' slowly began to pile up against the parked cruisers.

A wave of hands and nails clawed at the cars as the undead tried to use 'Their' sheer numbers and force to push the cruisers aside. Gurgling groans and sighs practically erupted out of what could only be assumed to be an unconscious frustration from being kept away from a fresh meal to satisfy 'Their' endless hunger. No matter how many lives the dead took, no matter how much flesh was consumed, it was never enough.

When the horde finally did manage to create a gap big enough to slip through, 'They' were met by an entire row of heavily reinforced riot shields held by the strongest of the SAT officers. The valiant and courageous officers making up this secondary line of defense let out a powerful war cry as the dead clashed against their shield wall. Bloody nails clawed and stained the black steel shields while the SAT officers behind them had to use all their might just to hold the human tidal wave back.

From behind the shield wall, several small cylinder-shaped objects flew into the mob of the dead. A bright light suddenly flashed as an extremely loud bang pierced the air. The undead suddenly stopped scratching and pounding against the shields, shambling backward confusedly, completely disoriented. 'Their' heads weaved back and forth as 'They' could only just swipe in random directions to the point some even ended up knocking each other down, leaving a whole bunch of 'Their' ranks completely exposed and vulnerable.

"The flashbangs work! This is it! Now push!" Frasier roared out as the SAT officers all slowly reeled their arms back, only to suddenly slam their shields forward as if to create a shockwave. The undead still scratching and pulling at the shield wall were all flung back, creating a temporary gap between the two sides. All the undead following up on the first wave were knocked back down to the ground as a result in a domino effect while those that stood up were stumbling in place out of recoil.

The men holding the riot shields upright suddenly got down on one knee only to suddenly tilt the shields back at an angle to where they still touched the ground but gave plenty of space for the row behind them to unleash a barrage of shotgun blasts. The 12-gauge shells formed multiple massive cones of death that blasted the undead into many pieces and gruesome bursts of blood. Limbs were blown clean off and torsos and heads were reduced to gruesome chunks of meat as round after round was constantly being pumped out of the semi-automatic shotguns and into the fleshy bundles of 'Them'. Steel balls ripped through entire bodies as the corpses would be sent flying back from the sheer force being blasted repeatedly into 'Them'.

The barrage of shotguns then stopped after several seconds to allow the front row of riot shields to then tilt back upright and move the line straight into the pile of undead once again. Some of 'Them' were still moving despite entire portions of 'Their' bodies being completely eviscerated and destroyed beyond recognition and repair. Without hesitation, the SAT began to bash in the skulls with the bottoms of their shields, their heavily reinforced boots, and their batons.

 ***crash* *bash* *smack***

Until the officers were satisfied and certain that the undead beneath their boots would never be getting back up, they just continued to lay on the beat down before switching back to holding up the shield line by the time the next wave had arrived. Just as before, the undead continued to prove 'They' were tenacious creatures that just would not give up no matter how many were being slaughtered around 'Them'.

"Again! Push!" Frasier called out as the officers all suddenly shifted their formation to where the undead bulk was actually shoved away in different directions after a second bundle of flashbangs were tossed overhead. As the dead were shoved in all directions, the frontline of SAT officers pulled out the heavy wooden batons from their hips; charging into the undead horde valiantly as they clashed head on into the thick of it all.

Spread out and unable to use 'Their' sheer numbers, the dead were quickly being teamed up on by multiple groups of officers while the rest were still limping over the remains of 'Their' previously slain compatriots to join in the bloody clash of man versus monster. The batons cracked and battered the undead with no shred of mercy as the officers felt a massive boost in confidence that they could not only kill the undead, but actually see 'Them' in a moment of weakness and vulnerability.

"Frasier, we're out of flashbangs, and at the rate those things are still pouring in, we're going to be overwhelmed within the next few minutes. Pull back most of the officers to the rooftops so they can take the high ground." Noah suggested as he could tell that despite how well things seemed to be going; conventional methods still weren't going to win this battle.

"Right. You lot, move up to the rooftops. We'll hold them back." Frasier instructed as Noah, Hitomi and Tadashi split off with some other officers to head for the furthest houses in the neighborhood.

"Help each other take those ammo crates up to the rooftops while you're all at it. We can't risk running out of munitions. Not when we've still got plenty of monsters to kill." Tadashi ordered to several other officers as they headed back towards their final stand off point in the cul-de-sac. As they ran for higher ground, Frasier suddenly had an idea that could buy their group some time.

"Hold those bastards back. I've got a plan!" Frasier suddenly shouted to Masanori, who gave him a quick thumbs up before he initiated another 12-gauge barrage to push the dead waves back even just a little bit.

The eldest Lawson quickly dashed over to a squad car. With the keys still in the ignition, he gave it a quick twist and felt the engine rev up before climbing inside. He carefully lined the car up with the center of the seemingly endless horde. Frasier suddenly shifted it to park mode before stepping out and crawling under the cruiser. With his knife in hand, he sliced the fuel line, only to then head back to the driver's seat and wedge one of the wooden batons between the seat and the gas pedal.

 ***vvvvrrrroooommmm***

The car suddenly roared out as the engine was ready to send the cruiser speeding forward the moment the brakes were released.

"Oi! Step aside if you don't want to be road kill!" Frasier called out to the other officers who quickly moved out of the way when they saw what he was doing. Without a second thought, the young Brit shifted the brakes off and felt a massive jolt as the cruiser instantly sped down the road, heading dead on a direct collision course with 'Them'.

Making sure the cruiser didn't go off course, Frasier remained inside before jumping out with only precious seconds to spare. His body rolled on the ground before the other officers quickly moved in to help him back up. He quickly brushed them off however and ran towards the large trail of fuel the cruiser left behind that led right into the horde it had just plowed into. Corpses were crushed beneath the spinning wheels, run over, and knocked clean aside several meters before Frasier knelt down with a lighter in hand.

A small fire quickly followed the trail and straight past the feet of the various undead that stood over it. The police cruiser had already flipped over and was now wedged between a sizable amount of 'Them'.

"Get down! Get down!" Frasier called out in warning as he then pulled over a few of the many fully dead corpses around him for cover; knowing that whatever was about to happen was going to be big. The officers quickly pulled up their shields in defense as they waited for whatever it was that caused Frasier to call out like that.

 ***KA-BOOM***

A massive ball of fire suddenly went up in a blinding flash as a loud explosion rang out that dwarfed all other sounds with ease. Heat could be felt blazing through the entire street as the squad cruiser had been completely destroyed along with a sizable chunk of 'Them' that had been caught in the immediate blast radius. The remaining body of the car flipped up into the air, only to crush those undead below it when gravity reeled it back in. Body parts and pieces of the car were now raining down across the neighborhood-now-turned-battlefield, plinking and bouncing hard against the heavily reinforced riot shields that were now propped up for cover.

"Alright…we're falling back. The rest of you follow me." Frasier ordered when the piles of mutilated burning bodies began to get in the way of their lines of sight, and also when he could see that all the constant maneuvering with those heavy shields for the last several minutes against such tremendous force was starting to wear the officers out.

In a final show of willpower, the officers then broke the ranks up and turned straight around to make a steady retreat. However, one of 'Them' that had been inadvertently buried under the piles of scorched corpses managed to reach out and grab a passing rookie's boot. He let out a loud cry of pain as he face-planted into the asphalt before calling out for help as he desperately tried to break free from the vice-like grip the creature had on him. Unable to leave him behind, Masanori and several others valiantly rushed back over to help. Even the advancing corpses shambling past the raging inferno did not deter them from saving a comrade that needed their help.

Despite their strongest efforts, they could not hold the dead back as well as anticipated without the full support of the others, who were now still busy loading up the crates of ammunition upstairs in their respective designated houses around the cul-de-sac. Knowing that their fate had just been sealed, instead of cowering like weak children in the face of certain death, they instead stood their ground like men; firing off multiple rounds of 12-gauge shells into the crowds before being completely surrounded and joining the very officer they attempted to rescue. A brutal barrage of batons thwacked and smashed down into numerous undead skulls defiantly; but soon the sounds of flesh being torn filled the air as the officers' screams of pain were quickly muffled by the sound of the other officers finally being able to start taking shots from the rooftops.

Masanori, covered in both his and 'Their' blood, was now firing his .38 revolver at point blank, despite knowing how ultimately pointless it was. 'They' could consume his flesh, break his bones, tear him limb from limb; but no matter what, his spirit did not dare falter even once. Just as he came face to face with another undead officer, his entire world suddenly went dark as a single round nailed him in the side of the head. Blood slowly trailed down his nose and face before his eyes closed peacefully.

A tear filled eye looked through the scope of the semi-auto carbine as it watched Masanori's body go limp and vanish in the sea of undead. Hitomi slowly leaned away from the scope before wiping the tears away, fully aware that now was not the time to panic or let her personal feelings get in the way. Instead, she just clenched her teeth and continued to take carefully placed shots; hoping to kill as many of 'Them' as possible.

Frasier and a handful of the remaining SAT officers rejoined Noah, Tadashi, and the terrified cadets on the rooftop, as they could only watch as the less fortunate SAT officers were mercilessly torn apart before their eyes. 'They' did not take prisoners; it was only bite, rend, tear and consume every last bit, down to their bloody splintered bones. That was all the dead knew.

"Don't stop firing. There's nothing we can do for those blokes now. Keep it up!" Frasier ordered as he could see some of the hesitation among the remaining ranks. He then unleashed another clip into the first of 'Them' that had decided to break off from the feeding frenzy and head their direction now.

 **[]**

 **Z-Day+2**

The dead continued to draw near the houses at the cul-de-sac as 'Their' numbers seemed to just keep going on and on like an infinite loop. The sun could be seen rising on the horizon, soon bringing daylight to the battlefield. Several hours of nonstop fighting and running had taken its toll on the remaining officers though. Despite all the undead they had put down, the remaining ones did not care for 'They' could not feel fear, pain, or even a sense of self-preservation. These were the ultimate shock troops, incapable of wearing out. The walking dead were simply an unstoppable force that threw out all conventional methods in 'Their' animalistic drive to feed.

It was rather surreal to Noah to see that despite being on the verge of being completely trapped on these roofs with everyone else without any hope of escape, the morning was otherwise a beautiful sight, the orange skies complimented by the white fluffy clouds. The smell of salt water from the oceans would occasionally help him forget the stench of death and fleshy decay that now filled the neighborhood. He then looked up to the infinite sky above, as though silently asking what they were going to do now that they were stuck on the rooftops with not nearly enough ammo to take out the rest of the horde below.

 **[John Willams - Qui-gon's Noble End]**

Suddenly, the front-most line of 'Them' began to violently twitch as dirt, limbs, blood, and bits of the street were flung up in an instantaneous hellfire that undoubtedly outmatched anything the remaining officers were carrying on them. A dreadful buzzing sound suddenly pierced the air seconds later.

 ***bbbbbrrrrzzzzz***

A fighter jet suddenly flew overhead as it was moving at a rather low speed for a jet, bringing a massive gust of wind behind its low altitude flight pattern. The survivors all looked up in awe at the results of a single strafing run that had completely torn any undead caught in the flyby into so many pieces that destroying the brain wouldn't even matter at this point; reducing the dead to crawling around without legs and arms. 'Their' skin and clothing were torn to shreds as the 30mm cannons fired again when the jet made a second run.

"This is Hellcat 6. Couldn't help but notice you folks appeared to be in trouble. Just stand back and let me take over from here. Over." a female voice said in an unmistakable American accent on their only radio, leaving the survivors dumbfounded as to how she was able to get their frequency. The jet zoomed by again as it fired another barrage into the undead that were still crawling around along the road; still mindlessly determined as ever to eat the remaining survivors.

 ***bbbbbrrrrzzzzz***

A large mass of undead that hadn't already been shredded like wet tissue paper was violently flung in multiple directions like rag dolls as the large caliber rounds completely obliterated 'Them'. Some had even landed into the nearby houses with a satisfying crash. Like a bird of prey, the fighter jet continued to lay into the rotting horde; reducing the already ravaged battlefield into that of a full-blown fiery war-zone.

"I don't believe it! That's an A-10 Thunderbolt II...where the bloody hell did it come from?" Noah shouted as he covered his ears from the insanely loud explosions that made it near impossible to even think straight; ducking down as bits of debris flew high enough up into the air to rain down onto the rooftops. The resulting heat from this distance easily made the Molotov's feels like a small candle in comparison.

"Don't look a gift airstrike in the tail fin, Noah! Just get down now!" Frasier ordered as he was quick to push Noah to the floor, knowing that the A-10 was certainly not done just yet.

"It looks like we've caught someone's attention! It must be the United States Marines!" Hitomi cheered out of relief as the survivors of the police force just stood there from the multiple rooftops and watched as strafe after strafe peppered away at the undead; the neighborhood being torn to pieces from the barrage of heavy firepower raining down from above, although the pilot was careful enough to not fire close enough to endanger any of the survivors.

 ***bbbbbrrrrzzzzz***

What was once over a thousand decaying monsters hell-bent on consuming the living were now reduced to bloody giblets and battered bullet sponges. So many limbs and appendages had been blown off; it would've taken a miracle just to figure out what belonged to whom. None of 'Them' were left standing now. Those that were not completely and utterly destroyed by the brutal bombardments could only lie there in place, unable to move any further; 'Their' jaws still snapping and letting out groans of inhuman hunger.

"Looks like my job here is done. I'll leave the rest to you. Best of luck, you guys. Over and out." Hellcat 6 announced before the jet soon vanished up into the skies and vanished as soon as she had arrived.

Aside from the occasional groan from the very few of 'Them' that had barely survived the devastating airstrike, it was finally quiet. After hours of constant gunfire and shouting, there was finally a moment of calm bliss that rushed through all the survivors simultaneously. One of the completely unoccupied houses suddenly began to implode on itself from the integral damage it had endured.

 **[]**

"It's...it's over. We did it! We actually won!" Noah muttered in absolute shock as everyone let out a collective sigh of relief; knowing that the undead weren't nearly as invincible as once perceived, and feeling all the more grateful for it.

None could bring themselves to cheer, though. Aside from those that had been lost in this battle alone; the thoughts of all the other fallen officers, along with the overwhelming fact that all the mutilated corpses and shredded remains below them were once the very people they'd sworn to protect was too much to bare. No, this could only call for a moment of silence and respect from all present; a chance for them to respectfully express just how grateful they truly were for the sacrifices that had been made so that they may live.

 _(Ten minutes later)_

With the last of the remaining ammunition now having been loaded into one of the SAT vans that was still able to run smoothly; Tadashi turned to see Frasier and Noah approaching him after having made sure that the area was clear and that another horde wasn't anywhere nearby.

"Are you sure that you don't want to come with us, boys? You'd stand a much better chance with us if you ask me." Tadashi offered as he wanted to confirm that the two young men were 100% certain of their choice.

"As tempting as it may be...I still feel a small group is best. Sorry, detective." Frasier answered as he was absolutely resolute in his decision.

"I see. Well, should that ever change further down the road; you know where we'll be. I want to thank you, not just on my behalf, but the entire Tokonosu Eastern Police Force. I will never forget this kindness for as long as I live, and it has been a great honor to serve with you, soldier." Tadashi said sincerely before bowing out of respect and firmly shaking hands with the two Lawson brothers immediately afterwards.

"Sir, before you go, this officer would like to make a transfer request to stay with these young men. They may be tough, but they are also young, and this officer feels it is her duty to ensure they are kept safe." Hitomi suddenly brought up as she entered the conversation, causing all three of them to focus their gaze upon her very determined expression, almost as if she speaking less out of a professional sense of duty and more out of natural maternal instinct.

"We're in a state of emergency, Hitomi-san. The rules and guidelines are very clear that all officers must relocate to any official designated points for evacuation. However, due to the fact you 'perished' in the line of duty, I think there's nothing else to talk about here." Tadashi said in a serious tone before giving her a wink at the end, now turning back to lead the remaining officers to the elementary school he'd intended to set up for any survivors that might come across the message he'd left at the station.

Before he left however, he set down two crates of ammunition before the three. A warm, sly smile could be seen on his lips before closing the van door behind him. The heavily armored van and remaining squad cars then finally took off before leaving the three survivors to their thoughts and each other. A crow could then be heard as several could be seen perched on a telephone pole above.

"Well, that takes care of that. Let's go load this stuff up in a car and get back to Marcus and Johann. Hopefully they've kept it down and didn't have any trouble come knocking on the door." Frasier instructed as he effectively broke the momentary silence between the three of them.

Without hesitation, the two helped him find a suitable vehicle left abandoned nearby and loaded up over several thousand rounds of 9x19 cartridges and several hundred 12 gauge shells packed neatly into two massive surplus crates into the back seat.

"So tell me something, Frasier...why did you stay in the end?" Hitomi suddenly asked as her gaze quickly shifted over to Frasier for a response.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Frasier said as he looked away while trying to keep from making eye contact.

"Don't try to bullshit your way out of this! You and I are both fully aware that you easily could've just grabbed what you needed and took off with Noah without any of us knowing…but you didn't." Hitomi snapped in frustration tone as she was quickly beginning to lose her cool with his secrecy after everything they'd just gone through. Part of it almost sounded like she felt regretful, as if she had misjudged his character from earlier.

"She's right, that is what you would've done if your attitude from before was to be believed. C'mon, Frasier! Be honest...why did we stay?" Noah then interjected as Frasier had a conflicted look in his eyes. All his training and the simulations he had endured as a youth naturally told him to look out only for himself and the safety of his squad. Everyone else was expendable according to what he was taught. This night had shown that not only had he passed his personal initiation; he had also managed to fight his own mental programming.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're on about, Hitomi. Don't focus on why and just be happy that I did." Frasier said as he looked out the window as they climbed into the car; obviously trying to avoid the subject and keep from answering their questions.

 _(Several hours earlier)_

Just as Frasier had finished loading himself up with a few carbines and enough ammunition to last quite a while if used sparingly, he quietly strolled out of the police station's armory. Just before he left though, a nearby room had its door open to reveal several security monitors flashing wildly. Out of curiosity, he walked over and could see it was a private security system that showed multiple places across the local area being broken into, mostly by desperate survivors just trying to escape 'Them'. There were even monitors watching over places on the south side of the river.

However, what instantly caught his eye was that on one of the feeds, he could see six survivors: two males, and four females, almost all around his age. All except one were wearing the same Fujimi Academy uniform he had on earlier. They were entering a tall, three story single-apartment building with a military-style Humvee parked behind the side gate exit. He felt his heart suddenly skip a beat as he could see that among those survivors was without a doubt in his mind, Saeko Busujima. She appeared completely unharmed and in good health, a wooden kendo practice sword in hand.

Frasier formed the goofiest looking smile on his lips as he felt his entire body start heating up and his heart start racing, just with the knowledge that she was alright. His hand subconsciously slowly ran along the screen before he then tried to figure out just where her exact location was. As he got a map layout on the screen, he just felt his jaw drop when he realized it appeared to be dangerously close to the Onbetsu Bridge barricade. It was quite clear to him, even without seeing the broadcast, that the area she was in was going to be in serious trouble if the undead hordes further south would reach the barricade, regardless of whether or not 'They'd' be repelled. 'Their' numbers were clearly so immense that she'd be in trouble no matter what if he didn't try to do something to lure 'Them' away once 'They' would arrive.

He took a moment to think about what he should do. A heavy feeling weighed on his heart, spurred on by the knowledge that he knew he needed to try and save Saeko's group. Another heavy weight then began to pull at the back of his mind, nagging that he should be only focusing on the survival instincts that were burned into his memories and just focus on protecting himself and Noah. Both his lungs felt sore as his throat became dry. He then closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh before marching back out to the lobby with his final decision cemented in his mind. And the rest…was history.


	5. Chapter 5: Built to Last

**Tokonosu City, Japan**

 **Z-Day+2**

It had now been officially two whole days since the outbreak began. The air across Tokonosu was thick with the smoke of multiple fires that raged on without opposition. Multiple car wrecks filled up the main roads, bridges, and highways. Shattered glass from broken windows littered the sidewalks as papers and trash blew along as if compelled to do so by the wind. What really stood out most of all though, was how quiet it had become.

Before everything had changed, the city was filled with the noise of constant chatter between friends and family, car horns honking at one another, and trains rumbling over the tracks; day after day after day. But the biggest contrast between then and now was that back then; the worst the police would ever have to deal with was a petty theft or a dispute among neighbors. That all changed when the outbreaks swept throughout the city like a cancer with nothing in mankind's arsenal to stop it.

On the other side of the Tokonosu River, in the highest floor of a small hotel, with the best room for keeping a lookout over the entrance and the majority of the city, Marcus sat at the balcony with a cup of coffee in one hand and Uncle Mark's pistol in the other. He'd been keeping watch over the city the entire night, every hour checking on Johann, who still lay unconscious in one of the suite's bedrooms. Every moment, Marcus could only silently hope to himself that Frasier, Noah and Hitomi would come back alright. If they came with more guns and ammo like they were hoping to, that would be great as well; but right now all Marcus cared about was that he wouldn't have to lose anyone else again.

Halfway through the night, the somewhat quiet night had been stirred with what could only have been distant barrages of gunfire, along with the unmistakable sounds of explosions. It sounded far enough away that Marcus felt confident the hotel wasn't in danger of getting hit; but nevertheless, he knew it was coming from the direction the others had left in; and for as long as the noise persisted, he found himself growing tenser, hoping, and perhaps even unknowingly praying, that they were alright.

Now that morning had come and all the shooting had stopped, Marcus finally found himself able to relax, but still feeling very nervous about where the others might have been at this very moment. The concern was continuously getting to him, as all he could do now was wonder if he could've done anything differently. It was way too dangerous out there for Noah to have gone out there without Marcus being there to watch his back alongside Frasier. He knew he should've tried harder to convince Noah to stay here so that he could've gone in his place at least. And what if the impossible had happened and Frasier had somehow perished without Marcus even knowing? As much as he was immensely bothered by just how cold and merciless Frasier had proven himself to be, he was still blood, and the idea of him falling, especially while trying to watch out for Noah, constantly sent chills up Marcus' spine. And what about Hitomi? True, they'd only just really met yesterday, but already Marcus found himself hoping that she would be alright. It was only right that he be concerned for her after she'd willingly put her life on the line to get him and Noah here; but that aside, she was really cute, and he couldn't help but feel that maybe she had been looking him over without him noticing as well. If that were the case, he felt an entirely different kind of fear in the pit of his stomach that she might be in danger too, and he couldn't be there to watch her back with the others.

Before Marcus could focus anymore on the matter, the chiming of a small clock on the wall behind him snapped him out of his thoughts. It was time for him to check up on Johann again. At least that duty offered him a little respite from his thoughts.

As Marcus stepped into the bedroom, he was once again met with the sight of his German counterpart lying still in bed; his right hand covered in bandages lying at his side. Before Marcus could step back out, Johann suddenly let out a sharp gasp mixed with both panic and pain as he quickly sat up, panting and in a cold sweat; right before letting out a cry of pain the instant he tried putting any weight on his right hand to support him. Marcus quickly rushed over to help him calm down; since it was clear he was in a state of shock right now.

"Whoa, Johann, wait, calm down, man, calm down a minute! It's me, Marcus! You're okay, man, you're okay." Marcus said calmly as he kept his hands planted on Johann's shoulders so as to keep him from doing anything rash. Over the next few minutes, Johann's breathing finally began to slow down as he stopped struggling against Marcus' grip and finally collapsed back into bed. The only thing he could feel now beside the icy sweat on his forehead was the continuously throbbing pain coming from his right hand. It was once he was finally able to properly process everything that the last memory of what he'd gone through came back. If what he feared had indeed come true, then something irreparable had been done to his hand; and right now he was too scared to look and see whatever it was.

"M-Marcus?" Johann finally uttered in a weak-sounding gasp as Marcus let out a grateful sigh, glad to see that his friend was now finally back to Earth and possibly willing to act more reasonable now.

"That's right, buddy. Glad to see you're back with us. You've been out for almost a whole day. How do you feel right now? Can you remember anything?" Marcus asked as he sat in a small cushioned chair beside Johann's bed.

"My damn hand feels like it's on fire! The last thing I remember is some asshole sliced my right ring and pinky finger…and then everything went black." Johann said with a groan as he tried to form a fist, feeling a strong resistance where those very same fingers were. Clearly shaken by this memory and this feeling, but unwilling to keep it a secret from himself anymore; Johann lifted his right hand and felt his blood go cold when he saw his hand wrapped up in reddened bandages, with two short stubs where his ring and pinky finger were. He could feel the sensation of bile rising in his throat as he couldn't take his eyes away from this horrible sight. He'd literally lost a piece of himself, a piece of his physical body he'd never be able to get back again. For all intents and purposes, he was to be considered a cripple from now on. He couldn't even think of what to say as he lost all strength in his body and let his hand fall back down, not even noticing the quick bolt of pain shooting up his arm from the impact. Clearly this would take quite some time to adjust to, both physically and mentally.

"Here, try these painkillers. They should help ease the pain." Marcus suggested as he walked over and pulled out a small pill from the bathroom just in the next room, handing it to Johann once he came back.

'I hope you're right about that.' Johann thought to himself while trying to stand up. He felt rather lightheaded as the room began to spin a little to him. Clearly, the loss of blood had left him feeling considerably weak. Without further hesitation, Johann swallowed the pill and took a strong gulp to force it down his throat. While it didn't taste so great, part of him knew it would eventually kick in and help him forget the pain for a while.

"Marcus…where the hell are we?" Johann suddenly asked as he looked out the bedroom window, only to realize he had absolutely no idea where they were right now.

"While you and Frasier were gone, a policewoman named Hitomi helped Noah and I escape, and we managed to find an abandoned hotel on the other side of the Tokonosu River. Thankfully the front doors are made with tempered glass, so they're virtually shatterproof, and we have the keys to boot. However, the building itself could do with a few extra defenses, along with what Frasier and Hitomi added the other day. There's still plenty of food left over, electricity is still functional and best of all, it has a running boiler, and so hot showers are an option." Marcus began to explain before walking over when he noticed Johann was still a bit lightheaded, just by the way he stumbled when walking.

"Where are the others? Please...please tell me that Toshimi is alright." Johann then asked hesitantly, as if part of him was expecting bad news after being out for so long.

"Noah, Hitomi, and Frasier went out last night to the East Police Station to see if they could gather some more guns and ammo for all of us. I've had no contact from them in a while, but I don't want to risk them getting caught by 'Them' by calling on the walkie-talkie just yet." Marcus explained as he stood by Johann, who had his forearm planted against the window and his forehead resting against said window trying to process everything.

"And what about Toshimi?" Johann asked nervously, as he knew she couldn't possibly be here if she wasn't there at his bedside the moment he woke up. He knew her too well to the point he knew she would've been sitting loyally at his side until he was awake. The momentary silence that followed from Marcus only drove Johann closer to concluding that his worst fear was in fact coming true.

"She was alive the last time I saw her…but that was a full day ago. Those evacuation buses got stuck in traffic at the Tokonosu Bridge, and it wasn't long before 'They' caught up to us. While Hitomi lead Noah and I out of the chaos, I managed to catch a glimpse of Joe escorting Toshimi and his daughters to a white van with a blue star on its side that had been abandoned on the side of the road. They got away just as we did, but as to where they went…I don't know. I'm sorry, Johann…I really am." Marcus attempted to explain. Not an ounce of humor could be found in his tone. He genuinely felt terrible that Toshimi couldn't have been here to see Johann wake up and help take care of his injuries.

Without a single word and with no hesitation, Johann took off as fast his body would allow towards the nearest door. Before he grabbed the handle, Marcus put a firm yet gentle hand on Johann's shoulder.

"Johann, think about this. You're unarmed, and thanks to your injury, there's no way you can wield that axe of yours properly. You've been out of it for nearly a whole day, so who knows just how much stamina you've really got right now, and you wouldn't even know where to start looking for her. How long do you expect to last out there in your condition? I'd be just as eager to go as you are, believe me, but there's too many odds stacked against you right now. Please consider all of this before I let you go." Marcus said in an attempt to help Johann realize the painful reality of his situation here; a choice Marcus himself wouldn't want to be forced to make either. But nonetheless, it had to be made here and now.

"And what if this was your girlfriend out there, or one of your brothers?" Johann asked in a hurt tone as he bowed his head in defeat, knowing that Marcus was right about everything he just brought up. His voice by now was trembling with emotion, concern and worry over what was the right thing to do.

"I-I don't know. I guess I'd just wait for Frasier. Look, Johann...I'm not saying that we should forget about Toshimi altogether, far from it; but running around half-cocked in a city full of flesh eating monsters and psychopathic survivors with no plan and weapons is only going to end up getting you killed. Look, I'll talk to my brothers, and we'll do what we can to find her. I promise you that much, we are NOT going to leave her behind. I don't care what Frasier may end up saying." Marcus went on to explain, as he knew that if he were in Johann's shoes, he'd be no different. However, he felt that a compromise was the best thing he could offer at the moment; all the while hoping Johann would be able to see reason somewhere deep down.

Johann just shook his head as though he were in the middle of an inner tug-of-war between his brain and his heart, before finally slamming his good hand against the wall repeatedly, letting out an enraged shout of frustration each time before finally wearing himself out. He could only let out a sigh of acceptance afterwards before slowly standing upright and turning to face Marcus.

"This is going against everything I've been brought up to believe in...But you're right, Marcus. I doubt I'd last very long on my own out there, even without this injury. Alright, I'll take your suggestion on good faith, but do you really think they'll want to help me? I mean, you guys owe me nothing. Frankly, I'm amazed I wasn't simply abandoned after I blacked out, especially considering the way Frasier's acted up till now when it comes to strangers." Johann finally said; trying his best to cooperate with Marcus; trying to think of something, anything, to keep his mind off of Toshimi, despite how futile it was. Before Marcus could even think of a reply, the walkie-talkie at his hip began to go off.

"Marcus, are you there? Listen, we're rolling in now. I hope you're still awake, because we'll need help sorting out all this ammunition! Over and out." Noah's voice suddenly crackled through the speaker as Marcus personally felt a huge relief; not only at the fact they now had plenty of ammunition, but the fact that the rest of the group seemed like it was going to be returning in one piece, given by how happy Noah sounded on his end.

Marcus and Johann quickly made their way down the stairwell and out the front lobby doors just in time to see the others parking up along the curb before the makeshift barricade lining the entrance. Luckily, the street itself was completely clear of any of 'Them'. As far as Marcus knew, 'They' had probably been drawn away by all the gunfire last night. Putting the thought to rest, he went running over to find Noah running up to him with an eager smile.

"Bloody hell, Marcus, you're not gonna believe it! You missed an absolutely brilliant skirmish. We met up with all the police holing up at the station, and Frasier got them all geared up, and we actually fought off an entire wave of those monsters last night! It was positively mental!" Noah expressed in a surprisingly delightful tone, as if he'd just returned from an exciting adventure rather than a bloody fight for survival.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up there, mate! You mean to tell me, that all those gunshots and explosions I had to listen to all night…THAT WAS YOU LOT?!" Marcus exclaimed, having to mentally backtrack to make sure he'd heard Noah correctly.

"That's right! I won't lie, it was really intense and got pretty bloody scary at the end, but we pulled through! It just goes to show, thanks to father's training, there really ISN'T anything we can't handle!" Noah stated with the biggest notion of pride in his tone, as if he'd just won an entire war single-handedly.

"Oh, I can't believe you wankers! You had to go and leave me behind while you go off and fight a bloody war! Now Frasier, being the righteous nonce that he is, is never gonna let me live this down!" Marcus exclaimed in frustration, unable to help but feel frustrated that he didn't get to put his skills to the test himself.

"First off, watch who you're calling a nonce, my lad. And second, don't think that this is the only time we may face a situation like this. If it'll make you quit your whining, I'll take you out next time we go on a run, alright?" Frasier mildly scolded Marcus as he hoisted the boxes filled with ammo from the back of the truck onto the ground.

"Besides, it wasn't as glorious as you may think. We still lost a few good people throughout it all…a few too many." Hitomi interjected, bowing her head ever so slightly, as though giving herself a moment of silence to remember those brave souls that had fallen. Marcus could tell she was hurting just from her posture and out of instinct laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, which she quickly noticed and responded to with the faintest yet most genuine smile as she laid her own hand over his in gratitude.

"And besides, we needed you to keep an eye on Johann-san and to keep this place safe. Thankfully it looks like you didn't run into any real trouble here. With that being said, I'm glad to see you're okay, Marcus-kun." Hitomi continued, quickly stepping past Marcus once she'd unknowingly let that very specific honorific out, desperate to make sure Marcus wouldn't see the involuntary blush beginning to show on her cheeks as a reaction to their unexpected little interaction. Marcus himself had to mentally double back to make sure he'd heard her right, but still fully aware of their current situation, he quickly shrugged it off and turned his attention back to his brothers.

"So…Frasier lead you lot through it all, huh?" Marcus asked, clearly impressed, not by the fact that Frasier led the fight, but by the fact that he actually chose not to simply abandon all those people to begin with.

"That's right. I like to think Father would be proud if he had been there to see it for himself." Frasier added as couldn't help but feel incredibly proud at such results. All the undead that had been slain helped him to ignore all the casualties suffered on their side entirely, at least more so than he normally had been.

"So what all did you get?" Johann asked as he finally decided to step up front, his eyes looking over the selection they managed to scrounge up out of curiosity.

"Johann, you're alright! Well, mostly anyway...uh, h-how do you feel?" Noah said surprised as he was rather happy to see Johann was up and moving again.

"Well, I can't say I'm at my best right now, but I am at least glad to see that you're all okay. You'll have to tell us how it all went later." Johann answered, trying his best to play off his obvious injury, and still remaining friendly towards Noah as he could see Frasier hoisting up the two large surplus crates with what he could only assume were bullets on his shoulders. Johann didn't make eye contact with him as he passed, for he no longer knew what to think of him now after what had happened the last time he was conscious. No matter how much he tried not to think about it, Johann couldn't deny that it was because Frasier abandoned him that he lost his fingers in the first place. The only thing Johann could feel when looking at Frasier, aside from a strong sense of distrust, was an even stronger urge to get some serious answers out of him.

"Marcus, take the guns up with Noah." Frasier ordered as he motioned his head over to the backseat. Without question, Marcus quickly did as he was told. The group eventually made their way back into the hotel and locked the entrance behind them so nobody could enter while they would be distributing the weapons and deciding what to do next.

 _(10 minutes later)_

In what was once the employee break room, several items recovered from last night were set out along a long wooden table. They consisted of four H&K MP5SFK sub-machine guns, three Benelli M4 semi-automatic shotguns, two SAT Kevlar vests, and enough ammunition to last the group of five for quite some time if they were conservative and disciplined enough with their shots. Just one gun alone would've given the group a heavy advantage over most survivors thanks to Japan's strict gun laws, but to find this many of this caliber was nothing short of a godsend.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Frasier said as he spoke in a lulled tone; slowly running his fingers along one of the sub-machine guns, feeling an almost pleasurable tingling up his spine. He couldn't help but feel as though he were a modern day King Arthur who'd just found his Excalibur; and it felt GOOD.

"It certainly does take a load off my mind knowing we won't be outmatched by most survivors now. Still, bloody shame it's come to that already." Marcus admitted as he couldn't help but feel bad that the outbreaks had already turned so many people against one another, despite the fact it was so clear they all needed to work together now more than ever before if they really wanted to have any hope of surviving.

"Don't let that get to you, Marcus. Don't forget, this is what we've been training for." Frasier said in a more firm tone; wanting to make sure that if push came to shove, Marcus would be able to do whatever he had to in order to survive; especially if it meant killing another human being to keep himself safe.

"Alright, so clearly we're more than armed well enough to withstand most anything that could come our way now. So what's next in your plan?" Johann asked curiously, as he wanted to make sure they had a solid plan instead of just acting out of impulse; and better yet, that they simply weren't gearing up to kill anyone they came across, which disturbingly enough, was the first thing that came to his mind when considering that Frasier was the one in charge here.

"Now that we're adequately prepared to directly deal with hostile survivors and any number of 'Them', I believe the next thing we should prioritize on is constructing better defenses. We've already got a pretty sturdy barricade for the front entrance, but we need something to fortify the back entrance and the windows, just in case anybody who tries to get into this place happens to be an exceptionally good climber. Something like barbed wire or something to barricade the windows would be good; at least to make it so that they wouldn't be able to get in without us hearing it first." Frasier suggested, as if he was already prepared to leave for another run despite only just returning a few minutes ago from a long, exhausting night of fighting the undead.

"Agreed; but getting some rest is what we all need right now, Frasier. We're exhausted over here." Noah brought up as he and Hitomi both showed clear signs that last night had taken quite a physical toll on their bodies. Their eyes could barely even keep open at this point.

"Very well; while the rest of you catch up on your sleep, I'll stand watch." Frasier sighed as he knew he could only motivate and force them to do so much before their bodies would begin to fall to fatigue.

"What about you? You've been up and running nonstop for the last two days straight!" Noah brought up out of concern as he just realized Frasier had yet to even slow down once ever since the outbreak began.

"We can't all rest at once, Noah. Marcus has been keeping watch all night as well, so he needs to get some sleep as well, and Johann can't be exerting himself just yet. My body, on the other hand, is strong enough to go long periods of time without rest; so you just focus on yourselves right now. If I catch myself nodding off, I'll just swap off with one of you." Frasier said dismissively while he justified his lack of rest with a determination to watch over their new home for any potential trouble; knowing that the longer this went on without any support from the government, the more desperate others survivors would become.

Unable to put up much of an argument with that kind of reasoning, it was only just a few moments later that Hitomi, Marcus, and Noah were soon all fast asleep in the same bedroom. Stationing himself on the roof, Frasier proceeded to keep a vigilant watch over the city with the binoculars in hand; his eyes constantly watching for any movement or areas of interest. For the most part, it was just silent with the occasional boom or single gunshot or scream echoing in the distance. The fires seemed to have eventually burned themselves out, as the smoke stacks appeared to have greatly decreased in volume and numbers over the last couple hours. Minutes soon turned to hours as Frasier remained on the rooftop, alone with nothing but his thoughts and memories to accompany him in order to pass the time.

The springtime sun was beating down on him as he slowly felt sweat beginning to form and drizzle down the back of his neck. He grabbed a plastic water bottle sitting on the edge of the roof right beside his feet and guzzled half of it down before he could suddenly hear something approaching him from behind. Without hesitation he grasped the handle to his knife and looked back over his shoulder, only to stop when he realized it was just Johann approaching him with an ice pack wrapped around his bandaged hand.

"Johann, shouldn't you be resting? There's no way you're in good enough condition to be moving around too much yet." Frasier asked bluntly, clearly not expecting this sudden visit, and not being much in the mood for idle chit-chat either.

"I've been out cold the entire time you were out. I'd only just woken up when you returned." Johann explained calmly, clearly trying to restrain his real emotions now that it was just the two of them here.

Frasier didn't pay him any further mind as he simply grunted in response before immediately turning his attention back to keeping watch, effectively giving Johann the cold shoulder.

"Frasier…I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to tell me the truth, alright?" Johann finally asked after several moments of tense silence between the two of them.

"Well then stop wasting both our time and get it over with. I can't keep watch properly if I have to divert my attention talking to you." Frasier replied with no emotion to be heard as he kept his back turned to his compatriot, as if his mere presence was a bother to him. That very attitude alone radiating from him couldn't help but bring Johann to clench his fists in anger, completely ignoring the searing pain from his hand.

"Fine. What happened yesterday? Why did you just ditch me back at that store? WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO WHEN THOSE ASSHOLES JUMPED ME!?" Johann began to ask in a restrained tone before he finally let loose, letting what felt like days' worth of restrained rage out, all too eager to find out why his supposed partner had completely abandoned him in his time of need.

"I simply fell back so I could observe their intentions. When they took you captive and tortured you, I pulled the power to the building and slaughtered them all, one by one. Is that a satisfying enough answer for you? Or do you want the juicy details of how I severed the spine of one and fed him to one of those monsters?" Frasier said in an ice cold tone with absolutely zero remorse or concern for his actions; watching Johann's look of held back anger slowly shift into that of complete shock.

"Y-you killed ALL of them? But…but they were just teenagers...even younger than us..." Johann muttered as he felt a soft tremble resonate in his throat that caused him to stammer his words out of horror when he could only imagine what Frasier could've possibly done, given his physical build and bloodthirsty mentality.

"So what? Regardless of whether they're teenagers or adults, I won't show them any mercy if I think they mean me harm. Don't forget, those same teenagers sliced off two of your fingers with bolt cutters just because they could. They would've killed you, or worse, if I did nothing." Frasier said as he could only justify his reasons further; not caring whether or not Johann would understand his limited options in that scenario.

"You could've just stuck by my side and we could've fended them off. I've seen you in action enough times by now to know you could've done that easily!" Johann responded angrily, still unsatisfied with why Frasier decided to take the easy way out and leave Johann at those bastards' mercy, even if it was for but a few minutes.

"I had to estimate their strength and numbers. If both of us were captured, we'd both most likely have been killed. Does that sound like a better alternative to you; because it sounds like a terrible one to me." Frasier retorted as if he had an answer to everything Johann could've possibly brought up to call his methods into question.

Johann just stood there in absolute silence. While those people did mutilate his hand for no good reason, part of him couldn't shake off the fact that they were just barely into high school; most likely around Marcus' age. He didn't know how to feel about this whole situation anymore, even despite his still burning feelings of anger and betrayal towards Frasier for allowing him to get maimed for something as insignificant and pointless as reconnaissance. Right now, he just wanted things to go back the way they were before. He just wanted to be able to go back to that simple life; to have Toshimi happily at his side again, and not have a care in the world. But even despite that ceaseless desire, deep down he knew it wasn't to be. Not in this new world.

"If it really bothers you so much, then look at it this way. They would've just kept it up if I hadn't done something. They most likely would've gone on to hurt someone else, so I put them down like the rabid dogs they were. And I suggest you keep this in mind as well: I also could've easily just left you behind. When it was all over and I saw what they'd done to you, I had half a mind to just leave you there so you wouldn't slow me down. I could've done that, but I didn't. So take that as you will." Frasier said in an almost threatening tone as he continued to watch over the city as Johann just stood there looking down at his feet. His fists were so tight, his knuckles turned white and the bandages around his right hands began to turn a darker shade of red, yet Johann couldn't feel the pain. His mind was a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts and emotions as he tried to process the sheer cruelty in Frasier's words. Was human life really so meaningless to him? Was he truly so heartless that he actually legitimately considered leaving Johann behind like a worthless piece of garbage just because he was wounded? That thought alone stirred thoughts in Johann's mind that even shocked himself: thoughts of pushing Frasier over the edge so that he and the rest of the group could be free from his cruelty. But it was then he quickly reminded himself that having Marcus and Noah around would perhaps help alleviate any kind of threat Frasier posed to the rest of the group. And just thinking of the other two Lawson's helped Johann to remember what Marcus had told him he would try to do.

 **[The Walking Dead OST - Decision]**

"Frasier, listen…so, you know what happened to Toshimi, right? I'm assuming Marcus already told you about all that. Look…I don't suppose you could possibly help me track her down once we've gotten everything you think we need? She means the world to me, and finding her is all I can think of right now." Johann suddenly requested as Frasier remained mute, almost as if he was deliberately ignoring him.

"Frasier...I know you don't like it, and I'm not going to fool myself into thinking you care even a little bit, but I need her. She's always been there for me for as long as I can remember, ever since we were in elementary school, and if I lost her…I don't know what I would do. Marcus thinks you might be able to do something about it. Please, I know there's not much I can offer you in return, especially in the state I'm in, but I'll do anything I have to in order to bring her here." Johann began to plead as he made it quite clear that he was determined to find Toshimi regardless of the cost on his part. In fact, it wouldn't have surprised Frasier if Johann would have expressed his intention to find her, regardless of his own answer.

"Johann, what makes you think I have any chance of finding her in a densely populated city like this?" Frasier asked as he kept his back turned to Johann; already knowing this was a futile idea formed out of nothing but desperate emotion instead of strategic reasoning. That fact alone gave Frasier more than enough cause to refuse Johann's request outright in his opinion.

"Well, we can at least check the outskirts for that cabin Joe mentioned. I'm certain that she'd still be there if she actually went with him like Marcus said she did." Johann attempted to explain while he looked to the north, just knowing deep down that she had to be out there. Something in his heart just knew that Toshimi was out there waiting for him to come find her, and no matter what stood in his way, he'd do anything it took to find her.

"And have you ever been out there before? What if the forest is huge? And who knows what kind of condition it's in given the current circumstances? It could literally be crawling with 'Them'. Would you really risk us getting hopelessly lost just to find her? Is she really worth all that?" Frasier said as he looked back to Johann over his shoulder, knowing this gamble could only end in so many ways, all of them very bad.

"Wouldn't you want to do this if it was that girl you like so much?" Johann said in a last ditch effort to appease to Frasier's dwindling sense of empathy; placing him in his own shoes to see how he'd react and feel this time around. The young Brit just grumbled in annoyance to himself before finally making up his mind.

"Fine, I'll keep an eye open for your woman, Kessler. If any of us spot her, then maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to do something about it. Happy now?" Frasier said as he reluctantly agreed to look out for Toshimi, despite how little he actually cared whether or not Johann would ever reunite with her at all.

"Once we find her, yes, I'll be very happy." Johann answered, feeling both grateful for Frasier finally relenting, but at the same time feeling bitter for just how truly uncaring Frasier sounded when addressing his plight. Before anything else could be said, they both could hear sudden gunfire in the distance. It sounded quite intense compared to the average brief bouts of pistol fire that would occasionally go off elsewhere throughout the city.

"Should we go check it out? They might be in trouble." Johann suggested as he just listened to the intensity of the distant battle; although he could already guess what Frasier's answer was going to be.

"No. It's bad enough I have to watch out for you and the police girl. I'm not about to add more to the group, because you know they'll want us all to stick together after I save their arses. C'mon, let's go wake the others and eat. They've had enough time to rest anyway." Frasier said in a harsh grunt; wanting nothing to do with the survivors that might at that very moment have had their backs to the wall and could've used his assistance. He didn't care though, for he didn't know them and couldn't find it in his heart to justify lending them a hand even for a second.

'That could be us one day. I hope you know that.' Johann thought to himself as he felt more and more uneasy about how callous Frasier was regarding the safety of other people outside his family. Never had Johann met someone with such a cruel attitude before in his young life.

 **[]**

Noah slowly felt his body being gently shaken, only to wake up and see Frasier towering over him with a soft look in his eyes. The young teen gently rubbed the sleep from his eyes before eventually sitting up to hear Marcus snoring with his face buried into a pillow.

"Oi, stop drooling and get up already. You should be all charged up by now." Frasier announced as he pulled the pillow out from under Marcus' face when he didn't wake up from the gentle tap. This caused his face to land against the soft mattress before he was abruptly woken from what appeared to be a rather pleasant dream.

"Hey, sod off! I was having a good snooze...couldn't this have waited a second?" Marcus grumbled as he pulled himself up for a brief moment only to suddenly roll off the bed and crash onto the floor.

"Apparently not. So I take it there's plenty of food left over?" Hitomi observed as she had been woken up by the commotion. Marcus looked up at her now as she let out a soft yawn before hoping off the bed she was using opposite the one he and Noah had been forced to share. Even in the moments just after waking up, even with what could only be described as bed-head, she still looked undeniably cute as ever.

"There is plenty of food in the hotel kitchen. We should make use of it while we still can." Frasier suggested as they all stepped out one by one into the hallway connecting all the other rooms together. They walked down the stairs side by side until they found themselves standing in the staff kitchen where entire buffets would be created for the guests to wake up to in the mornings. Fresh fruits and vegetables, beef kept in air tight packages, a good variety of rice, and more than enough fish to last the group far more than a couple of days before anything would start to even come close to remotely expiring; and so much more.

"Does anyone know how to properly cook? Contrary to popular belief, I never fully learned." Hitomi asked with some noticeable embarrassment as she began to pull out a few pots and pans before the others would curiously open up some of the containers filled with random ingredients.

"Sort of." Noah answered just before Marcus suddenly turned on the stove with a more confident look in his eyes; effectively catching everyone else's attention.

"Give me twenty minutes. I think I can make something decent out of all this." Marcus announced before taking a handful of ingredients and tossing them into a pan resting on the countertop before him. A warm, confident smile formed on Hitomi's lips to see him take charge while Frasier and Noah pulled out a fire extinguisher just in case.

 _(Twenty minutes later)_

All five survivors grabbed a random seat out in the lobby before forming a circular formation with the chairs. In their laps were bowls filled with Japanese curry; consisting of white rice, several carrots and onions, and small chunks of beef.

"You know, it's funny how you picked this of all things." Hitomi commented a few minutes in as she took small, delicate bites in contrast to everyone else's large, shameless bites.

"What makes you say that?" Johann pondered aloud before taking another mouthful of it.

"Well, this was originally a British Navy dish introduced to us in the 19th century through India. And you boys just happen to be from Britain, so part of me can't help but feel that this choice in food wasn't just a mere coincidence." Hitomi explained as she motioned towards the Lawson trio while Johann nodded his head in understanding before digging right back in.

"Well forget my reasons and tell me what you all think already!" Marcus said dismissively before anxiously inquiring on their personal opinions of his hard work.

"It's not half bad actually. I honestly didn't expect one of you three to be able to make anything edible." Johann said in review as he continued to take several more bites in admiration of its taste.

"It's great. It kind of reminds me of home in a way, now that you mention it." Noah added with a warm, brotherly tone of encouragement. Frasier on the other hand just remained silent while he watched the front doors for any movement, as if still on watch for danger.

"It's a little spicier than I'm used to, but I can't exactly stop eating it either, so that should be saying something." Hitomi complimented, which seemed to have the biggest impact on Marcus as he couldn't help but smile proudly in satisfaction due to her generous review. A warm fuzzy feeling at those words just couldn't help but make his day all the more better. And on her own part, Hitomi herself couldn't help but blush when seeing just how happy her words specifically had made him; bowing her head slightly so nobody would see the smile gracing her lips.

"So...do any of you mind if I get to know you four right now? I feel that if we're going to be sticking together for however long these outbreaks last, that I should get to know you all on a more personal level." Hitomi then requested after a minute of silence, as she had an unmistakable curious undertone to her voice; curious as to what kind of background these complete strangers had aside from what they'd already told her.

"What's to know? You already know we intend to become soldiers one day and serve the United Kingdom. That's pretty much it." Frasier said bluntly, as if he flat out chose to speak for Noah and Marcus without even bothering to let them get a word in edgewise.

"I know that, but what about your dreams, your motivations? Is just being in the military really all you boys want out of life?" Hitomi brought up, which caused Frasier to raise an eyebrow in response, almost as if he interpreted her question to be an insult to his way of life. He could then feel curiosity growing when he turned his gaze to Noah and Marcus, who both quickly tried to avoid eye contact with him. The awkward verbal silence between the group; only momentarily interrupted by the sound of someone else eating, made Frasier feel a strong sense of suspicion towards his brothers.

"Fine, I'll go first, since you boys all seem to have your tongues tied all of a sudden. I was born and raised here in Tokonosu with your typical family of four. My parents were both honest, hard-working people who always made sure I knew right from wrong, so obviously being where I am now, I owe a lot to them. I also had an older brother I always used to look up to…but he passed away in an accident when I was eight years old. I still remember asking my parents so many questions when they told me he wasn't coming back. I remember I felt so terrible, knowing that I'd never get to see him step in through the front door ever again…knowing that I'd never get to hear that stupid laugh of his again…t-turns out he was stabbed while trying to stop a thief from robbing a small convenience store. From that day on, I knew I wanted to be in law enforcement so I could make sure no kid would ever have to go through the same pain I did. My grades were far from the best, but that didn't stop me from trying again and again until I was one of the best the academy had to offer. So…that's my story. There, see? Was that really so hard?" Hitomi went on to explain for several minutes as she remained firm and resolute with her story; all the while feeling as though a slight weight was being lifted from her shoulders as she shared such personal details with these people.

"Well, I know its eleven years late, but I'm truly sorry to hear about your brother, Hitomi-san. You know we're here for you if you ever need to talk. About anything, I mean. It can't be easy what you went through." Marcus said sincerely as he couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, as if he could now understand what drove her to have such a tough attitude, and yet display such genuine concern and care for all those around her.

"That's really sweet of you to say, Marcus-kun. But don't worry about it. That was a long time ago, and I'm certain karma turned the one responsible into one of 'Them'." Hitomi thanked out of surprise from Marcus' display of empathy before trying to brush off the fact his kind words were making her blush. More and more, she could feel a strange emotion inside the pit of her stomach when it came to Marcus. He'd already proven to be resourceful and sweet; and yet there was something else about him altogether that gave her a fluttery feeling whenever she'd look upon him. Even despite the fact she was three years older than him, she couldn't help but feel a kind of…attraction towards him.

"That's most likely the case. So, Marcus, Noah...what exactly were YOUR future plans, anyway? I'm rather curious as to if you two are even ready at this point." Frasier intervened as he couldn't help but cling onto the doubt they'd given him when refusing to answer Hitomi's question earlier.

"Alright, look…I-I mean, I know it was always intended that we join the armed forces one day, but I must admit that sometimes I wonder if it's really where I belong. Part of me just wants to build, innovate and improve people's lives. I always used to score high marks back home, so a lot of the time, I feel like my potential would be best suited to saving lives. Not taking them." Noah admitted as he couldn't help but confess how he truly felt about his father's pre-set intentions for his own life. He didn't mind the survival and self-defense training, but to be shipped away from home to kill people wasn't his idea of a life.

"I can see you making something great one day, Noah-kun. You seem to have a great mind and an equally great heart. Use them well." Hitomi noted as she couldn't help but smile at Noah, who now was blushing at her generous compliments.

"What about you, Marcus? Is this how you feel too?" Frasier then questioned as he looked straight into Marcus' green eyes, as if trying to get him into spilling out what he really felt on the subject, even though he had a grim feeling in his gut he already knew what it was.

"No! Of course I intend to join...no...I'm really sorry, but that was a lie. I can't help but feel that's just what father wants us to do. I've always hated the idea that we get no say in the matter of deciding our own futures. I hate to say this, but I've always wanted to entertain people; to make people laugh and feel good about themselves. Even before all this happened, the world we lived in was so negative, with everybody in too much of a rush to really spend any real time doing anything meaningful, and with so much animosity all around, I just couldn't help but feel that making people forget all the problems with laughter, even for just a little bit, was the best thing I could do on my own to make things just a little better. I know that this whole military service thing means a lot to you and father...but to me, it's not my choice." Marcus reluctantly answered as he couldn't help but feel that it would be best he confess along with Noah. Frasier was now visibly scowling, as if he had been personally betrayed somehow.

"Oh yeah? Got any jokes for us then?" Hitomi asked curiously as she was eager to hear what he could come up with on the spot.

"Here's one for you, but don't say I didn't warn you. *ahem* A family is sitting at the table for Christmas dinner. Soon afterwards, the son, in that ripe stage of just hitting puberty, asks the father: 'Hey dad, you're a man of experience. Can you tell me what women's bosoms are like?' So the father says: 'Certainly, my boy. You see, when a woman is in her 20's, they're like freshly grown melons; nice and firm. When a woman enters her 30's, they become like pears. They sag a bit, but they're still enjoyable. When a woman enters her 50's, they become like onions.' This confuses the son, and so the dad says: 'You take one look at them and they make you cry.'" Marcus said after taking a moment to think of something funny.

Much to his chagrin, all he was met with was silence, and an especially unreadable look on Hitomi's face. But that didn't deter him in the slightest.

"Oh, but we're not finished yet, mates. This gets the mother and daughter rightly ticked off, and so the daughter asks: 'Hey, mother, you're a woman of the world. Can you tell me what men's willies are like?' So the mother says: 'Certainly, dearie. You see, when a man is in his 20's, it's like a California Redwood; strong and tall. When a man enters his 30's, it becomes like a Fir tree; sags a bit but is still dependable. But when a man enters his 50's, it becomes a Christmas tree.' This leaves the daughter right and confused, so the mother says: 'It's dead from the root up and the bollocks are just for decoration.'"

Like a switch had been flipped, everyone but Frasier let out an uncontrolled burst of laughter at the final punchline; Noah even accidentally spitting out some rice from how quickly it had come. Marcus crossed his arms, feeling a basking sense of pride, especially when he saw how unexpectedly hard Hitomi was laughing, almost to the point it looked like she was going to fall out of her chair. It continued on like this for several minutes before everyone was finally able to breathe again and calm down from the much needed spell of laughter Marcus had so kindly given to them.

"Oh my God, that was great! Clearly this is what you were MADE for, Marcus-kun. Thank you for that." Hitomi expressed gratefully, still struggling to catch her breath as she couldn't help but give Marcus a very light bit of applause from how hard he'd gotten her to laugh, which caused Marcus to blush a deep shade of red in response.

"Damn right, it is. I haven't laughed like that in a good, long time. See, Frasier? Surely you want what makes your brothers happy, right? Don't you think that their choice matters here?" Johann brought up as he was certain that was what mattered most to Frasier along with their safety and state of health; for what good was it for them to be alive and well but be forced into something they never wanted to begin with?

"Their choices don't affect my own. I'd say I'm disappointed, but part of me feels they aren't cut out for the job anyways. Perhaps this is for the best." Frasier said with bitterness hanging from his words, only to realize in the end that maybe it was best his brothers do whatever motivated them best. As far as he was concerned, it wasn't his fault they felt better suited to being hapless little civilians.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean? You got something you wanna say to me, you prick?" Marcus responded in an insulted tone as he narrowed his eyes at Frasier who looked right back at him. The tension was clearly going to keep rising between the two if nobody jumped in.

"I think he means we aren't nearly as quick to take a life as he is, that's all." Noah said in an attempt to interpret what Frasier meant with such sharp, callous words.

"Exactly. When you hesitate, you put yourself and others around you at risk. Do you truly think you'll be able to make sacrifices when given the responsibility? I feel it's probably best that it should just be me getting my hands dirty." Frasier added as he tried to explain his reasons for being so aggressive and hostile towards everyone; especially in regards to his hesitance to help other people. The others somewhat understood his point, but it was not a path they ever wanted to face anytime soon. They also felt that they should do whatever they can to help keep the human race going for as long as possible in the face of all this destruction and death.

"Oh...I guess that's better than what he was implying. Don't get me wrong, Frasier, there was a time I wanted nothing more than to serve our country just like you and father, but now that I've had time to actually open my eyes, I see that there are alternate ways to serve your countrymen that don't have to involve killing people." Marcus expressed in a far more calm tone of voice as he managed to compose himself.

"What about you, Johann? I know it's rather late to point this out, but you're definitely not a local. Where do YOU hail from, and what did you want to do before…well, all this?" Noah then asked out of curiosity when he just realized they still knew so little about their compatriot; while also trying to shift away from the most recent awkward moment they were caught in.

"Well, I was born in Hamburg, Germany. I had a pretty normal life to be honest. That's what I thought at first anyway, but long story short, I moved here with my uncle and aunt when I was eight, when things back at home…well, didn't work out. They're the ones that pretty much raised me. They meant the world to me, and to see them...the way I saw them last..." Johann began to explain, only to slowly have his voice fill up with sorrow just thinking about what happened to his only real family in their apartment. He then went silent and just stared into his bowl, trying to fight back the tears coming back up.

"I'm sorry for you loss, Johann-kun, really I am. It can't be easy to be talking about that kind of thing so soon. You can stop if you like." Hitomi said sympathetically before his head reared up again with his hands wiping away the tears trying to form in his eyes.

"No, I'm fine for now, really. It's just something I have to learn to live with, that's all. A-anyway, as for a career…well, I would have to say reviewing movies always had a strong calling to me. My uncle had a huge collection he'd always be adding to, and we'd all watch something every night together like a family, and as I got older, he and I would actually end up talking about them a lot of the time. Ever since then, I've always wanted to talk about movies to a bigger audience. Not the new pictures though; I'm talking about the old classics, along with films from all over the globe especially. Anyone with a microphone and a working pair of eyes can tell you what the recent Hollywood sellout is all about, but it's the classics and unheard of movies I feel people need to hear about. Although, I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore, considering that movies are the least of people's concerns right now." Johann explained as he couldn't help but go on a minor rant when talking about his passion for films. It was clear to everyone listening that it was an art that certainly meant a lot to him. His cheeks turned red when the others were all silent at the end, before Hitomi, Noah, and Marcus began to chuckle at his sudden outburst.

"Well, that's definitely an interesting response, I'll give you that much. But yeah, I could easily see you making a blog site for movies or something like that. Very interesting choice if you ask me." Marcus then said which caused Johann to smile; knowing that they understood and didn't feel the need to say his dream job was silly like so many others probably would have.

"Hey! Don't think I can't see you trying to sneak off over there, Frasier! You have to say something now." Hitomi called out as she could see him leaving out of the corner of her eye. He just froze in place and let out a low groan as if this was more of an interrogation for him.

"Fine, you want to know more? My childhood and earliest memories consist of no mother, and only my father constantly training me in the art of war and survival. I was intended to be the next Lawson in a line of multiple generations to join the British armed forces when I graduate. Obviously that can't happen until I am able to return home, which will be a very long time by the looks of it. So there you go. Are you happy now?" Frasier said in a somewhat resentful tone, clearly not feeling or showing any interest in this otherwise pleasant bonding experience before he took off to go get ready for the next scavenging run without waiting for an answer.

"He has a bit of a temper, doesn't he? Do you really think he should go outside without any proper rest?" Hitomi asked Marcus as they all just sat there until it was clear Frasier was out of earshot.

"If he says he's fine, then he's fine. No use in trying to argue with him when he gets like this. Besides...do you really want to be the one to tell him that he should stay behind?" Marcus responded as if he already had predicted the outcome, which would most likely result in Frasier dismissing the concern entirely.

"Perhaps not; just let me know if he starts any trouble, though. People like him don't always have the best of intentions, even if they say they do." Hitomi eventually agreed before finally clearly showing her distrust of their elder sibling and his motives.

"Believe me on this one: no matter how callous he may become in the end, it's all just to keep us safe. It's always been that way with him. He loves us...just in a way you can't exactly feel, see, nor hear." Noah brought up in Frasier's defense as he could feel that his older brother wasn't all that bad, despite how he came off to the rest of the group.

Several minutes went by before Frasier approached with an MP5SFK slung over his shoulder with a strap going diagonally across his chest, while accompanied by Johann with his fireman axe held in his good hand, and Marcus now carrying one of the Benelli M4s in hand with extra shells stuffed into his pockets.

"We're going to go grab whatever supplies we can to further secure the hotel with. One of you, keep an eye out. Radio in only if it's absolutely necessary." were Frasier's final instructions before leaving Hitomi and Noah behind to watch over their new home.

After the sedan they picked up from the hotel parking lot had taken off into the distance, they both retreated back to the kitchen. Gathering all the used dishes, Noah approached Hitomi; a look of heavy concern lining his face all the while. Both soon were in the middle of washing the dishes and pans without saying a word to each other. After only a couple minutes, Noah gave her a gentle tap on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, Hitomi-san? I'm sorry to bring this up right now, but last night, I couldn't help but notice your reaction to Masanori-san's sacrifice. You had this really sad look in your eyes when it was over. I can't explain it, but you seemed more troubled by it than by all the others who died. What was your history with him, if I might ask?" Noah explained as he showed both interest and very keen eyes to be able to read Hotomi's body language like that, despite how hard she fought to keep it hidden.

"So what? It pains me to see anyone die; let alone the fact that many good fellow officers have been killed over the past couple days. A part of me is also worried for the ones that could still be alive. We're spread thin enough as it is. Hell, at one point, command sent only two officers to cover an entire shopping center when trying to maintain order everywhere else!" Hitomi answered, as if trying to brush her personal feelings aside, only to pretty much come back tenfold and leave her whole body trembling with sheer emotion over everything that had happened up till now, all the colleagues and friends she had lost.

"I know…but I couldn't help but overhear what sounded like a history between you two. Am I wrong?" Noah then pressed on as he was certain there was something else she wasn't telling him.

"Yeah…we dated for a bit. The guy was a smooth talking jackass that knew every right word to say. We never ended up going too far with each other, but I broke up with him when it was clear he showed a serious lack of loyalty. All things considered, I shouldn't be sad over him one bit! But to see him act the way he did when trying to save that other officer…it reminded me of the old feelings I had for him back when we first met. God, I must sound pathetic to you right about now." Hitomi said in a strong resolute voice as usual; but near the end, her emotions and feelings couldn't help but loosen up, leaving her fighting the urge to cry right now.

"I don't think that one bit, Hitomi-san. It takes guts to admit things like that. I just wish we could've prevented his death as well as the others." Noah said out of empathy; feeling that no one should have to act ashamed for simply expressing their emotions, especially in a world where death was much more frequent and unpredictable.

"You're a sweet kid, Noah-kun; both you and Marcus-kun. But I suggest you save those wishes for the wells. Nothing will come true because you simply want it to. We have to be stronger now more than ever." Hitomi said out of sheer gratitude before they continued to wash the remaining dishes.

"So tell me, Noah-kun; what exactly does Marcus-kun like in girls?" Hitomi suddenly asked out of the blue; spurring Noah to mentally double back.

"Pardon?" Noah asked confusedly as he wanted to be certain that he didn't just mishear what she clearly had just said to him.

"I said: 'What do you guys like?' You know, in terms of downtime. I can't imagine training and fighting is all you do for fun in your spare time." Hitomi rephrased hurriedly, her cheeks turning a deep red as she realized what she had originally just said; hoping that Noah had not been paying as much attention this time around.

"Oh…well, usually what most guys enjoy: Video games, sci-fi/action movies, guns. You know the usual. Why do you ask?" Noah answered as he tried to think of what all three of them usually would talk about and enjoy.

"Typical. But then again, I like all that stuff too, so I shouldn't judge. Thank you, Noah-kun." Hitomi commented before finishing the last of the dishes and shooting him a grateful smile, thankful that the heavy blush she had only seconds ago had faded.

"No problem. Well, I should go grab a carbine and take watch. You can rest some more if you like. You've had a long night." Noah offered as he smiled back, only to slowly wander off to grab one of the sub-machine guns from the room on the third floor they had designated as the armory.

"Thanks, Noah-kun. I might actually do that. Just give me a shout if trouble shows up at the door." Hitomi thanked before he walked away; her mind now going on to dwell on how the others were currently doing. Doubts in her mind made her feel concern and caution, all too nervous now that she couldn't keep an eye on Frasier. She could only silently hope that Marcus would be okay out there, and that Frasier wouldn't do anything to put them all at risk.

 _(One kilometer west of the hotel)_

Taking the wheel, Marcus carefully guided the four-door sedan just before a small outlet store that seemed to specialize in gardening supplies. Johann, Frasier and Marcus slowly stepped out to see the coast was clear for now. The undead that hadn't been killed last night were either now infesting the neighborhood the battle took place in, or 'They' had long since moved further up north in an attempt to catch more survivors. It was dead quiet all around...for now.

"Really? A gardening store?" Johann asked as he scratched his head in confusion; uncertain why Marcus would choose to check out this place for raw materials instead of anywhere else.

"Are you kidding me? If you ignore the plants and tacky accessories, just imagine what kind of damage most of these tools can do. Gardening tools can make for very ideal melee weapons in the right hands." Marcus explained as he was already walking towards the front of the store, only to see the front door was locked up.

"Isn't that what we have guns for, though?" Johann replied as he was still uncertain why they'd want to stop here while daylight was slowly but surely ticking away.

"While it's true we have more than enough firepower and plenty of ammunition; if we were to use them, we could end up drawing more attention than we desire. Melee weapons are quiet and don't require as much maintenance. Good thinking coming here, Marcus." Frasier brought up as Marcus formed a rather proud smile at the genuine compliment his brother was being generous enough to give him.

"So should we just cut away the locks and head on in?" Johann asked as he made a slight swinging motion with his axe, as if to illustrate his point.

"We could, but there's no telling just how many of 'Them' are inside or still nearby. Not to mention this place has a security system installed. Let's just check around the back first." Frasier replied calmly as he pointed to a small red sticker attached to the window; warning passersby that this store was rigged to trigger an alarm upon forced entry, obviously to deter potential break-ins.

"Good point." Johann agreed as he realized that keeping a low profile was the best option for their survival. The less of 'Them' they had to face, the better.

It only took a few minutes to quietly walk around the linked up stores, but the group eventually found themselves at the back entrance. It didn't look nearly as sturdy as the front doors did. In fact, the only security measure it appeared to have was a heavy chain wrapped up with a padlock holding it around the handle.

"I've got this." Frasier said softly before opening up the book bag on his back. He slowly pulled out the bolt cutters and carefully positioned them along the metal ring of the padlock.

As Marcus watched their backs, Johann just stared at the device. His heart began to race while his hands slightly trembled in painful remembrance. No matter he wanted to, he couldn't look away from those goddamned bolt cutters; almost as if he was paralyzed by a deep fear from memories of his painful trauma.

 ***shink***

The padlock fell off and clattered on the ground as Frasier spared no time to start sliding the chain off the door handle. Johann shook his head and snapped back into reality as he watched Frasier carefully open the door while taking care not to immediately step inside. He had to make sure there was a good light source inside, as well as none of 'Them' standing right in the doorway.

Just to be 100% certain it was safe to enter; he let out a low whistle through his lips, only to be greeted by nothing aside from an eerie silence; which was actually a good sign for once. Step by step, he made his way inside only to see he was in what must've been the stock room, seeing how entire shelves were stocked with various bags of soil and ceramic pots of all shapes and sizes. He then motioned the other two to follow him with a series of easy hand gestures.

Marcus noticed a turned over shopping cart; quickly turning it over before beginning to gently push it forward while Johann and Frasier stepped out into the actual store portion of the building. They stopped to see that it was much bigger on the inside than one could've possibly anticipated from a quick glance from the outside. Entire aisles were erected inches from touching the roof, with numerous supplies filling them to the brim. Signs hung from the ceiling, not even swaying slightly, which only seemed to make the empty setting that much more eerie. The lack of visibility didn't help to keep the three boys off edge, either.

"Alright, everyone keep quiet and don't let your guards down. 'They' could be right around any of these corners." Frasier instructed in a nearly mute whisper as he then noticed movement just outside one of the windows from the corner of his eye. The figures outside were shambling and moving about in a series of awkward motions, giving Frasier the impression that it was just a few of 'Them' wandering by without anything in particular to hone in on. Johann and Marcus carefully and quietly walked together while Frasier went back to ensure nobody or nothing would accidentally wander in through the back entrance they essentially opened to the world.

Marcus began to speed up when he noticed a sign overhead directing him towards the tools he spoke of earlier. His eyes widened as a mischievous grin spread across his lips. One shelf had a round container filled with pitchforks, gardening scythes and shovels. A few nearby racks were lined with serrated machetes roughly 15" long, sealed away in plastic packaging. Sickles dangled from their respective pegs while there was a single brush axe left locked up in a vertical glass display case.

"What should we take with us?" Marcus whispered gently as he and Johann began to look around cautiously, as if this excellent find was just a trap disguised as a blessing.

"We should grab some of those machetes for certain. The scythes seem a bit impractical, especially in close quarters...grab just two shovels; then let's see if we can bust open that display case while we're at it. That axe looks especially useful." Johann suggested as he began to slowly load up the shopping cart, grasping his injured hand a little when it began to pulse and throb whenever he'd try to lift anything semi-heavy with it. A sharp pain that refused to cease was now prodding hard at the back of his mind, as if trying to break all of his concentration.

"Forget it. We have to go right now." Frasier suddenly instructed as he approached the other two with a noticeable amount of worry in his voice.

"Why? What's wrong?" Marcus asked out of sheer concern when he could clearly see someone as tough and fearless as Frasier was legitimately worried if not remotely scared.

"You'll see." Frasier answered; leaving a sinking feeling in Marcus' gut at the fact his older brother couldn't simply explain it to him. That alone gave him all the reason he needed to assume this was deathly serious.

Moments later, the three young men were cautiously exiting out the front door after having managed to safely unlock it, only to suddenly hear a loud boom from the other side of the store; the sudden sound causing all of them to nearly jump. However, they dared not stop moving quietly down the street.

"Was that gunfire?" Marcus asked in a sharp hiss before ducking low, as if trying to avoid being seen by whoever had fired that shot. A few more shots could immediately be heard; so close that it felt like they were right in front of the shooter, if not right beside them.

"Indeed. It wasn't directed at us though, so just keep quiet and keep moving while we have the chance." Frasier explained as he motioned them to continue onward with their exfiltration. Multiple voices could soon be heard; growing louder and louder with each passing second.

The young men quickly threw all of their supplies into their ride before several figures could be seen behind the store windows. The numerous figures movements suddenly picked up speed, as if they could see the three young men scrambling into their car just outside the windows.

"Hey! We've got some live ones out there!" a gruff male voice called out, only to be followed by several gunshots ripping through the windows. Fragments of glass spilled across the ground as the stray shots bounced and danced in the street. Those that came close though were pounding against the side of the car, with the windshield taking a few hits before also shattering.

"Drive, drive, drive!" Frasier announced furiously before rising up from within the car to return fire against the vague figures trying to take potshots at them; listening past the numerous gunshots to hear that his initial volley caused one of them to let out a yelp of pain before falling over. Johann suddenly took the wheel before managing to barely pull the car out in time, and without wasting another second, he immediately proceeded to make a speedy getaway with the tires burning rubber against the asphalt.

"Marcus…you doing alright?" Frasier asked worriedly once he was confident they weren't being followed, not hesitating to start checking him over for any signs of bloodshed.

"Aside from needing a change of pants...yeah, I'm just brilliant." Marcus replied between heavy gasps for air as he began to pull off bits of glass that were now resting in his lap.

"I'm doing fine too." Johann added, as if expecting Frasier to give half a shit. His heart was racing so fast, it felt like he was going to have to stop and take a moment to collect himself.

"Good…goddamn bloody good. Glad you two were able to step it up on such short notice. That was way too close for my taste." Frasier said in relief before sitting back in his seat and wiping the sweat from his face.

"I can't believe it…those bastards were sporting automatics. How could they have possibly gotten hold of them? SAT maybe? Or perhaps an overrun SDF checkpoint?" Marcus then began to question aloud as he finally realized just how outmatched they really were, despite having guns of their own. Frasier lowered his head as Johann just focused on driving then back in one piece.

 _(Back at the hotel)_

Meanwhile, Hitomi and Noah sat side by side with numerous ammo clips stacked up on the table before them. One by one, they'd load up the magazines with 9x19mm cartridges before moving onto the next one. While Hitomi was able to get a decent amount in per minute, Noah was on a whole different level. His fingers quickly popped them in before moving onto the next one with such fluid motion. It was quite clear to Hitomi that this young man had done this many times before.

"So tell me, Noah-kun. What kind of training has Frasier undergone to become so callous and unfeeling? I know military training requires you to sometimes silence your conscience, but it seems like that's the case with him all the time." Hitomi asked curiously as she set down the magazine in her hand and turned her head to look at Noah for any specific reactions he might make; carefully studying his body language now.

"I honestly can't answer that question, Hitomi..." Noah said with great hesitance in his words; looking down now as if something was deeply troubling him.

"Why? You can tell me anything, you know. Is he threatening you to keep quiet about something?" Hitomi inquired as she spoke to him in a rather protective tone, as if she were talking to a victim of domestic abuse.

"What!? Absolutely not! I know he can be a real pill at times, but my Frasier would never consider such a thing. Granted, he can be as rough as an alligator's hide; but on the inside, he's always been looking out for Marcus and I without question. The reason I can't answer your question is because he never told us anything. Believe me, I've tried to get answers, but he won't budge an inch when it comes to his training." Noah exclaimed defensively before calmly explaining to Hitomi that Frasier's past was always somewhat of a mystery that he had to eventually give up on ever figuring out.

"Yeah, well good intentions tend to fall short with psychopaths. Just understand that from my perspective, he's raising a lot of red flags. Something about him seems very unstable, so you'll have to forgive me if my intuition and training make it sound like I'm trying to gather evidence against him. I just want to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone here. Understand?" Hitomi said before Noah gave a somewhat hesitant nod, as if realizing that just because Frasier was his brother, it didn't mean he'd be hesitant to do anything if his own mind designated Noah as expendable or even hostile. Just the thought sent a horrible shiver down his spine.

Before they could say anything else, a beat up sedan slowly pulled in just outside the front entrance; the rest of the group quickly scrambling out of the vehicle as their faces all looked like something was terribly wrong, almost as if something worse than the dead had just shown itself to them.


	6. Chapter 6: Lights Out

**Tokonosu City, Japan**

 **Z-Day+2**

Johann, Frasier, and Marcus slowly stepped out of their bullet-riddled vehicle just in time to see Hitomi and Noah rushing over to see what had caused them to come back so soon, and in such a rush to boot. Expressions of dismay and disappointment painted their faces as the three scavengers pulled out what little loot they had managed to bring back.

"Christ, what the hell happened out there?! Are you three alright?" Hitomi asked concernedly when she noticed the bullet holes riddling the back of the car; just as the front bumper fell off with a piercing *clang* as it rattled against the floor.

"Apparently we aren't the only ones with guns out here. We didn't get a clear look at them, but they attacked the moment they saw us, so that's all we needed to know about these people. Luckily we were already on the way out, and nobody appears to be hurt." Johann explained to her as he shuddered at the realization of just how close they had really come.

"They were also using fully automatic weapons. They couldn't hit a moving target, but the fact they got hold of such powerful weapons does give them a decent edge regardless. I want two people on watch tonight. Everyone else, I suggest we just stay indoors and try to avoid advertising our presence." Marcus began to explain, taking a deep breath as he began to take control. He was far calmer than the others had expected; to the point he couldn't even pretend to be afraid of the fact their situation just became even more dangerous than before, almost as though he felt confident that this new threat was something they could handle if they approached it carefully.

"It's a good start, but getting some decent building materials and tools would certainly help put the odds in our favor. I'll go on my own next time so I can draw less attention. Besides, it might take more than two to hold this whole place." Frasier said as he looked as if he was already rearing to head out again this very minute.

"Frasier, wait! You need to rest. I don't care how tough you are, it's not healthy for you to be going THIS long without getting some sleep. We're concerned about you." Noah suddenly said as he reached out and lightly grasped onto Frasier's wrist; looking up at him pleadingly with his innocent blue eyes.

"We are? Oh...yeah, WE are very concerned about you, Frasier. Its best you take some time to breathe, to relax, you know? Calm and reenergize yourself so you'll be at your best for when trouble inevitably comes knocking." Marcus started confusedly, only to quickly catch onto what Noah was trying to do.

Frasier just stood there for a brief moment, as if processing those words. He finally just sighed; knowing he couldn't honestly deny any feeling of fatigue after nearly three days without any proper rest. A crow cawed in the distance as the others anxiously awaited his response.

"Fine, just ring me if something comes up. Don't let anyone inside without running it by me first, either." Frasier slowly relented before walking in with the two shovels in hand; his eyes focusing on Hitomi as if he was talking to her specifically on the subject of letting another survivor inside their new home.

"I'll let in anyone I can save, Frasier-san. You'd be wise to remember that's my job after all." Hitomi grumbled out of annoyance; watching as he pushed through the front doors without any response of his own; no one knowing if his silence was out of exhaustion or spite.

"Don't let him get to you. He's...ah, sod it." Noah attempted to explain before finally realizing it was pointless to even try to justify Frasier's harsh, even hostile, attitude towards other survivors.

"It's okay, Noah-kun. You're just trying to protect him, and I can respect that. Just don't let those fraternal feelings blind you if push comes to shove." Hitomi replied in an understanding tone before they all walked back inside and locked the front doors behind them.

While Frasier was now fast asleep in one of the rooms on the third floor, the others were in the room right next to his. Johann sat in a chair on the balcony to look over the entrance while the others sat on the rather comfortable sofa; flicking through any news channel they could find. For the most part, it was just static. Other times it was a grisly scene barely viewed by a fallen field camera before quickly being switched over to the respective studio anchor giving the same spiel about 'technical difficulties'. Several other channels however were just loops of a voice telling people to stay indoors and to avoid all contact with the 'infected'.

"So, how do you think this all started?" Marcus suddenly asked Noah as finished changing into a plain white t-shirt; taking a bite from a stick of pocky.

"Well, since these things are zombies...there're many different theories on what the origins are. As far as old research goes, it was Haitian folklore where bodies or people put into states of deathlike unconsciousness would be reanimated with voodoo magic to serve a respective witch doctor. Most modern depictions, however, usually consist now of it being some kind of virus, bacterium, fungus, parasite, the tampering of our biological chemicals, or even a military bio-weapon gone horribly wrong as you might have heard those nutters on the bridge yammering on about on TV last night. Hell, even the almighty Himself just might be trying to teach humanity another lesson." Noah said analytically as he tried to name off every possible zombie origin ever conceived. The other three couldn't help but look at him with intrigue as he went on. For all any of them knew, any of the origins he named could be the cause, but at the same time it could've been none of them.

"Well, how do YOU think this started yourself? You seem to know everything there is to know about these monsters, Noah-kun." Hitomi then asked as she playfully rustled his hair before snagging another pocky from the small box in his hand.

"Well, despite the many ways this could've happened, the fact is it spread over the entire world in just a matter of hours. So with that in mind, it's either been dormant in our society for a while now, but just needed something to trigger it. If not that, then most likely it was in our food and water supplies somehow…or perhaps those conspiracy nuts weren't too far off from it being a bio-weapon that got placed in the wrong hands." Noah theorized as he began to visibly tremble the more he pondered on the possibilities.

"It doesn't matter how it started. What matters is how we end it." Marcus quickly brought up, as if a part of him was jealous that Hitomi was giving his little brother a bit more attention now.

"Everything has a beginning, middle, and an end. If we find out how this all started, then we might be able to effectively stop it without risk of it popping up again later; be it with science or hot lead." Noah responded before he turned to a channel that showed what looked like a helicopter view of IDF forces in Jerusalem trying to hold a quarantine zone; taking down one of 'Them' after another. Despite having automatic firearms and a decent amount of troopers, the battle seemed lost as a portion of the dividing wall to the West Bank was seen getting pushed down as the undead on the other side swept in and consumed the hapless soldiers like a tidal wave. The screen suddenly flickered off as Hitomi stood up with the remote clutched tightly in her hands.

"This is madness…I-I just can't deal with this right now...if any of you see anything out there, give me a shout. I'll be in the shower." Hitomi muttered with her lips quivering and her shoulders trembling, as if the numerous reports and footage of failure after failure to fight back against the undead had brought her to tears right then and there.

"I guess I'll take watch then. You two should probably also wash up while the water's still warm." Marcus offered, as he knew Johann also needed to seriously focus on recovering.

"I won't lie; my clothes are starting to feel stiff and crusty from all the blood and sweat these last few days. I'm gonna get some sleep afterwards, so have a good night you two." Johann expressed in agreement before heading out of the room to claim a shower for himself.

"G'night." the two Lawson brothers responded before the door closed; leaving the whole room silent in an instant. They couldn't help but feel awkward now that nothing else could be said. The sun's rays soon diminished from the outside as darkness once again began to fall over the city.

"So I guess I'll take watch then. You should go shower too while you have the chance." Marcus volunteered once he could see just how truly exhausted Noah was in his posture.

"Are you sure? It's not even been a day since you last took watch." Noah asked worriedly, wanting to make absolutely sure Marcus wasn't pushing himself too far.

"I've already had my rest. Besides, if I start to wear down, I'll wake up the sleeping giant next door the same way he woke me up; maybe even worse." Marcus answered before forming a somewhat mischievous grin on his face in anticipation to how he could do just that.

"Just be careful, Marcus. He might take a swing at you if he wakes up on the wrong side." Noah chuckled before warning Marcus of the potential retaliation. Marcus simply nodded in response before he grabbed a carbine, a chair, and a pair of binoculars and headed straight for the stairwell leading to the rooftop after putting on a long sweater to help keep warm.

After dragging the chair up the stairs to the roof, he planted it down and sat himself down as comfortably as possible. With nothing else to occupy himself with, he proceeded to look out at the vast expanse of buildings before him. The cold breeze in the air brushed against his face as he anxiously waited for something worth mentioning to pop up. However, aside from the occasional gunshot cracking in the far distance or what appeared to distant lights from a random car passing by on the highway lining the shoreline, not a single noteworthy thing was happening. He just sat there bored out of his mind; hoping something would happen despite how lucky he knew he was to be in a safe environment. The lights in most of the buildings were still on; despite the fact they all had long been abandoned and were now left for anyone desperate enough to claim for their own.

Certain that he could see movement in the distance, he pulled up the binoculars only to barely see what looked to be a family running from a pack of 'Them' that was slowly circling around as if herding the poor souls to their own demise. Just when they managed to open a door to a nearby house, there was one of 'Them' right behind it. Marcus looked away within a second as he knew it was over for them now. He clenched his fist in anger as he could hear the far-off sounds of the children screaming, only for the sound to just as quickly be snuffed out and replaced with unbearable silence. Marcus was soon continuously wishing inside his head that he would just wake up and be back in the world the way it used to be; stinging tears beginning to well up in his tightly-shut eyes as he couldn't bear the thought of the poor children with those people being torn to pieces this very second.

Even now, he still found it so hard for him to wrap his mind around just how fucked up this whole situation really was; watching innocent people being devoured and torn apart by what used to be their family, friends, and coworkers. Seeing what used to be good people become hostile and even homicidal toward each other just in order to survive. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, all of it was slowly draining his hope that things would change for the better anytime soon. Deep down, he felt downright guilty for just sitting here and doing nothing to help anyone. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to just be able to save as many people as he could and keep them all safe here; to hell with whatever Frasier would've had to say otherwise. Before he could take another look towards the spot he last saw that poor family, he suddenly felt something wrap around his face, blinding him as a wet towel was pulling back at his head.

"Gotcha!" Hitomi suddenly announced with a humorous giggle before quickly unwrapping the towel and letting Marcus catch his breath. At first he appeared annoyed and frustrated, but soon he just gently chuckled along with her when she helped pull him up off the floor.

"You daffy bird, that almost scared the piss out of me!" Marcus said between gasps for air, despite no anger being evident in his tone as he looked up at her only to get back on his feet and soon be standing over the young police woman. While he didn't appreciate nearly getting several years scared off his life, he was secretly grateful that she'd managed to get his mind off all the dreadful thoughts he'd just been having. It was certainly more than he'd ever be able to expect from either of his brothers.

"Almost?" Hitomi asked with a sly grin as she couldn't help but smile at how Marcus was now trying to play it cool regardless of the fact it looked like she nearly gave him a heart attack.

"What are you even doing up here? It's colder than it looks, you know. You should really be resting right now, because you know the moment Frasier gets up, he's going to be aching to go salvage what he can from the nearest hardware store, regardless of whether or not you're ready and prepared." Marcus explained in a stern yet sincere tone, despite how obvious it was that he was just trying to change the subject.

"I don't think he would want me to tag along. He doesn't seem to trust me that much." Hitomi said confidently as they both then proceeded to walk along the rooftop only to carefully sit on the edge with their legs hanging off of it, relishing in the cool breeze.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Seeing how we're practically living together, I'd say he trusts you. If he didn't, he either would've taken us and left…or heavens forbid, he would've kicked both you and Johann out. He's a callous bastard, I know, but he's just protective and calculating. The type who avoids most gambits and sticks to what he knows. It also doesn't help that he never really had a friend…well, aside from one girl he has major feelings for, even if he'll never willingly admit it." Marcus began to explain as he started to kick his foot against the edge; feeling somewhat nervous whenever he'd occasionally glance over to see Hitomi looking right at him with a smile and a particular warm glow in her eyes.

"You do make a fine point. So I take it you don't know what he went through during his training either? I tried asking Noah-kun a while ago and he didn't tell me anything." Hitomi inquired as she couldn't help but feel relieved that perhaps Frasier did instill some trust within her and Johann. However, the mysterious events that helped develop his attitude and behavior just could not be shaken from the back of her mind.

"What makes you think I would know? Noah and I have been bugging him for years on how father taught him what he knows, but the stubborn tosser wouldn't even give us a hint. Whatever it was though, it was bloody effective, given how we're still alive despite the odds we were facing back at our school when it all started." Marcus answered with clear disappointment evident in his tone that she was asking about Frasier instead of him. But all other feelings aside, he couldn't rightfully lie to her about how useful Frasier's actions had proven to be up to this point.

"I figured he wouldn't say anything. Can't honestly say I'm disappointed, though. To be honest, the fact you and Noah know as much about him as I do, it actually makes me feel like I'm really…well, one of you guys now. *ahem* Uh, well, all that being put aside, what about you, Marcus-kun? You want to tell me what you went through, or are you going to give me the tough guy attitude as well?" Hitomi said with a soft sincerity in her voice as her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink once she realized Marcus was now staring directly at her. Quickly shifting gears out of embarrassment, Hitomi's following question completely caught Marcus off guard as he momentarily found himself at a loss for words now that she was finally asking him about himself.

"Me? Oh, well...i-it wasn't anything close, I can tell you that much. You don't have to pretend to be interested." Marcus said nervously, clearly feeling shy and almost inadequate now that her focus was entirely on him.

"So what? Marcus-kun, if I wasn't interested, I wouldn't have asked. Don't tell me the entertainer in our group suddenly can't even tell a story!" Hitomi said in a soft tone of encouragement before playfully teasing him in an effort to get him to tell her what she wanted to know.

"Well, if you insist, then by all means. Just remember: no refunds." Marcus said as he began to recall one of his more detailed memories when it came to him and his father.

 _(Six years ago)_

 **Reading, Berkshire, England**

"Hands up! Keep those hands up!" Arthur's voice echoed in a small, well-cleaned garage as he and a ten-year-old Marcus were circling one another in an even smaller makeshift boxing ring. The middle Lawson wore red boxing gloves on each hand; clenching his fingers close together as he did as he was told.

"Stop moving! I can't hit you!" Marcus complained as he took another wild swing, only for his dad to easily sidestep it and avoid the punch entirely. A look of frustration took over Marcus as the past hour of constant exercising was finally taking its toll on him, leaving his breathing ragged and his posture clearly exhausted.

"Oh, should I put the kettle on while we're at it? Don't ever be caught begging like that, and especially don't expect any mercy from the enemy. You need to find their weakness and exploit it before they can find yours and do the same to you!" Arthur said in a demeaning tone before lunging at Marcus; causing him to flinch and hop back out of sheer reflex. His heart was racing in anticipation as his legs began to slightly tremble from the strain of going on for so long without any rest.

Marcus tried to step forward in a stomping motion, as if expecting his father to step back. However, when his foot touched the ground, Arthur swiftly placed his foot over Marcus'; effectively pinning him in place no matter how hard he tried to pull away.

"I won't let you go. What are you going to do, Marcus?" Arthur suddenly said in a dead serious tone as if he was willing to stand there indefinitely, even it took Marcus all day to get out of the tight foot lock.

"Dad...this is really starting to hurt." Marcus groaned as he desperately tried to reel back, despite how futile he knew it was. He was only met with dead silence as he could only keep struggling in place while it felt like all feeling was beginning to fade from his pinned foot.

Unable to withstand the pain any longer, Marcus pulled off one of his gloves and immediately tossed it in Arthur's face. Not expecting such an unconventional countermeasure, his father let go and blinked from the rough glove texture colliding softly with his face. He looked down just in time to see his second son launch an extended fist straight between his legs. Arthur let out a low groan of pain as his legs twitched from the unexpected force Marcus put into his punch. A throbbing pain raced through his groin and lower stomach before he knelt down for a second, only to spring right back up; ignoring the feeling entirely. Instead of displaying furious anger though, he simply laughed and put his hands down.

"Very good, Marcus. Keep that tenacity of yours up and you'll be doing your part in no time. When you're faced with a situation of life or death, you need to be able to think quickly on your feet and do away with all conventional methods and fight with the ferocity of a wild animal if you want to have any hope of getting out alive. Now, go get some rest. The rest of the day is yours, son." Arthur said proudly as Marcus, who had initially been afraid of the potential retaliation, simply smiled as it was a rare thing to be hearing these words describe him instead of Frasier.

 **Tokonosu City, Japan**

 **Z-Day+2**

"That was the last time I could remember him saying anything good about me. Everything else after that was 'Marcus, don't do this. Marcus, why can't you be like HIM? Marcus, I'm an old bastard trying to relive his glory days, so I need to project it onto you three.'" Marcus finished explaining to Hitomi before talking in an old man voice with an obvious tone of bitterness and contempt towards his father. Hitomi somewhat chuckled at first at how adorable she found Marcus' determination to be, only to slowly stop when he showed no humor in his expressions, but rather legitimate sadness.

"He doesn't sound so bad. I mean...your father sounds like he was tough at times, but it sounds to me like he was just trying to make you all tough and prepare you for how hard the real world is. I wish my father taught me how to fight. I don't doubt it was because of what happened to my brother, but he was always against me taking this job. He thought I couldn't do it because I was delicate, as he so graciously put it." Hitomi said with deep compassion in her voice as she gently nudged him a little to get him to stop frowning.

"You know…that day was probably the only good memory between us when it came to training. Everything else was just driving this wedge between us. He always pushed me so hard, and at times he seemed to hardly care at all for my wellbeing." Marcus said reluctantly as he just stared down at the empty street below with regret painted across his face now. It deeply pained Hitomi to see him, the cute energetic charmer that was always smiling, look so down.

"Oh... well, I guess that would be a fairly rough childhood. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. Marcus-kun…you know you can always talk to me if something bothers you, right? I can't claim to have been through what you've been through, but I know a few ways we can forget about it." Hitomi offered sweetly before she suddenly held up what appeared to be a sake bottle, casually swinging it back and forth as if trying to lull him into staring at it.

"It is tempting. Maybe the next time you and I are left behind to watch the place, we can have at it. Thank you, Hitomi-san. I'm glad you decided to stay with us." Marcus said reluctantly as if feeling responsible for ruining the moment, only to then show his gratitude towards her genuine kindness; feeling warmth inside when he noticed how red her face appeared to be now after hearing him say that.

"I'd like that…I'd like that a lot, Marcus-kun. I'm glad I decided to stay with you, too. And…if you want…you can just call me 'Hitomi' if you like." Hitomi responded in a more soft tone before she leaned herself against him; neither of them looking to see how red their faces now were once the words of emotional intimacy had escaped her lips. At that moment, both survivors felt closer than ever to each other while they sat and watched the city the entire night…together.

As time went on, they just went back and forth sharing stories of their past. At times they'd be laughing their heads off, while other times they'd remain silent out of respect and sympathy for each other. Life was never easy to begin with, and it certainly wasn't getting any better nowadays. But it was serene moments like these that were what kept them going.

 **Z-Day+3**

Hours later on the third floor, all four survivors were sitting around a table for lunch after Marcus had cooked up what he could with the surplus amount of food they kept in the hotel's freezer to preserve it for as long as possible. Frasier meanwhile was sitting by the window, making sure nothing was wandering within his range. No matter how many times his brothers or Hitomi tried to convince him to just eat with them, he'd always turn his back on them, answering with barely a grunt just so he could remain vigilant.

"So today is the day we get some tools and materials to better fortify ourselves, right?" Hitomi asked in order to break the awkward silence as she took another small bite of her meal; trying her best not to spill food on herself while keeping her gaze fixed on Frasier; making note of every physical twitch he'd make, almost as if trying to gauge his reactions or get an idea of his current mood.

"Yes, but I'm taking my brothers this time. I need a team I can rely on." Frasier replied before making it clear that she would be left behind to watch the hotel with Johann. An annoyed look formed on her face as she hated how blunt he was being. Not only did she strongly dislike the fact that he was younger than her yet was ordering her around, but the tone in his voice pretty much all but said that he thought she was useless. To hear him speak to her so condescendingly after everything that had happened before make her grit her teeth in frustration.

"I'm sorry if I did something wrong before, Frasier. I like to think I was keeping up quite well, all things considered." Johann said before swallowing a painkiller and chasing it down with a small glass of water.

"Actually, you handled yourself quite adequately out there. It's just that I can rely on Marcus and Noah to know most of my procedures and tactics by heart. That, and the fact you shouldn't be so active in the state you're in. The last thing anyone wants is for you to end up being permanently crippled to the point you can't defend yourself…or worse." Frasier explained sincerely, which caused Johann to very faintly smile at the possibility that Frasier was actually speaking more out of human concern rather than simply doing it for practical reasons.

"You ever think of letting someone else lead? You can't always do the heavy lifting every time you go out there." Hitomi then asked as she was curious to see how he'd react to the idea of someone else taking charge, since he was surprisingly not being as hostile or aggressive as she'd been expecting.

"Maybe one day, but you always lead with your strongest foot, so I'll do what must be done until I'm too unable to put up a good fight anymore. You might want to dream about something else though, because I have no intention of letting that happen anytime soon." Frasier said optimistically, only to completely shoot down the idea of anyone else even hoping to lead the group; certain that he was the most qualified despite the fact Hitomi had proven to be a natural leader herself. If she weren't, she, Noah and Marcus never would've made it here in the first place. And she knew that the sooner Frasier would recognize that, the better it would be for all of them if they were to keep working together.

"It might be sooner than you think if you don't pace yourself. You might be strong, but you'll tire yourself out if you keep going on these scavenging trips without any real rest. I realize time is of the essence, but this is something you really need to approach and think about carefully." Hitomi replied impatiently, as if waiting for him to show any signs of weakness or humility. Sadly she forgot who she was talking to.

"When we reach that bridge, I'll consider it. But until then, I lead these scavenging missions, girl." Frasier responded in a headstrong, condescending tone as if he actually believed that he couldn't possibly tire out. Without waiting for her to say anything, he stepped past her and made his way for the door; motioning Marcus and Noah to follow.

"Cocky bastard." Hitomi groaned after they left; watching from above as the three eventually exited from the lobby and wandered around the parking lot to find a suitable ride not riddled with bullet holes.

"Take that one. It's electric so it should be quiet compared to the rest of these cars." Noah suggested as Marcus nodded in agreement before carefully pulling on the door to see it was fortunately unlocked already. He then began to look for the key while Frasier walked over with a carbine and a shotgun in his hands.

"The day is already half over. We need to move fast if we want to avoid being caught in the middle of the night again." Frasier explained before putting the weapons in the back seat while Marcus now attempted to hotwire the electric car; trying his best to avoid setting off the car alarm. The engine suddenly started with a low hum as the other two smiled; knowing that Marcus was clearly eager and able to prove his worth around here now.

After carefully pulling out, they drove down the same road as last time; turning a different direction this time around to avoid potentially running into those hostile survivors from last time in case they'd decided to hole up somewhere nearby. Even though he didn't say anything during the whole trip, it still broke Noah's heart to know that people had already proven to be so quick to attack other survivors without any provocation. The thought of how many other people might have died from the hands of their fellow human beings over the last four days left a cold feeling in his stomach. Despite seeing a few grisly scenes of past carnage and brutality along the way, most likely at the hands of 'Them', the chilling sensation in the pit of his gut never left him. It was as if to remind him that danger was all around, and he could very likely be next should he ever lose focus even for a second.

Desperate to shake away his thoughts of dread, Noah decided to put his focus towards the outside world as it drifted past them. Luckily it was a warm, beautiful, sunny day. The deep blue sky contrasted quite well with the fluffy white clouds as they drifted by slowly. Birds could be seen flying overhead or simply hanging out perched on telephone poles and rooftops. It was pleasantly quiet, and only the occasional distant gunshot would go off to remind them that someone was still alive out there…at least for now.

"Hey, what's that up ahead?" Noah suddenly asked; causing Frasier and Marcus to look up and see what appeared to multiple people slowly coming into view in the middle of an alley. As they brought the car to a stop, there were two groups now in plain sight. Given by their expressions, it looked like an argument had broken out between them.

One group consisted of one man wearing what looked like camo fatigues accompanied by another man wearing a tattered business suit. Each one was holding what looked like improvised blunt weapons to protect themselves.

On the other side, there was a man and woman most likely in their mid-thirties wearing dirty casual clothes, with one small child standing right behind them in an elementary school uniform covered in blood. The small child was visibly trembling behind what could be presumed to be his parents.

Just a few feet away were multiple corpses scattered across the floor, presumably more of 'Them', given how each one had a smashed in head. Rotten brain matter seeped out of the open crevices that were once 'Their' faces. Blood was slowly oozing out the alley and into the street as the voices could now be heard more distinctly to confirm a disagreement had indeed broken out between the two groups.

"For the last time...he's not bitten! Let us clean him off and prove it!" the woman announced aggressively as she stepped towards the two men, only for all of them to slowly turn their gaze over to the Lawson's vehicle parked at the mouth of the alley.

The people kept watching with almost blank expressions as the car began to slowly drive on. Frasier kept his eyes straight forward and focused on driving; his expression completely blank and indifferent to whatever was happening between those people. Marcus and Noah however just kept staring as they attempted to listen in in the hopes of being able to figure what was happening.

"Frasier, stop. We should go see what's happening over there. They might need our help." Noah suggested, only for the car doors to suddenly lock with a loud click. He then looked back over his shoulder just in time to see Frasier suddenly speed up as if they were being chased.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Marcus asked angrily as the people in the alley were visibly startled when the car's engine gave a bit of a loud roar. The group of five disappeared completely from sight as they finally passed the alley, with Frasier showing absolutely no sign of turning around any time soon.

"I'm staying out of it, that's what. They're in no immediate danger, and we need to focus on the task at hand. Let them figure it out." Frasier explained in a dead serious tone; knowing that this time they wouldn't be able to run off against his orders and drag him into saving another group of most likely useless survivors. A twisting feeling made itself evident in Noah's gut as he couldn't stand the thought of them abandoning those people, especially that small child.

"What if those people were being mugged? Would you keep driving then?" Noah asked in frustration, as if trying to test just how distant and callous Frasier could truly be. However, silence was the only thing Noah was given, causing him to grit his teeth and clench his fists in anger.

"Frasier?!" Noah finally snapped; flinching back a bit when the brakes were suddenly slammed and Frasier reared his head back with an angered look burning in his eyes.

"What?! Why should they matter? It's all in the family, Noah. They are not one of us, nor are they a part of the mission parameters. So tell me why I should look out for and risk our lives for complete strangers who would most likely not return the favor?" Frasier snarled in a furious tone before descending into a more civil yet stern tone as he could see his initial outburst had caused both siblings to visibly recoil.

With no response, he just let out a disgruntled sigh and kept on driving down the road; knowing they weren't going to ever share his point of view on handling other survivors anytime soon.

The streets were dead quiet shortly after that. Aside from the electric car gently cruising by and the occasional flock of birds flying away, there was absolutely no life to be seen at first glance. Crashed or abandoned cars dotted the roads, sometimes with a body splayed out halfway through the shattered windshield or lying face first against a steering wheel. The sight of such death and destruction sent a chilling tremor through Marcus and Noah respectively. They couldn't dismiss the fact that these bodies were once people just like them; with lives so cruelly snuffed out just like that, and left to rot with nobody to ever mourn them. Not wanting to dwell on it too much, Marcus closed his eyes to recover some of his lost energy while Noah continued to look out the windows at the numerous passing scenes of long-past carnage. The only thing worse than the mutilated body parts was the vast amounts of blood that painted areas where people must have been attacked, yet no visible remains could be seen. It could only leave it up to his vivid imagination as to how it happened and whether or not the victims were still shambling around as one of 'Them'.

"Frasier, I have to ask you something else. It's really important too, so please don't blow it off as me being naive..." Noah suddenly asked, effectively breaking the temporary silence as he noticed Frasier's eyes momentarily glance back at him through the rear-view mirror before shifting back to the road.

"Alright, then just say it." Frasier answered disinterestedly, leaving Noah silent; trying to figure out how best to address what was on his mind now. Marcus meanwhile was switching his gaze back and forth between his brothers, curious to see where they would go with this.

"It's about Johann's girlfriend, Toshimi. I think we need to make finding her our top priority after we finish fortifying the hotel." Noah finally suggested; hoping deep down Frasier would show some heart for once and decide to help find her.

"I think Noah is absolutely right on this one. We have to help him find her any way we can." Marcus added as he and Noah exchanged optimistic glances with each other; both glad to see they were both still on the same page.

"I actually agree." Frasier replied without hesitation before turning the wheel around to curve around a tight bend nearly blocked off by a few crashed cars.

"Look, I know she isn't one of us, but-wait...did you just say that you agree?" Noah began to protest, only to stop halfway through his sentence to make sure he'd heard Frasier correctly. After all the instances of cold-blooded hostility towards the thought of helping anyone at all, was he finally lightening up? It seemed almost too good to be true, but nevertheless brought a bright smile to Noah's face.

"Toshimi is worth virtually nothing on her own, but she is very important to Johann. Even with his injury, he is still capable of helping us survive, and a part of me can trust him for now. Just the very thought of her motivates him, which I plan on taking full advantage of, even if she ends up dead when we find her." Frasier explained calmly as he kept his eyes on the road; showing no signs of empathy or concern for her potential wellbeing.

"So you're just looking for her to use Johann like a mere tool? That's it then? You don't even care whether she lives or dies?" Noah said in immense disappointment, feeling his previous optimism turn cold and nonexistent now that he knew Frasier's real intentions; disgusted that his brother would be so uncaring and cruel even when he was willing to help someone else.

"Honestly, yes. But I think the fact I'm showing any willingness to find her, a complete stranger mind you, at all should be taken as a blessing. So I suggest you be happy I'm willing to even go that far for her." Frasier answered as he tried to justify his reasons and motives to the other two as they looked at each other with mutual looks of both disappointment and disgust.

"Fine…whatever, man. So when do we begin the search?" Marcus commented bitterly before leaning back in his chair with a heavy, weary sigh; reluctantly accepting that Frasier was willing to help their friend the wrong reasons.

"I want one of you to look up the northern outskirts of the city and try to find any trails or roads that lead off into surrounding wilderness." Frasier instructed as he slowly pulled inside a large, yet completely abandoned, parking lot. At the end of the lot stood a large hardware store. The sight of the massive building without any sign of people moving around inside or outside of it gave it an unnaturally eerie atmosphere as Frasier looked upon it from the driver seat window.

"I'm on it now." Noah said as he pulled out his phone and began to scroll and zoom in on a 3-D digital layout of the city before slowly seeing the overwhelming amount of places they could potentially be hiding out in if they somehow hadn't managed to reach the woods yet.

"Not now, Noah. We're here now, so I need you two focused on the task at hand. Safeties off, and move in as a spearhead formation. Noah, you cover left. Marcus, you watch right. Keep an eye on your sixes. Let's go." Frasier said as he stepped out of the car and positioned himself a few meters ahead between his brothers as they did exactly as they were told upon stepping out themselves. Marcus and Noah flicked off the safety mechanisms on their carbines while Frasier kept his finger close to the trigger on his shotgun.

"Double-time." Frasier muttered as they switched from an alert walking pace to a rapid sprint to avoid being caught out in the open when he realized just how many vantage points could be used against them with absolutely no useful cover on the ground to use just in case they needed to.

One by one, they lined up against the door. Frasier quickly peeked into the glass display window of the large hardware store. After several seconds of intensely staring into the store through the window, he couldn't see any movements or suspicious shadows inside.

"I see no movement. Let's move in slowly for a closer look." Frasier whispered gently before they began to enter one by one through the sliding glass door that had been left wide open. The owner most likely had fled in a panic before locking up; Frasier figured as they stepped inside.

Upon entry, they could see the rest of the lights seemed to still be powered on; excluding a few that would occasionally flicker. Their eyes scanned for even the slightest hint of movement. What sounded like elevator music calmly played from the speakers, echoing through the empty expanse of the store.

All three stopped moving around as Frasier then looked to Marcus and nodded. Marcus gently cleared his throat before he began to hum as loudly and obviously as possible; trying his best to draw out any of 'Them' that might've been lurking in a spot of the seemingly abandoned store they couldn't see or had yet to check out.

Several minutes passed by before they all determined that it was safe to move onward. They carefully swept through the checkout stands to see several dozen personal and store items had been dropped and abandoned on the conveyor belts and across the floor. It had most likely occurred during the first hour of the outbreaks. Hopefully that meant that there was nobody around to be infected and that this entire area was safe to explore.

Noah looked up at the various aisles as it was quite clear this store was far larger than the gardening shop Frasier, Marcus and Johann had scavenged through the other day. The numerous signs and directions on the walls made that abundantly clear.

"Alright, it looks like they have fencing section. That has to be where they keep your precious barbed wire, Frasier." Noah suggested in a cheeky tone before he watched Frasier brush right past him and simply nod in response. Marcus, however, chuckled lightly at the comment and playfully jabbed Noah in the shoulder out of approval.

Marcus began to lightly hum a pleasant tune while they all three kept an eye out for anything else that might've come in handy they could potentially bring back with them. They passed several areas that had large tools such as sledgehammers, saws, and even electric drills that they all knew could greatly help for setting up some proper defenses.

"Here we are. Perfect." Frasier suddenly announced under his breath as he walked down an aisle only to instantly spot numerous lengths of barbed wire wrapped in coils; each one in protective packaging so that nobody would accidentally cut themselves on it. It would certainly make their transporting it to the car that much less of a hassle

"It just goes to show how fucked up this new world we live in is when we just took almost two hours to get something that could've been picked up in twenty minutes at the most before, and it's all for some pointy wire to keep out other survivors." Marcus commented as he watched Frasier stuff three barbed wire packages under his arm before motioning Noah to grab one more himself.

"Your point, Marcus?" Frasier asked with a raised eyebrow, uncertain why he felt the need to state the obvious, despite the all too clear reason he did just that. It was almost as if Frasier had completely given himself over to how this new world worked and couldn't even be bothered to see things from Marcus' reminiscent point of view anymore.

"Just giving a little perspective on how much things have changed already. It keeps you aware of the shite that's going on and reminds you of your surroundings." Marcus answered as he leaned against a display rack that nearly toppled over; causing him to barely grab it in time.

"Right, well while you do that, it's time for us to check out." Frasier retorted as if Marcus was just spouting a bunch of childish nonsense. Noah sighed heavily at Frasier's dismissal while Marcus quickly set the rack back up and darted over to avoid being alone for even a second.

They both followed Frasier close as the sounds of their respective footsteps echoed through the store. It made the atmosphere feel so chilling, so eerie. While the lack of hostile survivors and 'Them' was something to be grateful for, it did not help lower the intense anticipation of another attack Frasier felt with every step. Every unchecked corner, every missed room, every last crevice was an ambush just waiting to happen. None of the Lawson's knew this better than him. Not even at times of calm would he let his guard down. To him, all it took was a split second and one error in judgment to end it all; a mistake he had no intention of making anytime soon.

Just before they could head out the front door, the clouds appeared to have converged and formed a considerable dark grey coverage over the entire city. The air suddenly felt a lot cooler and more refreshing than before. Droplets of rain started to fall before entire volleys started to form a thick, pounding rainstorm within just a few minutes. The Lawson's quickly grabbed a cart and began to push all of the barbed wire packages out before loading them up in the trunk.

"Hmm, a nice little reminder of home." Frasier sighed softly in a rather pleasant tone as he held his hand out to feel the rain drops hitting his open palm. A rather nostalgic feeling always built up inside of him whenever he found himself in the rain.

"Think it's safe to drive in all this?" Noah asked as he looked up to see both Marcus and Frasier were trying to determine that for themselves as they watched the rain picking up harder by the second.

"Most likely not, but it's probably just a quick shower anyway. We can just wait it out for an hour or two. There's still plenty of daytime to be spared. I'll bring the car closer so we can keep a better eye on it from inside the store." Marcus finally answered before volunteering. At first, Frasier seemed hesitant, but luckily he handed over the keys without making a single fuss about it. Marcus eagerly swiped and was quickly on his way as Frasier and Noah retreated back into the store. Barely a minute passed before they could hear the quiet hum of the engine as the car slowly pulled in closer.

"Hey, this is Noah. I'm sure you've noticed it's raining now, so we're going to try and wait it out. Over." Noah suddenly said into the walkie-talkie as he watched the car slowly pull in.

"Roger, I'll be sure to have something cooked up for you guys when you get back. I mean if I don't burn the place down by accident. Over." Hitomi's voice quickly responded before cutting out again.

"Looking forward to it. Over and out." Noah answered as he put the walkie-talkie back into the book bag Frasier had slung over his shoulder that was carrying the rest of their most essential equipment beside their guns.

Within a minute, Marcus had the car parked up against the curb; right in front of the door should they have needed to leave in a hurry. Noah then brought over a few rolls of paper towels he found in the lavatory to help them all dry off. Each Lawson began to brush off whatever rain they could off of their clothes and weapons.

"It's kind of odd to hear something besides screaming, gunshots, and the occasional car crash. I'm not sure if I miss it or just expect it as a common thing now." Noah brought up as they all were now sitting by one of the checkout stands. Frasier sat on a stool while Noah and Marcus propped themselves up on the countertop.

"Enjoy it while you can, Noah. Something tells me this isn't going to end anytime soon." Frasier muttered as he crossed his arms before turning his head over to check on the front entrance; his eyes narrowing as if expecting to see something moving aside from the constant rainfall.

"So what do we do now that we know we might be stuck here for a while?" Noah asked as he sat up straight before stretching himself out a bit into a more relaxed posture. Both he and Marcus slowly turned to look at Frasier as he glanced back at them, as if he knew exactly what they were about to ask next.

"Let me guess: you want me to tell you about my training?" Frasier said in anticipation as both his brothers formed amused smirks and nodded in response.

"Well jog on, you pests. It's not happening." Frasier then announced while shaking his head at them for expecting him to change his tune on such a personal matter, given how stubborn he already was to share even one hint at what it was.

"Bloody tease." Noah grumbled in disappointment before Marcus raised both his middle and right index finger to their older brother out of annoyance before sticking his tongue out.

"Well, will you answer another question then? Anything we pick that's non-training related?" Marcus then asked curiously, hoping Frasier would possibly toss them a bone here.

"Hmm. I guess if you'll stop bugging me about it." Frasier answered in response as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity; wondering what else he could've possibly had in mind.

"Tell us how you met Saeko." Marcus then inquired as Noah looked back up with an equally eager expression, excited that they might finally get that whole mystery solved at the very least.

"You've got to be kidding me." Frasier said in a low grumble as he placed his face in the palm of his hand; knowing that he had to tell them something lest he wish to listen to them ask him more personal questions until the rain stopped pouring.

"Normally I'm the king of kidding around, but I'm dead serious this time. Give us something here. I promise not to laugh, no matter how silly it might be." Marcus said in a serious tone before vowing to be as respectful as humanly possible for his standards, even crossing his fingers over his heart.

"Fine. This was just a few weeks after father sent me to live here..." Frasier grumbled as he then leaned back in his chair before letting out a reluctant sigh; knowing that the rain wouldn't be letting up anytime soon.

 **Fujimi Academy**

 _(Three years ago)_

A loud bell began to ring in Frasier's ears before he sat up to see the rest of the students around him leaving the classroom in droves. Frasier casually pulled himself up from the desk before realizing the day was only half over now. Without anyone he wanted to talk to (or even associate with for that matter) he just made his way to one of the grassy hills to eat his lunch in solitude. His body slowly slumped against the large tree as he felt significantly cooler in the shade.

Despite being here for the last three weeks, he simply refused to interact, much less befriend, any of the other students. So far, to him, they were all weak and far too content with their comforting civilian lifestyle. He'd just watch as they went by his spot, judging and observing the different groups of his fellow students interacting among one another.

Just outside the school grounds, he heard the cries of a small child. He glanced over his shoulder past the gate, only to see a little boy on the ground holding his knee which had been slightly scraped from tumbling over the sidewalk. Within seconds his mother was there to comfort him and help ease the pain of the otherwise minor scratch. Looks of pain and sadness quickly shifted to that of joy and love before the young child was picked up from the ground; his small arms wrapping around his mother out of affection while both had warm smiles as they continued on their way.

Frasier then looked away and bowed his head only to feel his blood slightly boil. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel jealousy towards that young boy. A part of him wondered what it would've been like had his mother ever been there for him, which led to thoughts pondering the idea of his father being more loving and caring towards him. What would it have been like to be treated as a son rather than being treated as just another soldier?

"Mind if I join you?" a female voice suddenly asked in a soft yet serious tone. A small chill went down Frasier's spine, shocked at the fact that she had managed to approach him without him even noticing. Part of him blamed the momentary distraction as the rest of him felt rather cautious on whom he might be speaking with now.

Frasier slowly looked up only to find his intense stare instantly matched by another set of perfect blue eyes. At a quick glance, he could see the female student wearing that standard white dress shirt and green skirt that went down just a bit past her knees. Her dark purple hair formed a pointed fringe in the front and with two curved ones at the sides whilst the back of her hair was tied into a ponytail that only reached the back of her neck.

"Do not mind." Frasier shortly responded in the most basic dialect, given how he had only just started speaking Japanese just a few weeks ago. He then averted his eyes and looked back to see that the kid and his mother had long since left. He let out a sigh before realizing it was for the best that he didn't dwell on something he could never change now.

"So why do you eat alone? Is there something wrong with you I should know about?" the girl suddenly inquired with a rather curious undertone, as if he had done something to pique her interest, as if expecting him to tell her something most would not expect.

"Plenty." Frasier grumbled as he leaned back against the tree; trying his best not to look back at those piercing eyes of hers. Something about them gave him a rather uneasy feeling.

"Like what? Some details would be nice." the girl asked with a hint of annoyance now hanging in her voice.

"What do you want? Why so many questions?" Frasier then responded in an equally annoyed tone as he looked over to her, noticing that she was staring right back at him as if it were a challenge.

"You seem out of place here, and not just for the obvious reasons. I just can't help but notice how you stick out compared to the others. It...Intrigues me." she then confessed as there was a rather soft coo in her voice now, causing Frasier to inadvertently blush.

"So tell me: what do you intend to make of yourself when you've finished school?" she continued to ask before gently swaying back and forth where she stood.

"Military. At least, I did until I made a mistake. My aggression has betrayed me…quite dearly." Frasier initially said before his voice slowly drifted off, feeling certain that he had no place in this world now; speaking as if nothing could ever hope to fill that void.

"I see...so just how ready did you feel for the military, if you don't mind me asking?" the young girl said out of sympathy before she then began to pry a little deeper, genuine curiosity hanging in her every word.

"More than ninety nine percent of the recruits we use now. I was trained in the art of war by my father for as long as I can remember. It is my duty and my honor to serve my home of England." Frasier suddenly said in a rather proud and energetic tone. The girl couldn't help but form a warm smile to see him become so enthusiastic; let alone the fact he said more than just a basic grunt as an excuse of an answer for once.

"Well, that certainly seemed to get you excited. Oh, forgive me for my lack of manners, I should introduce myself. My name is Saeko Busujima. If you come with me, I can help teach you to channel that aggression of yours." the young woman then announced with her warm, rather inviting smile as her hand was extended to him. Frasier glanced at it for just a moment before he slowly looked back up to her thin lips and deep blue eyes. Something about the genuine kindness radiating from her smile seemed to somehow diffuse all defensive feelings in Frasier simultaneously. For the first time ever, he actually felt…at ease, like he could put 100% of his trust into this girl, this…Saeko.

At first he was still feeling uncertain, but he then formed a genuine smile of his own and took her hand; feeling relatively shocked to see how tight her grip was as he stood back up. The two students then walked off towards the school side by side. For once, Frasier felt optimistic; feeling as though this truly was a fresh new start for him.

 **Z-Day+3**

"That's it?" Marcus suddenly interjected in a very disappointed voice; immensely hoping that there could've possibly been more to it than just that.

"Yes. What, were you expecting there to be some big fight or something more epic?" Frasier replied before raising an eyebrow at his sibling's reaction; feeling somewhat offended that that was all Marcus had to say in response to him finally laying out some of his deepest feelings and fondest memories for his brothers to see.

"Well, yeah..." Marcus retorted as he crossed his arms, still disappointed that there was nothing entertaining in that story from his perspective.

"I don't know, I thought it was nice. I never thought I'd ever hear something like this from you, Frasier. Think about it, the beginning of your first crush." Noah complimented as he was rather happy to hear that Frasier actually could still feel something towards another human being even in his darkest time those few years ago.

"Thank you, Noah. Wait...hey!" Frasier acknowledged in thanks only to just realize what his younger brother had just said. Soft chuckles came from both his brothers as he couldn't help but groan out of embarrassment despite how obvious he was. A second later, Frasier couldn't help but nervously laugh as he started to realize there was no use in being distant about his feelings any longer.

"So…when do you think we can go home?" Noah suddenly brought up, effectively killing all the laughter in the room as Frasier and Marcus began to ponder the same thing. They'd been so focused on securing where they were, they never even took the time to consider how or if they'd ever be able to really go back home. And then, there was the question of what could've possibly been waiting for them there if they did make it.

"I guess that all depends. Do you mean before or after this mess has all blown over?" Frasier followed up as he looked over to his concerned little brother, momentarily having no idea how to answer that.

"I'd say before. I doubt this nightmare will be ending anytime soon. So many people have died in just the first day alone. How many can you estimate have been turned by now?" Marcus responded grimly as Noah looked down while trying to calculate the most likely statistic. Frasier meanwhile looked back to the car instinctively to make sure it was still there and that no one was about to get the drop on them.

"Blimey, isn't that the question of the day...I'd say millions for certain. Christ, maybe even a billion by the end of the week? Most people aren't trained or as lucky as we've been." Noah answered hesitantly; hating to think of all those human lives being snuffed out all at once, with no hope of anyone being able to stop it. Chills ran down both their backs as they remained silent; taking the moment of silence to realize how much harsher this world had really just become in a mere four days time.

Just when nothing else could really be said, the rain suddenly stopped. A few warm rays of light suddenly began to break through the dark grey murky clouds that still filled the sky. Not needing to check the time, it was quite clear to the Lawson brothers that the sun would be going down within the next hour or two.

Marcus eagerly kept the keys and was quick to take the wheel while Frasier and Noah quickly climbed in after him; both of them slightly nervous of how he was going to be driving considering how excited he looked. The water covering the streets didn't help ease them up either; seeing how fast Marcus loved to drive. Within minutes, the car had taken off with a large wave of water splashing behind the tires as the hardware store was left in the distance.

The drive was rather quiet and calm this time. Not a single one of 'Them' had been seen for the past several hours alone. While being a welcome change of pace, this did not give the brothers a sense of relief. It instead brought up the question of where could 'They' have possibly gone? It was almost as if they were expecting to run into a massive horde just around the next corner.

"While I'm thinking about it, Noah, why don't you show me how this works?" Frasier suddenly requested curiously as he suddenly held up Noah's smartphone to see how it could give them a layout of the area, especially if they really were going to bother looking for Toshimi like Noah had asked.

"It's really easy, actually. Just tap that, then that…okay, now open up Google Maps." Noah calmly instructed as he began to help walk Frasier through the process of using a touch-pad.

"Well, that's surprisingly convenient. It almost makes me wish that I had bought one like you suggested a few years back." Frasier said with a childlike sense of amusement as he watched the various icons moving and responding to his right index finger.

"There's still plenty around I'm certain. It's never too late to loot some." Noah said with enthusiasm as he was quite certain nobody in their right mind would be trying to loot and ransack the phone stores in the middle of the apocalypse.

"I said 'almost', Noah." Frasier retorted dismissively as he began to slowly swipe his finger along the phone to see the layout of the area. He couldn't help but feel a slight sense of amazement at how it could tell him their exact location and distance despite being a piece of civilian hardware. Just as he had begun to have the controls down, the screen suddenly went blank for no reason whatsoever as far as he could tell. Annoyed at the lack of response, he began to tap harder and harder against it before letting out an annoyed grunt. The whole time, none of the Lawson brothers noticed the scattered rays of sunlight had momentarily grown much brighter, as though a fierce light was burning high above the cloud cover.

"What happened? What did you do to my phone?" Noah suddenly asked confusedly when he also noticed that the screen went black and remained that way despite how hard he tried to turn the device back on.

"Nothing I shouldn't have. I was just scrolling and it suddenly went black on me. Maybe the battery died?" Frasier said, uncertain what had just happened as he slapped the screen only for it to remain as dark and unresponsive as before.

"That's impossible! I had at least fifty percent power left on it." Noah replied before he noticed that the car had begun to suddenly pick up speed while going downhill. He and Frasier looked up to realize that they weren't slowing down at all.

"Marcus, slow down! You're going too fast!" Frasier instructed sternly as he looked to see they were picking up more speed than Marcus could possibly hope to control if he did nothing about it, and the wet streets were only making them go that much faster.

"It's not me! This little pussy electric car won't respond!" Marcus shouted once he realized the car's controls wouldn't respond to any of his commands. However, this didn't keep him from trying his very hardest to fight the steering wheel.

"Oh, shit! Look!" Noah suddenly announced before pointing straight ahead to warn them their course was about to slingshot them into a river. No guard railing could be seen as the road just abruptly ended and would send them over a grassy slope and straight into the water.

"Bail out!" Frasier ordered as he was about to grab one of the doors only to be pulled back by Noah at the last second.

"We can't! We'll just break our bones or tear ourselves up at the speed we're going!" Noah protested, his voice trembling with anxiety while Marcus continued to attempt to steer the wheels in the right direction; doing his best to avoid hitting any of the nearby vehicles abandoned or crashed on the side of the road.

"Fuck...hang on!" Frasier said as they braced themselves for whatever was to come next. As the car was officially shot into the air for just a brief moment, all three Lawson's felt like time had stopped just long enough for them to see the entire car becoming engulfed by the water; slowly sinking into the depths, going in hood first.

 ***bwoosh***

The initial shock of the car crashing into the river caused them to all shake violently in their seats. Their vision blurred a bit as the car continued to nose dive into the water.

"Oh…Christ, that hurt...is everyone alright?" Frasier grumbled roughly before looking to see Noah was slowly pulling himself up. Marcus however remained completely silent as his face was slammed against the air bag that had deployed on impact.

"Marcus!? C'mon, wake up! Get up!" Noah suddenly began to cry out as he shook his older brother's shoulders, only to feel his heart sinking when he didn't even budge. Frasier looked absolutely horrified at Marcus' motionless form, but was quickly relieved to feel a pulse when pressing his fingertips under Marcus' lower jawline.

"Noah! You need to calm down. There isn't much time before the water pressure locks us in." Frasier announced as he tried to lower the windows only for them to not respond to the button.

"What about Marcus? Is he going to be okay?" Noah asked concernedly as he tried to open the window on his side only to feel his chest closing tight on his lungs when his window also refused to pull down.

"The airbag knocked him out cold. Just settle down and breathe calmly. You're wasting what little air we have left." Frasier said without any concern as he was solely focused on figuring a way for them to get out of this deathtrap.

"Right! Can't waste precious air! Can't panic now! Just...can't..." Noah said between his desperate gasps for air, quickly hyperventilating from the stress. His eyes slowly rolled up as he fell back into his seat. The pressure of their situation had overwhelmed the young teen so badly that he had inadvertently pushed himself into fainting at the worst possible time.

 _'Oh, great! That's just fucking perfect! What's next, God? Want to hit me with a thunder bolt while you're at it, you cunt?!'_ Frasier thought to furiously himself, as if actually expecting a response. Grumbling under his breath, he managed to compose himself long enough to unfasten all three seat belts. Now he could freely begin to put all his might into pushing the car door open.

Without time to waste, he tried to open the door, but the water pressure was far too strong at this point even for him. He could tell now that the only way it would be able to open at this point was if he was to pressurize the car by allowing water to fill it up, which he of course knew wouldn't be the best plan right now. He knew couldn't give up so soon as he quickly began to anticipate the best places to strike for an exit point.

Certain that the front windshield would be the hardest part to break open, his attention now shifted over to the windows on the side of the car. He began to hammer his fist against it, but whatever this car had been made of proved to be exceptionally good quality. Fear and anxiety began to creep into his heart as he felt too weak when he could see his strikes hardly made a crack. His teeth grit together as time and oxygen were slowly but surely running out for them.

"I can't do it. I'm too fucking tired. I can't..." Frasier muttered to himself as he slumped back; feeling pain throbbing in his fists and biceps. He began to pant heavily as it steadily became harder to breathe. His body trembled as all the doubts and voices began to fill his head; glimpses of past events burning into his mind now as he shook his head; feeling his focus being drained.

"Tired?! Is that what those straw men call it nowadays? You've become a soft, weak, pathetic excuse for a man. What the hell was I thinking trying to raise you into joining our military? What a waste of time you are." Arthur's voice suddenly rang out in his ears as his low, disappointed voice and unforgettable scowl burned itself into Frasier's subconscious; digging at one of his deepest fears: Failure.

"I tried, father...honest..." Frasier mumbled as if all the courage and headstrong confidence had been evaporated from his very soul. The very idea of failure drowned his mind in a sea of doubt and pain.

"There is no award for 'trying' in this man's army! Get your sorry arse up and do it again! Or do I need to find someone who can replace you again?" Arthur interrupted as he energetically slapped Frasier's words aside like they were nothing but cheap excuses.

Those last words, while a self-reflection of his own personal feelings, struck a real close and personal cord in Frasier. To be so callously pushed aside and abandoned drove him into a darkness he never wanted to be in again. Being tossed away like yesteryears technology; easily outdated and replaced at the snap of the fingers.

"No! I am Frasier Lawson! A military prodigy among military prodigies! How dare you make such a foul claim and expect me to take it like some bloody dog? I'll show you! I'll show all of you fucking weaklings who say otherwise!" Frasier suddenly shouted to himself in frenzy as his eyes shot wide open; his neck visibly tensing up as veins began to form along the sides.

Without hesitation, he began to tear off his sleeves and the shin portion of his pants before proceeding to do the same with Marcus and Noah's clothes. Taking the tattered shreds of cloth, he slowly began to wrap them around their noses and mouths to help keep them from accidentally inhaling water should they be able to escape. There was only just enough cloth for two makeshift masks.

He then clenched his hands against two seats before narrowing his gaze at the windows. Focusing all of his rage and energy into his legs now; without any hesitation or restraint, he suddenly kicked his leg out against the window. Despite a strong physical reaction shooting through his legs and back up to his brain, he ignored the slight pain this brought him and just kept pushing.

 ***crack***

Numerous white lines suddenly formed along the impact spot just under his shoe. Still enraged by the harsh words ringing in his head, he kicked over and over like a child having a tantrum. He kept feeling the glass slowly fracturing under his feet before watching the window tremble from both the water pressure ready to burst it wide open and his strong legs trying to create an opening.

 ***smash***

The last kick had finally caused a breach necessary enough to cause the glass to shatter, only for the freezing cold water to quickly start pouring in to where the car would be completely flooded within just a few seconds. He could feel the goosebumps forming along his arms and legs; the hair on the back of his neck standing up; the icy cold water causing him to immediately start shivering.

"Colder than a witch's tit." Frasier shuddered as his teeth loudly chattered together. His resolve however would not dwindle as he slowly pulled Marcus over the front seats and over the back with Noah, making sure to keep their heads out of the water for as long as possible.

Taking one last gasp for air, he suddenly began to push his two siblings out the window, one at a time. First Noah went through before being shortly followed by Marcus. Frasier then narrowly pulled himself out, feeling a sharp pain in his side in the process from such a tight squeeze. Pain however was not something he tended to keep in his personal vocabulary. Not when there was so much on the line.

Grasping the back of his siblings' collars, his legs began to kick as hard as they possibly could. So much energy had been expended during this crisis; he could feel himself starting to feel the physical toll weighing down on him. All his muscles and nerves were practically flaring at this point to where the freezing cold water hardly registered to him. Nothing mattered more than the safety of his brothers, even if it meant he had to drown in the process.

Unable to see any light, he just swam what he could've sworn was up. Using up whatever strength and energy his body could muster from within itself, his lungs slowly squeezed tight against his chest as his throat ran dry. The back of his mind was steadily blurring out and heavily throbbing harder with every passing second. Nothing but sheer instinct and raw determination was driving him at this point now.

Just when it felt like he'd never reach the surface, he suddenly broke free and felt the cool air instantly breeze against his face. A massive gasp for air escaped his lips as he then began to steadily swim for what looked like dry land. Within a minute of desperate flailing and powerful kicks, Frasier finally heaved both Noah and Marcus onto the grassy slope that led back up to the street.

Feeling completely and utterly winded, Frasier began to cough heavily as he barely could keep his own two eyes open any longer. He felt his body shivering all over from being wet and exposed to the cold evening air. His large hands pulled off the cloth wraps he had tied around Marcus and Noah's faces, desperate to make sure they could still breathe after all of that. To his relief, their chests were still rising as their noses would occasionally twitch; indicating they'd make it.

"Wake up already." Frasier muttered weakly to his brothers, only to suddenly feel his face planting itself down in the grass. His breathing slowed down as he remained in place for several minutes, barely hanging onto his conscious. Both his eyes slowly closed as he could now only hope that one of his brothers would wake up before the 'They' could find their defenseless bodies exposed and completely out in the open.

Moments later, Noah suddenly felt his eyes open up to see the cloudy dusk sky hanging above him as if it was now in reaching distance. He playfully reached up only to feel a chilling breeze help him realize that his entire body was now freezing cold. An odd numbing sensation had now overtaken almost all feeling in his limbs. His body was soaking wet while what remained of his torn up outfit was drenched to the last fiber.

A weak groan was all he could make before slowly lurching up to see Frasier and Marcus sprawled out on the grassy slope just a few meters from the edge of the river. It was then that he suddenly recalled how they were trapped in a sinking car only for the world to go blank when he had suddenly blacked out from the sheer panic.

"Please have a pulse, please have a pulse." Noah mumbled over and over to himself as he reached out to them, only to feel joy fill his heart when he could detect two pulsating sets of arteries from his elder brothers' necks.

When he managed to force himself up off the ground, he stumbled at first before realizing they were now completely exposed and vulnerable out in the open like they were. Noah quickly observed his environment to see that no street lights or shops had any lights on now. Something about all this felt very wrong, given the fact they were all on just a few hours ago. Perhaps someone had turned off the power grid to reserve energy elsewhere? There were several factors that could play into this that Noah simply didn't have the time to worry about. All that mattered right now was that they find shelter to recollect themselves before returning back to the hotel.

"C'mon, you guys...rise and shine!" Noah suddenly said to Marcus as he began to lightly slap at his brother's cheeks. At first it seemed pointless, but soon enough his eyes twitched before he slowly awoke to see Noah hovering over him. A sharp pain filled his cheeks as they turned red with handprints all over them.

"Huh? W-what happened? And what happened to our clothes?" Marcus lightly muttered as he rubbed his eyes while trying to properly sit up; realizing how freezing cold it felt when a gust of wind flew by, causing both of them to start shivering.

"I-I think Frasier must've tore them up so when our clothes soaked up water, we wouldn't weigh as much. At least I assume that's what happened." Noah estimated before motioning over to Frasier's body to show that his clothes were also tattered and torn strategically at the arms and shins.

"Clever bastard...what happened to me? Don't tell me I fainted or something silly like that." Marcus then asked as he felt his face to make sure there were no cuts or anything he might not be able to feel from the cold.

"The airbag knocked you out. I'm the one who fainted. I just panicked and made things worse. Frasier was right. I'm not cut out for this." Noah expressed as they both turned to see him slowly pushing himself back up while heavily breathing; both of them feeling uneasy at the sight of fresh blood coming from his left hip.

"Frasier! Are you alright? Why are you bleeding?" Noah asked worriedly as he rushed to Frasier's side with Marcus, almost as if he was a medic; lifting up Frasier's shirt a bit to see that bits of glass were wedged into his side.

"I'm fine! But one of us needs to go grab that book bag and the wire." Frasier exclaimed as he pushed Noah back a bit before proceeding to pry the bits of glass from his own body; his face only slightly wincing as bloody shards were slowly pinched out.

"Are you daft?! After all that, you want to go back in? You're bloody certifiable if you seriously think that's a good idea." Marcus argued as there was almost no way in hell that he'd even consider this to be a good idea; scowling in frustration as Frasier just glared right back at him.

"Aside from the fact it's carrying the very thing we need the most right now, Mark's radio is also in there. We'll be unable to contact Hitomi or Johann until we get back that bag. You can just stay here if you're still afraid of the water." Frasier answered in a condescending tone before prepping himself to re-enter the river despite nearly drowning in it only minutes ago.

"I'll do it. You're body needs to recover, Frasier. Besides, you know I'm the best swimmer...at least, when I'm conscious." Noah suddenly said as he volunteered to do what he knew had to be done. Both his brothers were internally debating this decision, only to step back when they realized they had no other choice but to let him try.

 ***splash***

Both brothers just watched as Noah hopped right back in; counting down how long he had gone under. Should he have gone any further than a minute and a half, that's when they'd decided they would intervene. Every second felt like an eternity as they just stood there, anxiously awaiting him to suddenly pop back out of the river. Marcus' foot nervously tapped the grass as Frasier seemed like he was poising himself to jump back in.

Just when it had seemed that Noah had run into trouble, his head suddenly emerged from further down the river. Both Marcus and Frasier sighed out of sheer relief as they watched him proudly kick his way back up to land with the book bag latched around his shoulders and the three wire packages tucked under his arms. As they helped pull him out, he had the largest grin they'd ever seen, as if he felt that he'd made the entire family line proud.

"Proper job, Noah, bloody proper job. Father would be proud." Frasier said as he then opened up the bag to see that the items he left inside was still dry thanks to the bag being water sealed. Marcus meanwhile was busy high-fiving Noah, relieved to know they could now contact the others back at the hotel.

"Hitomi, this is Frasier reporting in to let you know we're on our way back. We had a bit of a detour and we're in really bad shape. Over." Frasier spoke into the radio only for it to be dead silent. There wasn't even any static to indicate that the other side simply wasn't responding. An uneasy feeling filled the pits of their stomachs when Frasier let out a low growl before squeezing the device to the point it was about to crack the casing.

"What's wrong? Are the batteries knocked loose or something?" Noah questioned as he snatched the device and opened up the case only to see they were perfectly in place. What made things worse is that they were specifically meant to last for a lot longer than they did. There was no earthly reason they should've been zapped dry like this.

"No matter. We keep moving no matter what. It's already nightfall and we aren't alone anymore. Let's go." Frasier said dismissively before prompting the other two to follow as they all looked over to see several of 'Them' we're now steadily forming a small mob just above the hill top they had driven over. A ghastly wave of sighs and hungry growls now filled the air.

"Of course the walking freaks show up when we don't have our guns. Think we can take this many on with our knives?" Marcus cursed softly before asking about their odds of winning a head on fight.

"No. Wait for it." Frasier firmly instructed as he held his hand out to make sure Marcus knew to stay put.

"Wait for what?" Marcus asked confusedly; having no idea just what Frasier was planning.

Before any answers could be given, the undead began to slowly walk off of the streets and onto the grassy slope. At first nothing out of the ordinary occurred, but just as the slope became slightly steeper, all of the undead suddenly lost balance and began to tumble and roll down towards the Lawson's.

"Go!" Frasier announced suddenly as they all sprang forward like bullets being launched from the barrel; making sure to avoid being tripped up as they leapt over the rolling bodies and kept on the more open pathways to ensure none of 'Them' could inadvertently grab their feet or ankles.

Just as they reached the top of the slope, several more packs of 'Them' all noticed the commotion. Within seconds, entire packs of the walking dead were approaching from almost every angle the Lawson brothers could see.

"Quick, up on those cars." Marcus suddenly suggested as they followed him and quickly scaled a nearby mini-van. Without any time to waste, they ran along a long conga line of cars parked or abandoned in front of one another. Several bloody, decaying grey hands lashed and reached out for them seconds after passing by as several of 'Them' slumped over the hoods of the vehicles one after another. For some odd reason, the car alarms all refused to go off.

At the end of the line, the brothers leapt off to see they had just barely escaped the undead blockade that had now turned around to follow them. Luckily the siblings wasted no time to rest and simply ran into the night; knowing they had a long way to go before returning back to the hotel. Several times they would stumble upon a pack or two of a dozen, but for the most part it wasn't anything they couldn't outrun or simply outsmart. Together they kept one another going no matter how tired, fatigued, winded, or exhausted they might've all really felt. They were just barely running on fumes, guiding themselves through the city by natural instinct and memorizing the various street signs.

Roughly an hour passed by of constant running to avoiding any detection by the undead packs that were now nearly filling every alley and narrow side street. Every block it seemed the dead were forming larger and larger hordes. Most would keep moving north while some would straggle and inevitably break away to wander alone, left in the wake by the main bulk of the respective horde the creatures were once a part of.

It was once night had well and truly fallen that the Lawson's finally reached the hotel. Thankfully it seemed like any of 'Them' that had been chasing after them had long since been lost; thus allowing the three to finally collapse and take a moment to catch their breaths, just as Hitomi and Johann came running out the entrance to greet them.

"Oh my god, what happened to you guys? Are you alright?" Johann asked worriedly as Hitomi helped Marcus and Noah to their feet while Frasier refused her help and picked himself back up.

"Yeah…we're fine. The car we had suddenly died and nearly flung us into the river. But luckily we didn't come out of this empty handed." Frasier replied as he handed Johann the three packages of barbed wire.

"Hopefully we don't have to do anything that crazy again, at least for a while. Glad to see you guys are both still okay. And good work with killing the lights at sundown." Marcus expressed gratefully and appreciatively, only for Hitomi and Johann to glance at each other worriedly.

"What's wrong" Noah asked concernedly once he saw the looks in their eyes. The entire time they'd been running, they'd never taken the opportunity to notice just how truly dark and quiet the city had really become.

"You guys…we didn't kill the lights. All the power suddenly died while you were gone. None of the phones are working, none of the TV's; the entire city's just…gone completely dark." Hitomi explained; watching as all three Lawson's eyes went wide at this revelation.

It had been difficult enough for them to maintain what safety and supplies they had before. But if all power to the city had gone out…there was no telling what could possibly happen now.


	7. Chapter 7: Crossroads

**Moscow, Russian Federation**

 **Z-Day+3**

 **[God of War 3 OST - Labor of Destruction]**

Light snow floated down onto the hectic streets of the Russian capitol. The air itself was thick with a suffocating blanket of smoke from the numerous raging fires. The entire city was filled with a deafening cacophony of automatic gunfire, the incessant wailing of emergency sirens, the whistling and subsequent explosions of artillery fire, the shrieks of jet engines, the puttering of helicopters flying by, and the sound of voices amplified by megaphones, drowned out by the screams of civilians caught in the chaotic maelstrom. Only a few battalions of OMON officers were able to hold back the smaller hordes of 'Them', while the larger ones swept through anything in the way like a tidal wave. Many officers tried to command whoever was left while also directing any civilians out in the open to get behind their lines or get into the nearest building, reinforce the entrances and exits and stay there.

A squadron of jets suddenly zoomed over the scene, leaving their mark in the sky with thin white lines; cutting through the thick black smoke before vanishing into the distance as quickly as they'd appeared; most likely ordered on a danger-close strike needed elsewhere in the city. All the nearby buildings and landmarks were in complete ruin as the fighting had raged on for four days straight with no sign of stopping anytime soon. With every one of 'Them' that would manage to get put down, over a dozen more would take its place.

Saint Basil's Cathedral was now reduced to having entire chunks of its walls and legendary flame-styled roof blown out from what could only have been misdirected artillery strikes amid all the confusion and pandemonium. The smoke of the fires within the beautiful monument now helped fill the dreary grey skies as only the most desperate were trying to use it as shelter now.

The Moskva River was now filled with the bodies and corpses of those who had fallen; living and undead alike. Entire piles would flow through the now red water; clumping together only to be then set aflame in an oil fire running across the width of the river to prevent the spread of the infection. The wretched and putrid smell of burnt flesh filled the air as the soldiers along the banks who had set the fires could only weep and grimace at what they'd had to do to the bodies of their own countrymen. No amount of training could've prepared any of them to be able to burn the very people they had grown up with and sworn to protect.

The Kremlin was heavily locked down with handfuls of soldiers and civilian conscripts alike fighting tooth and nail to hold the line against the thousands upon thousands of their undead former comrades. While the soldiers still managed to nail their respective targets in the head amid all the shouting and deafening gunfire, the conscripts could barely hold a rifle, let alone know to hit the head of their target; although every few in a dozen somehow managed to hit their targets so as to help slow down even a small bit of the horde. Sandbags were lined up at every key choke point as machine gun emplacements covered them with several respective units to accompany and defend their flanks. Barbed wire had been laid out all across the line to help slow the advance; but it was soon trampled over by the ongoing masses.

The snarls and growls that howled with the wind were met with an even more intense volley of gunfire. Burning hot chunks of red lead flew through the air and penetrated the flesh of the undead. The ash-covered ground was soon blanketed in spent shell casings as every man lucky enough to have a gun refused to let up on their barrage. Freshly spilt necrotic blood and severed limbs left rained down across the ground as the undead were continuously cut down into ribbons.

No matter how many of 'Them' the survivors seemed to be able to mow down, more would continuously show up to take 'Their' place. Whenever one of the survivors would be overwhelmed and devoured screaming by the undead; the rest would only harness that rage to fight harder, showing no mercy to the decaying hordes that limped and like an infinite ocean toward them. No matter what, the brave survivors knew that there was no retreat and no surrender when an enemy penetrated Moscow. It was the Russian way. It was in their blood to fight to the last man for their motherland. History had proven so time and time again. The Napoleon Empire could not hold Moscow; the Third Reich's immense war machine could not break Moscow, and these men now would be damned if they allowed the undead to take their home now.

A massive carrier plane suddenly soared over the Red Square, dropping in heavy tanks via parachute with airborne infantry to support them and alert them of anything they might not be able to spot. The cables and harnesses quickly came off with a loud *snap* before the metal goliaths' engines roared and their rotatable turrets began to turn to face the bulk of the hordes.

"Загрузка противопехотных раунд!" **(Loading Anti-Personnel round!)** A loader announced as he made sure to use the best anti-infantry round they had available first.

"Цель и расстояние подтверждена. Готовые на заказ, сэр." **(Target and distance confirmed. Ready on your order, sir.)** A spotter called out as the gunners worked to keep the sights honed in on the center of their target for maximum damage.

"Огонь!" **(Fire!)** The tank commander shouted into the radio; his voice quickly replaced by the sound of numerous tanks firing in all different directions. The entire square was now filled with the sound of the shells being hammered out, only for the actual explosions to erupt with apocalyptic fury all around. Most of the walking corpses that weren't automatically burned to unrecognizable cinders or blown to thousands of gruesome chunks were sent in several directions at once. Limbs spun in the air and rained down as other corpses were now reduced to crawling on the ground if 'They' were lucky enough to still have an arm to crawl with.

The tank crews and airborne infantry ignored the ringing in their ears as they waited for the smoke to clear up first before firing another barrage. However, to their dismay, the large clumps of undead that were killed had only been replaced within seconds. 'Their' full attention was now focused on the tanks as 'They' slowly began to advance like a decaying river.

 **[]**

Within the halls of the Kremlin, gunshots echoed all throughout as military and security officers alike tried to hold off the slowly growing numbers of 'Them' that were somehow managing to make 'Their' way inside. Inside a heavily fortified conference chamber, men in business suits sat around a large table while a tall man at the end slowly pulled off his long winter coat and set it behind him on the neck of his seat; taking numerous deep breaths to help calm his nerves while dabbing at the beads of cold sweat forming on his troubled brow.

His long fingers slowly extended against the table's smooth surface as he sat back down and postured himself upright as if remembering that now more than ever, he needed to look strong before his political advisers in this time of extreme crisis. He knew his words commanded high respect from the people of the Russian Federation, and his actions spoke even louder when an order was mandated.

"Президент Бодуров, наша ситуация только ухудшается с каждым часом. Несмотря все наши усилия, мертвые просто продолжают поступать и расширение их число с каждым жертвы они принимают. ФСБ даже сообщил, что несколько военных объектов уже потемнели и молчал в течение четырех дней, теперь." **(President Bodurov, our situation is only growing worse with every passing hour. In spite our best efforts, the dead just keep coming and expanding their numbers with every victim they take. The FSB has even reported that several military installations have gone dark and have been silent for four days now.)** A cabinet member announced in a soft yet clearly weary voice as he slid over several documents and casualty reports.

"Сэр, как министр обороны, я настоятельно рекомендуем, что мы покинуть Москву сейчас, пока еще есть шанс. Мы должны перегруппироваться и создан штаб в другом месте. Я ненавижу это говорить, но, похоже, Москва потеряла, и мы будем, а если вы не сделать что-то в ближайшее время." **(Sir, as minister of defense, I highly advise that we leave Moscow now while there's still a chance. We must regroup and set up headquarters elsewhere. I hate to say it, but it sounds like Moscow is lost, and we will be as well if you donot do something soon.)** A man in a heavily decorated military uniform spoke in a gravelly voice as he clearly was doing everything in his power to maintain his composure; his hands clenching to the point his knuckles were white as a sheet. It went against every fiber in his being to say such words, but he knew the survival of this country's leaders was absolutely vital if they were to ever have any hope of reclaiming what had already been lost.

"Мы должны сосредоточиться на спасении как многие из гражданских лиц, как мы можем. Чем меньше людей эти вещи могут заразить, тем лучше борьба завтра будет для нас. После того, как все крупные города эвакуированы, мы можем перегруппироваться и очистить их как одно целое." **(We must focus on rescuing as many of the civilians as we can. The less people those things can infect, the better the fight tomorrow shall be for us. Once all major cities are evacuated, we can regroup and purge them as one.)** Another man in a blue suit spoke up in protest; his face showing many clear signs of exhaustion after having to sit in this room, arguing and racking his brain for solutions for the last four days.

"Забудьте гражданских лиц! Пусть постоять за себя сейчас так мы можем сосредоточиться на правильном контратаку. Чем дольше мы ждем, чтобы отодвинуть, тем труднее будет остановить это безумие распространение. Люди будут умирать, независимо, поэтому мы должны атаковать как можно скорее. Может быть, даже бутылку с зажигательной смесью, чтобы предотвратить их его полностью." **(Forget the civilians! Let them fend for themselves for now so we can focus on a proper counterattack. The longer we wait to push back, the harder it will be to stop this madness from spreading. People will die regardless, so we need to attack as soon as possible. Maybe even firebomb them to prevent it entirely.)** A third man in a black suit suddenly burst out, catching everyone's attention as he slammed his palms down onto the table. A horrid chill filled the room as they listened to the sheer cruelty of what he was suggesting they do to their own people.

"Такие иронические слова, идущие от министра государства. Для думаю, что вы были размещены здесь для вашего любви народа!" **(Such ironic words coming from the minister of state. To think you were placed here for your love of the people!)** The second man suddenly spat back angrily; his face turning red as he couldn't stomach the thought that this man of all people could be so heartless.

"Следите за языком, вы свиньи! Я смотрю на картину здесь, и я даю президенту реальные предложения, которые обеспечат нашу победу против этой чумы!" **(Watch your tongue, you pig! I'm looking at the big picture here, and I'm giving the president real suggestions that WILL secure our victory against this plague!)** The third man spat back with pure venom; his eyes bloodshot and half-crazed, as if the paranoia and fear of the dead breaking into this room had finally snapped his sense of rationality and morality.

Before anyone else could verbally joust with insults or throw more depressing statistics on how bad the situation had become for them, a messenger suddenly rushed in. The two guards at the door were quick to grab him to ensure he wasn't bitten. He appeared to be clean, but they decided to hold him back to ensure the safety of the president and his board. Sweat ran down his face as all eyes now focused on him as he struggled to catch his breath.

"В чем смысл этого перерыва? Вы лучше иметь хорошее объяснение, или я бросал свою задницу, чтобы бороться с теми монстрами голыми руками!" **(What is the meaning of this interruption? You better have a good explanation, or I'm throwing your ass out to fight those monsters barehanded!)** One of the president's advisors growled in a low bark as if speaking for the entire cabinet while not wanting anything to potentially break their focus on coming up with a real solution.

"Мне жаль, господа, но мы выбрали этот шифровку всего несколько мгновений назад у одного из наших длинных позвонил спутниковых баз. Американцы запустили несколько ядерных боеголовок в том, что мы считаем упреждающий удар против нас. Почему, я не знаю, но мы должны сделать что-то, пока еще есть время!" **(I'm sorry, sirs, but we picked up this coded message just moments ago from one of our long rang satellite bases. The Americans have launched several nuclear warheads in what we believe to be a preemptive strike against us. Why, I do not know,but we must do something while there's still time!)** The messenger announced; causing the entire room to go silent despite the raging battle outside. The blood in their veins went ice cold as they could only imagine where this information would take them next. Deep down, they all knew the Americans couldn't have done this out of some kind of hostile desire to invade them. The real possibilities were numerous. It could've been an immensely desperate attempt to try and steer the fight in the favor of the living by wiping out immense numbers of the dead all at once. It could've been in the hopes of hitting somewhere else, but the previous programming of aiming for Russia could've still been hard-coded in and overrode whatever real destination those warheads were meant for. But no matter what the truth was, it didn't change the fact that if they didn't act now, they would all die here. They all slowly shifted their gaze to the president who had his forehead resting in the palm of his right hand.

"Я знал, что в один прекрасный день мне придется столкнуться с большой проблемой в соответствии президентства для моего народа. Я просто хочу, это не должны включать в себя использование ядерного оружия. Увы, независимо от намерений, с которыми они делали это, я не могу позволить этот акт агрессии по отношению к России-матушке остались без ответа." **(I knew that one day I'd have to face a great challenge in the line of presidency for my people. I just wish it didn't have to involve the use of nuclear arms. Alas, regardless of the intentions with which they have done this, I cannot allow this act of aggression towards Mother Russia to go unanswered.)** President Bodurov reluctantly said with the heaviest sigh a man like him could give. He knew what he was about to do was something he would never be able to forgive himself for; not as the leader of a nation, but as a human being. Seconds later, he was dialing a number into a nearby red phone sitting at his side. He paced back and forth as his words were hushed into whispers into the receiver. The others all bowed their heads and remained silent out of respect before he hung up and turned back to them; wiping away traces of tears in his eyes from what he had just done.

"Вы правильно сделали, сэр. Даже в наших слабых моментов, мы должны появиться сильны в лице всех форм агрессии." **(You did the right thing, sir. Even in our weakest moments, we must appear strong in the face of all forms of aggression.)** The man in the military uniform commented solemnly; knowing full well what monumental weight such actions like this had.

Before the president could even consider a response, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard coming from down the hall; growing louder with every second. It sounded like nearly fifty men heading right for the door. Several of the men around the table couldn't help but instinctively recoil as far away from the door as possible in fear. However, as the doors were suddenly flung open, only a dozen powerful looking men entered the room.

Each one was equipped with compact body armor covering their shins, forearms and chests. Thick ballistic helmets covered their heads for protection as their faces were wrapped in black balaclavas that only showed their eyes and a portion of their lips. However, even with what little of their faces could be seen, what was undeniable was the fierce, almost terrifying fire that burned in each of their eyes as they scanned every inch of the room. Entire racks of spare ammunition were tightly strapped to their sides, as if they were expecting to fight an entire army on their own. They each carried their own heavy duty-looking weapons from standard assault rifles to shotguns and full blown machine guns; each showing distinct signs of firsthand combat these men were, it was far too clear they were a real force to be reckoned with.

"Спецназ ГРУ отчетности в. Готов извлечь вас, президент Бодуров, сэр." **(Spetsnaz GRU reporting in. Ready to extract you, President Bodurov, sir.)** The man in the lead announced in a gruff voice, as if trying to make the entire room aware of their frightening presence. Each man stood like a marble statue, completely unshaken by the chaos raging outside with each passing second.

"Хорошо, вовремя как всегда. Я понимаю, что вы понимаете, насколько серьезна ситуация тогда?" **(Good, on time as always. I take it you understand how severe the situation is then?)** Bodurov responded with a heavy sigh of relief as he stood up from his seat only to approach the elite soldiers without any hesitation.

"Конечно, но это не меняет для нас. Наша миссия до сих пор стоит, независимо от того, кто враг. Советую не выйдем, прежде чем добыча уже не вариант." **(Of course, but this does not change a thing to us. Our mission still stands,regardless of who the enemy is. I advise we leave before extraction is no longer an option.)** The man serving as the leader of the GRU soldiers then suggested as everyone else in the room couldn't help but mutter to each other in agreement that Moscow would fall in a matter of time, and that the best they could do now was regroup and come back when they could coordinate a proper counter attack.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away to the east in an underground military facility, the alarms began to go off;causing the entire base to jump into action. Red lights flashed as entire groups of technicians and operators sat at computer terminals, coordinating a response to the nuclear launch headed for their country.

"Все, американцы выпустили четыре ядерные боеголовки против нас в разгар этого беспрецедентного кризиса мы все лицо. Было ли это как отчаянная попытка тонких чисел противника или нет; Тем не менее, мы должны нанести ответный удар по Западу с равным демонстрации силы. Помолимся мы можем тонкие номера себя в процессе противника. Цель основания американцев в Японии, Корее, на Гавайях, и Вашингтон, округ Колумбия." **(Everyone, the Americans have fired four nuclear warheads against us in the midst of this unprecedented crisis we all face. Whether it was as a desperate attempt to thin the enemy's numbers or not; we must nevertheless strike back at the West with an equal show of force. Let us pray we may thin the enemy's numbers ourselves in the process. Target the Americans bases in Japan, Korea, Hawaii, and Washington D.C.)** the general announced as he stood at the very back of the rows to watch over everything happening at once. The monitors showed several areas their nukes would be affecting and the estimated effectiveness of every payload.

"Но, сэр ... то есть не достаточно, чтобы парализовать американцев. Они также имеют основания на Западе. Что делать, если их союзники решили вмешаться, а? Мы должны нанести удар сразу везде, чтобы они не могут жизнь пальцем в отместку." **(But, sir...that isn't nearly enough to cripple the Americans. They also have bases in the West. What if their allies decide to intervene as well? We must strike everywhere at once to ensure they cannot life a finger in retaliation.)** one of the technicians commented as he was certain this would be the first of many strikes if one side was not completely put down and taken out of the fight right away.

"Ты дурак! Речь идет не о ведении войны с Западом. Это о прекращении непрерывного распространения этой чумы с помощью любых средств необходимо. И для этого ... жертвы должны быть сделаны в процессе. Мы делаем, как у команд президента. Он, в частности хотел, чтобы Запад останется нетронутым. Почему, я не знаю, но Bodorov никогда не подводила нас раньше. Конечно, у него есть свои причины. Пусть Бог Всемогущий, прости нас." **(You fool! This is not about waging war with the West. This is about stopping the continuous spread of this plague by any means necessary. And for that…sacrifices have to be made in the process. We do as the president commands. He specifically wanted the West to be left untouched. Why, I do not know, but Bodorovhas never failed us before. Surely he has his reasons. May God Almighty forgive us.)** the general spat before looking up at the multitude of screens; feeling his heart catch in his throat as he knew the time had come for them to do the one thing they'd always hoped never to do.

 **[Dead Space OST – Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star]**

Several silo doors slowly opened up; the steel almost squealing against the grind, followed by the emergence of four massive cones protruding from the ground until the bodies of the missiles were now in plain sight. A warning on the surface's intercom broadcast advised all ground personnel evacuate the area before launch.

"Пять. Четыре. Три. Два. Один. Стрельба!" **(Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Firing!)** the broadcast system announced as the entire ground trembled at the explosive force used just to propel the colossal weapons of mass destruction into the sky. The rockets pushed higher and higher with every passing second before eventually penetrating into the very depths of space; zooming around the globe and over the Pacific Ocean as the several missiles began to split off to their designated targets.

The first three suddenly burst in mid-flight from a foreign collision; most likely intercepted just in time by the United States Naval forces with an air-to-air missile. The one heading directly for Japan, however, did not stop. It just continued unopposed before violently erupting in space. Bright rays expanded and glowed with the intensity of a miniature sun for all to witness before any unprotected sources of power and electronic devices for hundreds of kilometers around simultaneously went offline. Not a single sound could be heard;making it all the more horrifying for those that did see the unknown glow that appeared to be consuming all the light that it touched. The catastrophic explosion twinkled in the sky before slowly going out like a candle being blown out by a merciless gust of wind.

Those stationed in the base just watched in awe as the entire room had fallen deathly silent. Had it been during the Cold War era just a few decades ago, they would all have been cheering and celebrating how they'd finally shown the West their true might. But now, it was just an act of desperation and fear, just trying to fight for their very own survival, as well as the survival of the struggling remnants of mankind. And on top of that, none of the missiles had managed to make their targets. But perhaps the respective EMP's would somehow help slow the spread of the infection in whatever lands they had detonated over. That was the best any of these men could hope for now. There was no humanly way possible that celebration could've been on their minds after what they'd just done. Now all they could do was wait for the West to respond, and see what they were to do next; all the while praying they would never have to launch one of their nuclear warheads again.

 **[]**

A helicopter hovering over the Kremlin slowly took off just as the undead hordes broke through the majority of the defenders lines; consuming the broken ranks of men left behind to fend for themselves while the president and his escorts could only now watch in disgust and grimace at the thoughts that raced through their minds now.

"Что же прикажете делать после того как мы приземлиться в Волгограде, сэр?" **(What shall you have us do after we land in Volgograd, sir?)** the Spetsnaz operator in charge of Bodorov's extraction team asked grimly as the others were breathing heavily from their narrow escape.

"У меня есть очень сложная задача, я могу только доверять вам, старый друг. Вы должны быть отправиться в западном побережье Соединенных Штатов, чтобы извлечь VIP Вы будете опрошены дальше на миссии, когда мы приземлимся." **(I have a very delicate task I can only trust you with, old friend. You shall be heading to the western coast of the United States to extract a V.I.P. You'll be debriefed further on the mission when we land.)** Bodorov expressed in exhaustion as he began to pull off the top to his long black suit and loosen the black tie around his neck; gasping as though he were struggling to breathe after all the emotional stress of what he'd just allowed to happen.

"Вы можете рассчитывать на меня, Bodorov. Я еще не в состоянии вам во всех моих лет службы, и у меня нет намерения начать уже сейчас." **(You can count on me, Bodorov. I've yet to fail you in all my years of service, and I have no intentions of starting now.)** the Spetsnaz commando said proudly before pulling off his helmet and balaclava to reveal a mature and aged face of a man that had clearly been to hell and back in his years of service. His thick fingers slowly brushed through his short black hair that had small patches of grey coming through it. Wrinkles formed along his brow as a long scar ran down along his lower left cheek. His rough features were all topped off by two golden eyes that could practically show all the years of pain and conflict this man had endured.

"Я знал, что могу рассчитывать на вас, Василий." **(I knew I could count on you, Vasiliy.)** Bodorov said in relief before falling silent as he could only watch as the beautiful city of Moscow slowly burned in the distance; praying and knowing that one day they'd return to liberate it. But for now, those left behind could only fight for themselves against humanities greatest foe.

 **Z-Day+6**

 **Tokonosu City, Japan**

Gold and orange hues of light slowly spread across the sky as the sun broke over the horizon of the sea. The air once thick with the smoke of fire had finally cleared. The once constant barrage of gunshots, screams, sirens and car horns had long since gone silent as the grave. Now all that could ever be heard was the soft howling of the wind, the rustling of garbage fluttering all about, and the occasional sound of one of 'Them' dragging their feet across the ground; letting out an empty death rattle of a groan as 'They' blindly went about 'Their' way. If one were to look at the city of Tokonosu from the outside this morning, they would never have assumed something so wrong was going on within it. In its own twisted way, the city had once again become peaceful.

The survivors held up in the downtown hotel were greatly taken aback when the EMP had left them in total darkness three days ago. All their appliances and electronic devices had been rendered completely useless. However, this did not break their spirit. Rather, it only made their resolve to survive that much stronger. Over the following days, they would spend their afternoons making sure not to scavenge very far from the hotel and always be sure to make it back before sundown. With food and water not proving to be an issue, they instead focused on reinforcing the entrance barricade with whatever plywood and scrap they could gather until they'd finally managed to erect a much more effective barricade with metal beams to help support it against any forces that would try to push it down. Over time,they also learned the layout of the local blocks surrounding their hotel; making local trips quick and usually finished within an hour if the undead weren't around to stir up trouble.

The following morning after the EMP, the next team to go scavenging for tools and supplies discovered a nearby abandoned construction sight. This had proven to be an absolute godsend, as they brought in an abundant supply of materials for improving the barricade; as well as some nifty melee weapons in the form of pickaxes and sledgehammers. While Hitomi, Marcus, and Noah lacked the physical strength to use them for prolonged periods of time, Frasier and Johann (through sheer determination if nothing else) had almost no trouble at all wielding the heavier melee weapons. Their ammunition count was still very high, but when the Lawson's had nearly drowned in the river, they'd ended up losing two shotguns and one carbine, which now only left them with one shotgun, two carbines, Mark's .45 and Hitomi's police issue revolver. All things considered, they knew they were still much better equipped than most survivors in these parts would be, but it still didn't make the loss of any of their weapons any less painful.

Always being sure to rise up early, this morning found Frasier and Johann working just outside the barricade; systematically finishing off a few crippled remnants of a pack of 'Them' that had shown up in the middle of the night that they'd managed to kill. By this point, most had already been beaten to death, but just to be safe, they were routinely going by each one and slamming a pickax into 'Their' heads to ensure none would get back up or try to grab their ankles.

Even though Johann had been out here with Frasier for the last couple hours; helping to fight off the nearly 20 undead that had gathered at their doorstep, he couldn't help but cringe at that sickening crunching noise every time he or Frasier drove a pickax through the downed creatures' skulls. He could practically feel the bones shattering as the trembling of each impact went up his arms. And he would keep getting goosebumps whenever he could feel the pickax was stuck and end up coming out of the obliterated skulls with a disgusting squelching noise.

The worst part, aside from the putrid smell, was whenever rotting bits of what used to be a brain were caked onto the point. Johann tried to suppress the urge to gag as he pressed the tool against the ground before slowly scrapping his shoe down the side to try and clean off his pickaxe. Sweat slowly ran down his neck and face as the morning went on. Fortunately, from the looks of the clouds in the sky, the weather would be able to cooldown later on.

"How are you feeling?" Frasier suddenly asked as Johann looked around, as if naturally expecting him to be talking to either Marcus or Noah as they'd step out from the entrance.

"You're asking me?" Johann asked as he looked over his shoulder only to see neither of the other two Lawson's standing behind him.

"No, I'm asking the wanker whose skull you just caved in sideways all the way into next week." Frasier said in a firm tone as usual, yet with a small hint of sarcasm hanging between his words while he leaned on his bloody pickaxe.

Johann however just responded with a blank gaze as he was completely clueless as to why Frasier would suddenly NOW start to care for his well being, given how he never seemed to initiate any form of concern to anyone who wasn't his brothers.

"That was supposed to be a joke..." Frasier then said softly as he rubbed the back of his head; realizing he made this situation very awkward. Johann, just then realizing the rather weak attempt at humor, let out an awkward chuckle.

"Oh...well, last night was a bit hectic, and my hand is still keeping me up sometimes. I feel bad for using up so much medicine…but worst of all, no matter what I do, I can't stop thinking about Toshimi. The longer we wait, the harder it is for me to stay here while knowing that she's still somewhere out there." Johann began to confess as if reading off a list before having to stop so he could catch his breath.

"I see." Frasier muttered bluntly as he then wiped his brow and looked around to make sure no more of 'Them' were approaching their perimeter.

"Frasier, please, I know making this place safer is a big deal to you, but every day we spend not looking for her is another day she could be getting closer to being killed by those things!"Johann pleaded as he couldn't take the fact that Frasier wasn't sticking to his word and looking for her like he said he knew Frasier was smart enough to know her chances wereonly growing worse by the hour, and the fact he wasn't taking finding her seriously at all couldn't help but make him lose his composure even for just a moment.

"Listen, Johann. It's been extremely hard to get by without any vehicles and no proper map of the area. If we find one of those two things, I'll see what I can do. Until then, we can only keep doing what we've been doing for the past few days." Frasier said, speaking almost as if he were merely pacifying an uncooperative child. It couldn't make Johann help but wonder if Frasier was aware of the way he sounded when talking to people. Then he realized chances were Frasier knew exactly what he was saying, and how he was saying it. It could only add to the grim realization in Johann's gut that Frasier, in the end, didn't give two shits about finding Toshimi, but was merely saying he was to calm him down. As much as it infuriated him, Johann knew he was too exhausted to drive this point any further.

With a single nod, Johann began to work even harder, as if trying to make the day go by even quicker, as if driving himself with the foolish hope that Frasier would actually keep his word. Frasier meanwhile just watched for a minute, observing the tension in Johann's movements before turning back to now drag the corpses to a large pile they intended to burn, or at the very least relocate.

Meanwhile, Hitomi was watching the two young men with her slender arms folded over one another up on the second floor balcony; both her eyes glaring at Frasier with deep conflict behind them. Despite the fact she hated how he treated her like a subordinate and essentially showed zero empathy towards other survivors' well being, a part of her couldn't deny that she did feel safe the more she'd see him do what he was trained to do. Just last night, while she and the others had barely rubbed the sleep from their eyes, he was already out there fighting like some kind of one man army regardless of how insane and stupid it was to be fighting the undead at night alone. After the night of the EMP blast, they barely even acknowledged the others' presence most of the time; let alone have a proper conversation to try and have any kind of better understanding of each other.

Suddenly, before she knew it, a pair of warm hands suddenly grasped her shoulders firmly. Before she could react to it by flinging her elbow back, the fingers began to lightly press in while moving back and forth; causing her to relax significantly; her tense muscles slowly spreading out as she almost began to slump in her posture.

"You really should ask before doing this, Marcus-kun. I'm not a big fan of surprises." Hitomi moaned through her teeth before smirking softly; now tilting her head back to see him smiling right back at her.

"I had to repay you for that towel a few days back, though. Besides, you looked really tense...I could stop if you like." Marcus chuckled softly into her ear as he felt his entire body burning up on the inside due to the fact that she not only allowed him to continue, but appeared to be enjoying it immensely as well.

"The thought of you continuing IS tempting…VERY tempting. But as much as I hate to say it, we have more important things to do today." Hitomi said before pulling away from his grip with a heavy sigh.

As Marcus began to look away in disappointment, her small hand suddenly grasped the collar of his sage green shirt; pulling him back closer. Their eyes locked for a split moment, as if the rest of the world had drifted away; leaving only the two of them. Her whole body suddenly pressed up against his just moments before her lips were mere inches away from his ear.

"But...at least I now know who to come to should I ever be needing any help to relieve some stress…verbally or otherwise." Hitomi suddenly whispered in a soft and undeniably seductive tone. Within the next second, her warm pink lips lightly pressed against Marcus' red cheek; causing the young lad to practically melt right there on the spot.

Marcus began to mumble in an incomprehensible garble of words mushed together, as if Hitomi's sudden act of deep affection had caused a part of his brain to shut off for a second. However, the young officer simply giggled before walking away; taking a brief moment to glance back at him before leaving the room entirely.

Just moments after she left, Noah suddenly entered the room wearing a light outfit; considering how warm it had been the past two days. He had light tan cargo shorts cut off just below his knees and a tightly fit white t-shirt that rather complimented his thin build. He let out a low yawn before Marcus snapped back into reality.

"Finally awake, are you? It's about time you finished your snoozing." Marcus commented as he lightly tussled Noah's messy hair; getting his bangs into his eyes before he tried to style it aside again.

"You know how much I hate being woken up in the middle of the night, and especially when it involves fighting those things in the dark." Noah responded as he lightly swatted Marcus' hand away in annoyance; both of them then proceeding to walk down the hallway and into the room the group had designated as the official armory.

Both H&K MP5SFK carbines and the single Beneli M4 Semi-Auto shotgun were carefully set on top of a desk. Entire magazines were preloaded and set near the sub-machine guns for easy access while the rest of the munitions were resting in the surplus crates tucked neatly under the desk. Luckily they still had enough ammo to last for quite some time, despite having already been forced several times to open fire on large gatherings of 'Them'.

Next to that was a line of coat racks that carried various makeshift melee weapons by their hilts: a baseball bat with nails protruding from it, three heavy sledgehammers, two sharpened fire axes, the pair of bolt cutters, and several machetes to top it all off.

Even a few bulletproof vests were left resting in the corner of the room. They had managed to scavenge from a small police cruiser the other night that happened to be carrying a few spares in the trunk. Unfortunately, they clearly weren't enough to protect the driver from the head on collision it had made with a delivery truck it had nearly blown in half.

"So, you have any idea where Frasier intends to take us today?" Noah asked when they both pulled the lightweight vests over their shirts.

"Hmm, damned if I know...I'd want to guess he's looking to find more dry food. There's only so much time left before the ice keeping the food cold will melt. But thankfully the stuff has lasted as long as it has already. That was good thinking when you suggested we move the food down to the basement freezer." Marcus answered; giving Noah a congratulatory pat on the back before they both grabbed a machete and slipped their respective sheathes into their pants loops; leaving the blades hanging at their hips.

"Thanks. At least water isn't ever going to be a real issue for us now that we have those filters and a direct water source nearby. Like you said, finding more preservative and non-cold-dependent food is our main concern right now. Everything after is pretty much a luxury; considering how well stocked we are everywhere else." Noah said with a slight blush before pointing out how surprisingly well off they were doing. Not wanting to waste any more time, Marcus quickly grabbed Frasier's backpack from the table.

A minute later, they both stepped out the entrance; now heading for Frasier, who was still in the middle of helping Johann cleanup the remnants of last night's attack. The sound of their footsteps caused the eldest Lawson to shift his gaze over to them, only to form a slight smile of approval to see they were already all ready to go.

"You two ready to move out?" Frasier asked as he wanted to make sure they didn't forget anything vital. There were far too many ways even a simple supply run could go wrong if they weren't fully prepared, and Frasier would be damned if any of them were going to potentially die just because they didn't think to pack up everything they needed.

"No, we just decided to come out with all this gear so we could take a piss." Marcus sarcastically taunted before offering Frasier his preferred equipment: a single H&K MP5SFK carbine, his backpack filled to the zipper with survival gear, and several spare magazines just in case they would either have no choice but to fire on 'Them', or potentially run into another group of hostile survivors.

"So where are you three off to today? Those clouds look pretty intense. You guys definitely don't want to get caught in the rain just because you decided to sniff around a little more, right?" Johann asked as he watched Frasier holstering his gear.

"We're good on weapons, tools and water for now. However, the food we can hardly keep frozen needs to be replaced. Hopefully a nearby grocery store has something with a long shelf life that doesn't need to be refrigerated. If not, then the nearby sporting goods would be the next best place to scavenge." Frasier answered as he then began to check over his carbine to make sure there was nothing left unchecked about it.

"Well, best of luck out there. Usually grocery stores are the first to be looted when everything goes downhill like this, so hopefully you guys find something." Johann responded as Frasier simply nodded in response just moments before all three Lawson brothers quickly set out down the road.

Despite the considerable amount of dark clouds hanging above, the morning had been rather pleasant with calm weather and what they had hoped to be a semi- sunny day. The wind occasionally gave them a cool, pleasant breeze that helped them endure the all-too noticeable summer heat. The tranquil afternoon silence was only broken whenever a sound in the distance echoed out, or whenever Marcus tried to stir up a conversation with his brothers. Although nobody outside the family ever knew, he couldn't stand dead silence. It had a tendency to make him more than a little uneasy, hence why he was always so eager to talk at every given opportunity.

After thirty minutes of uninterrupted walking under the hot sun, the brothers stood just a street over from what looked to be a large shopping center. Even from their distance, the three of them couldn't help but feel astonished by the sheer size of it. There was no earthly way the whole place could've been completely cleaned out by looters already. Or at the very least, the three brothers desperately hoped so.

"Hold." Frasier suddenly announced under his breath as he raised a clenched fist as a signal to his brothers; both of them letting out a sigh of relief in the back of their minds before stopping in their tracks. However, the reason as to why he did it did manage to keep them on edge. The possibilities were all too numerous to imagine.

"Any reason we're stopping?" Marcus asked in a hushed whisper as he watched Frasier sit down against a nearby delivery truck. He then began to crawl under it as if using it for cover.

"I just want to scout the area first; see what might be lurking inside." Frasier explained softly a moment later from under the truck as he then held up a pair of binoculars to his eyes. He then cupped his fingers over the edges; making sure to keep the sunlight off the lenses just in case any survivors were nearby to see the glare it could've potentially given off.

His view slowly panned up to all the possible vantage points to see no movement, much less any actual signs of any human activity. A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips; knowing that nobody was on the flat rooftops nearby to ambush them.

Frasier's blue eyes then shifted downwards to observe the ground level. Several disabled vehicles were left all across the massive parking lot. A small sign at the nearby entrance and on the side of the building itself read _'Taiei Shopping Town'_.

Right off the bat, he could see several human figures walking with awkward shuffles and making very erratic motions. After a quick review, he managed to count over twenty of 'Them', but he was expecting more to be hidden out of his lines of sight and all across the inside of the shopping center.

"What's the situation?" Noah whispered as he was suddenly right next to Frasier with a curious look in his eyes. The eldest Lawson now felt very tempted to reprimand him for not staying in position, but in the end, he just handed Noah the binoculars to see for his own eyes.

"Yikes. You really think this place is worth it? It looks completely overrun to me." Noah suddenly announced as he handed the binoculars back to his eldest brother. Both of them then proceeded to crawl back out to Marcus, who was sitting against a tire of the delivery truck while waiting for them to give him an update.

"Not quite. Our food situation isn't completely dire at the moment, so I say we wait for another time. I highly doubt any survivors will try to loot this place now, given the sheer amount of 'Them' surrounding it. Marcus, think you can mark this on the map?" Frasier answered in response to Noah before shifting his gaze to the middle Lawson.

"Right-o." Marcus mumbled calmly as he pulled out a collapsible travel map he'd discovered in one of the cars back at the hotel parking lot. As he stretched the map open, it had several red ink marks that circled previous locations of interest they had encountered or looted over the last few days.

Determining that the sporting goods store around the block had hardly been touched from last time, the trio proceeded without question to scavenge whatever food might've been left over. The weather drastically began to change as the once calm winds quickly shifted into sharp howls that wailed like banshees. Soothing warm sunlight began to fade in favor of murky grey clouds. Knowing there wasn't much time until rain would be upon them, the brothers began to jog at an even pace; their equipment bouncing and bobbing as they moved.

Just as the first droplets of rain began to fall, the brothers had just barely entered the front doors of the sporting goods store. Naturally they would've scoured the area for any danger, but the rain was liable to cause some considerable damage or at the very least degrade parts of their firearms. It was somewhat dark in the store, no thanks in part to the EMP. Luckily, the undead that had been hidden from plain sight were already given up by the sound of 'Their' feasting; 'Their' teeth ripping and tearing away at flesh,which created a wet, mushy sound that filled the air. Frasier began to go in first, but Noah and Marcus motioned to him that they could handle this as well.

A disgusting feeling rose in the pit of Marcus and Noah's stomachs at the thoughts and limitless possibilities of whatever poor bastards were being eaten right now. As they walked closer and closer to put down the undead abominations, they froze in place when what looked like several smaller figures could be seen instead of one that was normal sized.

The flash from a thunder strike revealed a horrifying sight for just a split second, but that was all the time needed to burn what the two younger Lawson's saw deep into their minds. Surrounding a freshly disemboweled corpse of undoubtedly another scavenger, were what looked to be several small children, each one wearing an elementary school outfit drenched in crusted blood as their chins were splattered with fresh, crimson colored liquid from 'Their' current victim.

Both brothers began to slowly back away out of fear as they felt their hearts sinking deep into an unthinkable abyss. They both knew it was naive to think that no kids were going to be infected by the outbreak at this point, but to actually be witnessing what were once innocent beings incapable of such horrors was simply too much from them to handle.

Noah's back slowly brushed against a display rack he hadn't noticed; causing it to crash to the floor. Marcus nearly jumped as the little silhouettes began to slowly rise up from the floor. Small footsteps echoed in the store, 'Their' shoes squealed every now and then against the smooth tile floor. A low series of groans and gasps escaped through the former schoolchildren's lips. The closer the pint-sized fiends came, the more vicious and aggressively 'They' would move, almost as if anticipating how the Lawson's would taste.

Another flash went off before more thunder rumbled in the far distance. 'Their' faces were all fixed with vacant expressions, light grey eyes now hollow; staring off blindly into all random directions. 'Their' jaws hung wide open to reveal shreds of flesh and muscle were wedged between the slowly decaying tiny teeth.

Unable to standby any longer, Frasier suddenly stepped forward to defend his traumatized brothers. Both younger Lawson's just watched as the nearest undead child was suddenly punted up off its feet and sent flying back into a glass counter. Two more came at him now with both arms extended out, 'Their' fingers ready to clutch onto his legs with no intent of letting go.

However, Frasier just grasped the hair of one, only to slam the undead child into the other. As 'They' stumbled to the floor, he brought the machete in his hand straight down; kneeling down to ensure the blade went all the way in. The blade made a gut-wrenching noise as both undead kids were impaled together now. The next of the undead school children was now right in his face with teeth bared like a lion, just moments from sinking its teeth into its prey. The attack was cut short though as Frasier's hand quickly grasped tightly around its throat.

Vicious snarls of rage and hunger erupted from its gaping maw,only to be quickly silenced when Mark's pistol was wedged into the mouth; instantly replacing the repulsive gurgling sounds that followed with a loud bang. A massive chunk of flesh and skull was blown out the back of the head as Frasier let go to watch the body collapse to the floor like a stiff board. He then stepped back only to fire a rapid series of well-placed shots; causing the remaining undead in front of him to snap 'Their' heads back.

When the last of the gunshots finished echoing through the room and everyone's ears finally stopped ringing, all that could be heard now was the heavy breathing from Frasier and the incessant downpour of the rain outside. Pure adrenaline was pumping through his veins, only to slowly dissipate and allow him to regain his composure. His hands quickly reloaded the handgun in a series of swift movements before holstering it at his hip.

"You...you killed those little kids like it was...like it was nothing!" Noah suddenly muttered as he felt his entire body trembling, his eyes wide as he looked up at his brothers with shock completely taking over.

"Those weren't kids, Noah…not anymore." Marcus sighed softly as he wiped away a small set of tears threatening to form in the corners of his green eyes; looking on to see Frasier execute the one he had launched into the glass counter just moments ago.

"They were-" *SLAP* Noah began to explain only for Frasier to step forward and suddenly and viciously slap him hard across his face; an enraged look burning in his eyes as he stared down at Noah as Marcus stood to the side between them with his jaw hanging wide open. Of all the things he never expected to see, Frasier mercilessly slapping his youngest brother had to be number one.

"They were undead, Noah! These things will come in all shapes and sizes wherever we go. The dead don't care who 'They' take, nor how many! If it's dead and moving, we kill it. No exceptions for the undead, or the soon to be, soldier!" Frasier suddenly erupted furiously as he towered over Noah, only to kneel down to his level. Noah's blue eyes were unable to look away or blink as he just nodded, mainly out of fear that he'd be struck again if he dared disagree with him again.

As much as it pained Marcus to watch Noah getting yelled at in such a terrifying fashion, deep down he knew that Frasier was only doing this to root out any hesitation about killing 'Them'. He didn't even want to know why he couldn't do anything himself. Luckily when Frasier turned to him, he just nodded and received no lecture in return.

"I'm sorry, Noah. I truly, truly am. But there's nothing more we can do for 'Them' but put 'Them' out of 'Their' misery and make sure that no one else will ever have to suffer such a fate. I know it hurts, but it's just the way it is now." Marcus spoke sympathetically as he placed a supportive hand on Noah's shoulder; the youngest Lawson suddenly holding onto him and burying his face into his shoulder as he began to sniffle a little bit.

"Both of you take a moment. I'm going to make sure we're really alone here." Frasier said after he pried the machete out of the last corpse's skull, only to then sheathe it to his hip just moments before pulling out the carbine on his back. He proceeded to patrol the store while Noah and Marcus stayed behind.

As Frasier walked over to a nearby display rack lined with a handful of mannequins in athletic apparel, he suddenly heard a low growl come from very close by, followed by the sound suddenly being cut off rather abruptly. Not wanting to take any chances, Frasier pushed the mannequins over, only to hear something rustling beneath a row of low-hanging coats just at his feet. He slowly stepped back and knelt down to see a small obscured figure hiding behind the coats, curled up into a ball.

"You're not dead…are you?" Frasier softly spoke with eyebrow raised when he noticed that instead of being met with growls or a low groan, he was instead met with the sound of gentle sobs. His brothers soon came walking over to make sure everything was alright.

"What are you doing, Frasier?" Noah asked confusedly when he spotted Frasier down on one knee; motioning to look past the rack without making any eye contact with them.

"Please…please g-go away." a soft, innocent voice quietly begged. It no doubt belonged to a little girl.

"Wait...an actual survivor? Is she hurt?" Marcus suddenly asked in astonishment as he knelt down to see the small figure concealed by the shadows.

"Not that I can tell. She's very reclusive and clearly afraid of us, though. We should go." Frasier responded as he just glared at the balled up figure before slowly rising up to continue his search for food without a second thought.

"Wait, what? 'Go'? What do you mean?" Noah suddenly asked as he looked up at Frasier confusedly; not moving from his spot should the girl have chosen to speak up.

"I mean as in we continue the mission at hand. Leave the kid alone. For all we know, she's bitten just like the rest were." Frasier explained as there was no hint of concern or care for the little girl's fate.

"I'm not bitten." the young girl suddenly mumbled, clearly scared out of her wits. The low growl suddenly started up again;causing Noah and Marcus to look back at the concealed little girl confusedly.

"Frasier, she'll die on her own! Don't you care at all about that?!"Noah asked in disbelief as he stood up and began to walk towards Frasier, almost as if he needed to look into those cold, heartless, light blue eyes to confirm this was truly him.

"Not really. We have no idea who she is. Why should we care about the life of one kid and not the other billions of strangers on this planet? What makes her so important?" Frasier asked harshly; sounding as if he was beginning to lecture Noah to be more cynical and devoid of human sympathy; slowly walking up to him with an annoyed glare as if planning on making him submit through intimidation.

"PRECISELY BECAUSE SHE'S A LITTLE GIRL, YOU FUCKING TWAT! She isn't one of those monsters, but she bloody well WILL be if we don't help her!" Noah suddenly exclaimed in an enraged tone as he refused to back down this time. Both his fists clenched as he glared right back with a stern fire burning deep within his own eyes, a voice so clear and stern that it had visibly caused Frasier to mentally take a step back.

"You think helping others is the right thing to do, Noah. I've known that for a damn long time. But ask yourself if this is the SMART thing to be doing? Think of the long term consequences here! What if she already is part of another group? How well do you think they'll react to us if we're caught with her?" Frasier said much more calmly as he tried to now use reason instead of simply shouting and intimidating Noah into listening to him.

"I admit it could complicate things for us...but the difference between me and you is that I'm not afraid to take risks when needed. You keep trying to play it safe and act like we can do this on our own! But we CAN'T do this all on our own, Frasier! Don't you realize by now that without trusting and letting other people like Hitomi in, we never would've made it?" Noah asked incredulously. All other times before, he'd managed to swallow his emotions towards Frasier's cold attitude towards others, but now that a child's life was in the balance, it was like a long dormant fire inside Noah had finally been ignited.

"Noah...I'm sorry, but I must do what I was taught to keep us alive. Survival is only for the fittest, and something tells me she will be of no value to us. She'll just be another drain on our already limited resources, as well as another liability for us to watch out for. We're not responsible for every survivor we find, kid or no kid." Frasier scowled as he was done having to argue with his own brother over something he felt was so meaningless. Noah meanwhile was scowling and hyperventilating with barely containable anger and disbelief as he couldn't believe this madness.

"To think…you wanted to call yourself a soldier! Soldiers are meant to protect people! Or did father NEVER bother to teach you that?! So is that it, Frasier?! Is killing people ALL you're good for?!" Noah finally exploded with the last weeks' worth of restrained emotion finally coming out all at once; tears of anger and despair flowing down his face, like Frasier had failed his very last chance of showing any of his humanity was still intact.

"No..." Frasier answered as he narrowed his eyes while his fingers slowly reeled in to form a clenched fist. Shaking his head as it looked like something in the back of his mind was deeply bothering him. But most of all he couldn't stand the idea of being talked down to by his own brother, the one meant to be following HIS orders, HIS lead.

"Imagine if Saeko was here to see you now! You can't honestly expect me to believe that she'd approve of you being this way!" Noah then brought up in a low, bitter tone as he knew he had to use his ace in the hole if Frasier was ever going to see reason; the two brothers now staring daggers at each other. Marcus kept his distance as he could tell a maelstrom was forming between his brothers.

"Don't you DARE bring her into this! You think I enjoy making the tough calls?! You little pantywaists BOTH judge me and act like I make the decisions I make and do the things I do without a second thought! You think you know so much better than me, Noah?! You want to see what it's like?! Fucking FINE, then! Go right ahead! Do it! Bring that sniveling little kid along, and THEN see what happens!" Frasier suddenly erupted in an incredible fury as he couldn't help but feel enraged and betrayed that Noah would go as far as bringing Saeko into this.

Instead of recoiling in fear though, Noah simply stood his ground. He knew that he'd managed to hit Frasier where it hurt the most, and even managed to get what he wanted thankfully without needing to exchange physical blows. Part of him couldn't help but feel pity to see just how emotionally vulnerable and unstable Frasier now appeared to be. However, he also knew that this little girl was his top priority now. He slowly walked back to see that she was slowly crawling out from her cover to now reveal herself to them.

At her side stood a small dog with soft, white and black fur and a red collar with a tiny white bone dangling from it. Both dark brown eyes glared up at Marcus and Noah with great curiosity. His aggressive stance, most likely feeling protective of the child, now changed into a more relaxed one that resulted in him sniffing their hands; eagerly accepting a rub behind the ears and wagging his little tail in response.

Before the three Lawson brothers stood a young girl who looked to be no more than seven years old. She wore a blue plaid flannel jacket, a navy blue dress shirt, gray jeans, red sneakers, and finger less gloves to top it off. What really caught them off guard though was a very familiar reddish-pink hair that was kept at shoulder-length with bangs that reached down from the side of her temples, stretching outwards. A little mole under her left eye could be seen while a white headband covered the top of her forehead.

"Hey, I remember you. You were on one of the busses we saved in that convoy." Marcus announced as he then looked over to Frasier who simply stared at Alice for a brief moment, almost as if studying her just before he took off to go check out the rest of the store. The little girl then looked down nervously, clearly still very scared of these three strangers.

"Hello there, you don't need to be scared of us. I promise you, we're friendly. My name is Noah Lawson. These two are my brothers, Marcus and Frasier. What's your name?" Noah greeted her in the calmest and most polite tone he'd ever spoken in around his brothers. A warm, friendly smile was all he was expressing, which thankfully did seem to visibly calm the poor girl even a little bit.

"It's...it's Alice. A-Alice Maresato…a-and this is Zeke. He found me, and he's been with us ever since." the young girl replied as she hugged the tiny puppy close and then looked outside to see it was no longer pouring rain. Gunshots in the distance could be heard faintly echoing to where it quickly caught everyone's attention. The sound of Frasier's footsteps then could be heard stomping closer and closer just moments before he came around the corner and looked down upon them all with a serious glare in his eyes.

"We should leave now while there's still time. I've found some food that should last us a couple of weeks with proper rationing. Take these with you." Frasier explained as he then handed both Marcus and Noah a book bag loaded with air-sealed camping meals.

"Just stay close to us and we'll lead the way, Alice-chan. I promise you things will get better from here on out." Marcus advised as he slung on a dark blue book bag while Noah put on a light grey one of his own.

Alice however remained frozen in place, as if she were glued to the spot. Both her knees trembled slightly as her undeniably adorable face showed serious signs of hesitation on her part, as though she were silently trying to decide whether or not to actually go with these people. The Lawson's turned to see her frozen in place; Frasier shaking his head before proceeding onward with the intent of leaving her behind while Noah and Marcus went back to see what could've possibly been wrong with her.

"I'm supposed to hide and not go anywhere with anyone I don't know." Alice explained as she sat down with her knees to her chest. The poor child was trembling all over with fear as she clearly didn't want to be left all alone again either.

"I understand it's hard to go against the most basic of safety rules when dealing with strangers, but it's very dangerous for anyone to be alone right now, Alice-chan. Lucky for you though, we happen to be excellent fighters and we'll gladly bring you along with us until we find your family." Noah explained calmly to Alice as she remained frozen and buried her head between her knees before shuddering at the difficulty of deciding what to do.

"Here. If this will get you moving then take it." Frasier suddenly announced as he had unexpectedly come back just to place Mark's pistol down at Alice's feet. The young girl just stared at it, completely bewildered at the handgun as Noah and Marcus had looks of bewilderment from Frasier's sudden show of what they could only assume was support.

However, when looking back at the gun, they noticed the magazine had been removed; leaving the device entirely harmless. The young girl cautiously wrapped her tiny fingers around the grip and got up, grunting from how unexpectedly heavy it was in her hands. With no time to lose, the three Lawson's proceeded for the exit, with Alice finally beginning to follow their lead with Zeke loyally at her side with his short tail wagging. The four of them grabbed transparent plastic ponchos to help cover themselves up for when the rain would inevitably start falling again.

Another series of gunshots suddenly echoed out again from the distance. They sounded like they were being exchanged between what sounded like several shooters when the group stepped back outside to hear it better. To Alice, they all sounded the same, as they would to anyone with an untrained ear, but to the Lawson's, it was quite clear to them what was to be expected in terms of the firearms in use. Thunder then boomed in the far distance as they realized the rain would start falling again any minute now.

A sharp, cool breeze swept by; carrying various bits of paper and leaves that littered the ground. The sky was a gloomy grey, which Marcus personally couldn't help but feel was strangely appropriate for whatever they were about to get themselves some reason he couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that their taking Alice with them was going to bring some unavoidable, major changes.

As they continued on their way, out of sheer impulse, Alice would occasionally jump into the bigger puddles scattered all over the roads, which couldn't help but earn a minor chuckle out of both Noah and Marcus, while Frasier simply chose to ignore the child even existed and keep his focus on getting home safely.

"So tell me more about this group of yours, Alice-chan. If you don't mind, that is. I mean, why is it you were all alone when we found you?" Noah suddenly asked as he looked down to see the young girl pondering his question; her mind trying to look for the right way to answer or the right place to begin.

"Well..." Alice began to slowly explain after carefully considering every detail she could recall about her group the last time she'd seen them.

 _(One hour ago)_

A young man in his late teens slowly crept up a seemingly abandoned street. The wind howled as rain was constantly being blown into his face. He let out a low groan as he tried to wipe the water from his dark brown eyes. His wide-brimmed hat and light poncho thankfully helped protect his clothes from soaking through. The eerie howling of the wind as it blew through the various corners, nooks and crannies of the streets couldn't help but give him a bad feeling deep inside, almost as if it were an omen trying to warn him of something.

Looking up to the nearby houses, he couldn't see any movement or signs of life anywhere, just as it had been for the last few blocks. He knelt down and raised an open hand; motioning towards himself before crouching behind a nearby car for cover. Several more figures suddenly began to carefully rush over to his position.

"How does it look, Komuro-san?" Another young, although rather round, boy asked between panting breaths; sounding like he was out of breath just from the short distance he sprinted; his eyes darting around the area behind a thick pair of black-framed glasses.

He wore the standard male uniform of Fujimi Academy with a tactical vest tightly wrapped over it, practically hugging his wide gut. An ammo belt ran along his side with plenty of spare rounds ready for use. In his hands was an AR-10(T) rifle that he kept pointed downwards to avoid the rain from getting inside the barrel. He held the weapon close as if it were his own child;showing a clear fondness of the rifle.

"Obviously it's good or else he wouldn't have motioned us over here, Hirano." a young woman wearing forest green shorts with suspenders wrapped along her narrow shoulders and a tan t-shirt commented in a sharp tone of voice before having to adjust her own glasses over her razor sharp orange eyes. Her hair was a bright pink, tied into two long pigtails; and one could see a single tiny fanged tooth poking out of her tightly closed mouth; somehow managing to compliment the constantly annoyed expression stuck on her face.

She clutched an MP5SFK carbine very tightly in her hands, to the point the others had to constantly make sure she didn't accidentally point it at anyone by mistake. Of course, she was also naturally high strung, so the possibility of her impulsively aiming a gun at someone out of anger wasn't entirely out of the equation either. Takashi Komuro quickly placed his hand over her mouth to keep her from making any more noise than she already had. A furious glare could be seen burning in her eyes from behind her glasses.

"Keep it down, Takagi-san. We don't have much ammo left so we should seriously avoid getting into anymore big fights with the 'Them' unless it's absolutely necessary." Takashi whispered as he watched Saya Takagi squirm in resistance, almost as if trying to bite his hand in response while her muffled voice already tried to yell at him. She however eventually ran out of steam and realized he was right, letting out a reluctant sigh before he removed his hand.

"We should probably wait out this storm inside one of these houses. It was a mistake coming out here like. This rain doesn't exactly make it easy to spot any threats from a distance." another young woman suggested as stepped up to the others silently. She wore a long dark grey overcoat. Her hand rested on the handle of a well refined steel katana holstered at her side. Her long dark violet hair blew in the wind as the pointed fringe in the middle of her forehead dripped little droplets of water onto her nose; causing it to twitch every now and then.

"Busujima-san is right. Aside from that, our guns will be near useless if the rain damages them. Let's clear out that house and rest for a while. We've been moving all day as it is." Khota Hirano added before he turned to look at the others to make sure they all shared the same sentiment. A clap of thunder crackled overhead; causing them to then look around as if expecting any number of 'Them' nearby to become riled up by the loud boom.

"Takagi-san, let's go check it out with Saeko while Hirano-san falls back to the others. His rifle's better suited for long range,and he never seemed to be a fan of close engagements anyhow, so I'd feel better if he's keeping them covered for us." Takashi instructed, watching Khota bolt back down the street as fast as his frame would allow and disappear behind a wall to meet with the rest of their group.

The three teenage survivors carefully approached a two story house that was closest to the car. The low slanted roof was pouring rain water through a busted drain; causing it to pour heavily in several spots. Skid marks could be seen in the driveway, indicating the owner had left in a panic, but not enough to neglect shutting the iron gate over the driveway.

Being the tallest of the three, Saeko jumped up and grabbed the edge of the somewhat tall surrounding stone wall; peeking over the top to see the front yard and the entrance looked clear for the time being. Her arm slowly reached over the black iron gate and pushed down the lever to unlock it with a noticeable *click*soon following. Takashi shot her a warm smile before proceeding to carefully pull the gate wide open without it making a loud screech.

Saya and Saeko stepped through as he kept it held open for them. Saeko then grabbed a nearby stone from along the edge of the driveway that looked large enough to wedge under the gate so it wouldn't close behind them. Fitting it against the open gate door, Saeko shot a slight smirk up towards Takashi at her quick thinking; knowing it was best for them to have an exit strategy just in case they needed to double back to the others at the last minute. A metal wind chime slowly dangled by the entrance; ringing somewhat loudly for anyone nearby to hear whenever a strong enough gust of wind came through. Saeko carefully pulled it off its hinge only to then gently set it aside, somewhat surprised that the otherwise innocent device had not attracted any of 'Them' yet; considering how sharp 'Their' hearing had really proven to be.

"So far it looks like we're in the clear. Think this place will have a few towels to dry off with?" Takashi calmly said as he looked over to the two women standing before him, who both seemed more anxious to get inside rather than ponder on what might be inside for them to take.

"W-Who cares? Just shut up and open the door." Saya mumbled as her teeth began to chatter; a clear sign that her choice of outfit had now come back to bite her in the rear as her legs and arms began to shiver all over.

Rolling his eyes, Takashi then grasped the handle to the door and gave it a light tug. To their dismay though, the door refused to even budge. He instinctively frowned, somewhat disappointed in himself for actually expecting it to be left unlocked. He then took his shotgun and began to carefully position the butt to smash a window.

"Wait! What are you doing? Just look around and see if there's a spare key, you idiot." Saya suddenly hissed as she grabbed his arm to keep him from doing something as desperate as bustingopen a window for anything around to hear, in spite of how loud the rainstorm was. Takashi slowly lowered his weapon; knowing that despite her attitude and fiery temper, she had made a really good point before all they three began to turn over the welcome mat and every suspicious looking stone nearby.

"Aha! See? Told you!" Saya gloated with an overly proud grin on her face as she held up a small rock that was carved out from underneath with a key latched inside of it. However, her victory didn't last long as a small centipede crawled out from under it and began to crawl along her hand.

Her eyes began to twitch as her entire body felt frozen cold when she realized a bug was crawling along her hand. Without warning, she suddenly flung the rock aside and was about to let out a high pitched scream, only for Saeko to instinctively cover her mouth with a surprisingly strong, firm grip. Panicked yet muffled cries of terror were all that could be heard from behind her hand. Saya's arm waved around hysterically; making it monumentally harder for Takashi to grab hold of it and eventually pry the otherwise harmless insect off of his timid companion. The centipede loosely dangled and wriggled in his gentle grip before he lightly tossed it back into the grass.

"You really need to stop doing that." Saeko sighed under her breath before letting go, which was immediately followed bySaya hyperventilating and struggling to mentally recover from her little panic attack.

"S-Shut up! Not all of us are born warriors or whatever the hell you consider yourself to be!" Saya stammered before eventually regaining her otherwise broken composure; shaking her hands out as Saeko couldn't help but grin at the fact she managed to get under the pink-haired genius' skin with so much ease.

Takashi meanwhile just let out a sigh of relief when he managed to find the rock halfway across the front yard and took out the still secured key. He carefully set it inside the lock and lightly twisted it around until he could gently push the door open with Saeko at his back. The hair on the back of his neck began to slowly stand up as her warm breath could be felt against it; indicating to him just how close she was standing behind him. He couldn't help but feel uncertain now whether his heart was racing because of her or the anticipation of one of 'Them'potentially being in the house and just waiting to tear his flesh clean from the bone.

"Don't worry, Komuro-kun. I'm right behind you." Saeko gently whispered in a rather soothing tone as she ran her hand along his shoulder before placing it at the edge of her handle, like a spider ready to pounce on its prey at any given moment.

Takashi tried to remain focused despite how red in the face her words had made him. Meanwhile, Saya was just rolling her eyes at their little interaction as she entered the house last to see the living room was vacant and completely free of any of 'Them'. While it was nowhere near as nice as her own home, it was still very pleasant to have a roof over their heads at last, especially since the rain hadn't been letting up since yesterday.

After taking their time, the three carefully swept through the kitchen and hallway to see it was completely devoid of life. Saeko began to wander up the stairs to secure the upper floor,only for Takashi to suddenly tug on her sleeve to grab her attention.

"I'm going to bring the others inside. I can't imagine many of 'Them' would be up there to begin with either, but regardless, just be careful, Saeko. Run back outside if you end up biting off more than you can chew." Takashi explained to the young swordswoman before letting go to see she was listening to every word he said as if taking it to heart; just then realizing his horrible choice of words near the end.

"Your concern for me isn't necessary, Komuro-kun. It should be focused on that loudmouth Takagi-san. I do appreciate the thought nonetheless though. Thank you." Saeko said in an almost distant tone, as if it were an insult to her pride that Takashi wasn't confident that she could take on whatever small amount of 'Them' could potentially be lurking upstairs. However, her tone soon softened as she shot him a pleasant smile after realizing he only said it out of concern for her safety.

He gave her a warm smile of his own before moving out to bring the others inside. Saeko's piercing blue eyes watched his every move before snapping back into reality. She then proceeded to head upstairs; certain Saya could handle herself downstairs with no immediate threats hanging around.

Moments later, Saeko came back down the stairs; having found nothing lingering up on the second floor while Takashi had brought the rest of their group to join up with them; each one trying to shake off the rain and ignore the unforgiving cold temperature. A collective of calming sighs came from everyone as they could finally take a moment to sit down and collect their thoughts.

Alice and Zeke were the first to come in, immediately followed by a rather tall woman with long, straight blonde hair tied into a ponytail that reached to her waistline. She quickly pulled off her plaid colored rain poncho to reveal her black tank top covered by a navy blue sweater (with the sleeves rolled up) and a white skirt just above her knees. She then began to stretch her arms out as if waking up from a very long nap; her massive chest sticking out as she leaned backwards only to quickly spring forward into the tidy living room towards Saya and Saeko.

"Are you two alright?" she asked in a sweet, bubbly tone as her sharp, golden eyes were already scanning both girls up and down to make sure they weren't injured during their momentary separation. It was as if her experience as their former school nurse had been constantly driving her to check everyone who was separated from the whole group even for a minute.

"We're fine, Marikawa-sensei. Well...unless you include nearly screaming like a little girl over a bug." Saeko responded calmly before hinting at Saya's mini panic attack just a few minutes ago.

"Oh shut up! It was a centipede! In case you don't know, those things are poisonous!" Saya growled; despising the fact that Saeko was practically insulting her despite completely telling the truth.

"Was it a House Centipede or a Giant Centipede?" Shizuka Marikawa asked as both girls tried to recall any outstanding features on the insect the young pink haired genius had encountered and nearly given herself a heart attack over.

"What's the difference?" Saya asked impatiently. As far as she was concerned, all bugs were the same: disgusting and creepy.

"Well, one is long and narrow with big pincers on the head. The other has many more, longer legs in comparison and is somewhat thicker in the torso." Shizuka answered as she helped try to distinguish the two.

"I want to say the second one. Ugh, all those damn legs..." Saya reluctantly answered as she couldn't help but think about and cringe at the thought of the filthy creature crawling on her bare skin, like something straight out of a horror film.

"Aww, that's a House Centipede, Takagi-san! They're completely harmless. In fact, they actually make good pets to keep other insects and pests out of the house." Shizuka giggled amusedly before Saeko couldn't help but start softly giggling herself at how embarrassed Saya now looked. It seemed like she was going to explode in anger initially, but she thankfully realized there was no use in it and instead just accepted her loss; slowly walking away to see what everyone else was up to now as she desperately hoped they would never learn of this embarrassing moment.

Khota stepped in only to immediately set his weapon down on a nearby table and proceed to inspect it thoroughly for any potential damage. He also began to count how many spare rounds of ammunition he had left on him just to be certain he wouldn't run out if caught in another fight with 'Them'.

Next to enter was a young woman Takashi's age; wearing a camouflage-colored rain poncho that reached down to her knees. Removing the hood from over her head, her hair was a long, straight golden brown with a small portion tied into a single ponytail, and it was all topped off with two antenna-like strands sticking from the top. Her eyes were a vibrant reddish-brown color that glistened with a sense of sisterly concern when she looked over at Alice, who seemed to be entirely out of breath after all the moving they'd had to do today. She set her M1A1 rifle, with a very sharp bayonet attached to the muzzle, up against the wall and proceeded to approach the young girl with a loving smile. The young child smiled invitingly in return when she looked up at her.

"How do you feel, Alice-chan?" she softly asked as she proceeded to look Alice over and see if there were any cuts or bruises from earlier that day when she fell over. Luckily there was only a small scuff mark that could be seen along her knees with bits of dirt hanging off of her grey jeans.

"I'm okay, Rei-neesan. I just wish my bike didn't have to break..." Alice said gratefully before confessing that she missed the bike they had picked up so she could keep up with them and entertain herself at the same time; her soft voice gently trailing off at the end.

"Don't worry; I'm sure we can find you a new one eventually. We just need to focus on getting to the elementary school first. Afterwards, I promise I'll talk to Takashi or Saya about it." Rei Miyamoto vowed as she suddenly held up her hand with all fingers tucked in except for her pinky. Alice smiled brightly in response; her purple eyes practically sparkling with hope before she wrapped her own pinky around Rei's.

The two then began to laugh as Zeke suddenly jumped up and tried to nip at their connected pinky fingers. Rei playfully rubbed the back of his ear, which caused one of his back legs to start thumping against the floor rapidly. Alice let out a soft burst of laughter that caused the others to look over and smile at the heartwarming sight.

Finally, Takashi re-entered the house accompanied by a mature looking woman with facial features very similar to Rei. Her dark brown hair stopped just a bit below her shoulders with one single antenna-like strand sticking from the top, and her eyes were a darker shade of red. She was wearing what looked like a traffic officer uniform, along with a navy blue backpack filled with supplies. In her hands was a sharpened spear that looked to be used for traditional martial arts, her tight grip on it soon loosening up as she stepped inside; immediately setting it beside Rei's rifle.

"Not bad, Takashi-chan. This should make a decent place to hole up in until the rain finally stops." the middle-aged woman complimented; causing Takashi to scratch the back of his head and look away, embarrassed that she was still referring to him the way she did back when he was in kindergarten. She didn't notice though as she was then approached by Rei once Takashi left.

"Hey, Mom? Do you have a minute?" Rei asked quietly as she made sure nobody else was listening in on them.

"Of course I do, Rei. What's wrong?" Kiriko Miyamoto asked sweetly as she instinctively placed a comforting hand on her beloved daughter's shoulder, instantly able to tell something serious was on her mind.

"Well, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this for the last few days. In spite of all the leads we've found on the way here, it's still been so long since I last heard from him. That was all the way back when this all started, and it's been eating away at me since then. Mom…with everything that's happened since then…do you REALLY think dad is still alive?" Rei finally asked; an unmistakable sound of sadness and doubt hanging off every word. She wanted to believe with all her heart that her father was still alive and well, but after so much death, so much loss, it was near impossible to not think of the possibility that he didn't make it. Kiriko however just bowed her head and held Rei close in a warm embrace.

"Yes. Yes I do. I know it's hard not to think about, Rei; but I want you to listen and remember: when things are at their darkest, hope is all you'll have left, and that's something that you should never ever let go of. We'll find him, Rei. I promise you we will." Kiriko answered in a soft, loving, reassuring whisper as she practically cradled Rei in her arms. Rei had to try her best to not start crying in front of the others, despite how hard it was to keep it in.

"Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt, but if you don't mind, I'd like to check all of your guns as well." Hirano suddenly interrupted as everyone slowly handed him their side-arms, setting them on the table for him to manually check them over for both damage and a munitions count.

"Well? Find anything yet?" Saya suddenly asked in a rather impatient tone as she suddenly sat in the chair across from Khota's; crossing her arms as she watched him dismantle the weapons only to quickly put them back together just as fast. He was almost machine-like in his speed and efficiency and articulation in doing so.

"Well, fortunately the guns didn't suffer any noticeable damage so far, so that's good. Our ammunition count though is...well,let's just say it's a good thing we only shoot when Komuro-san says we shoot." Khota answered regretfully, as it was now abundantly clear to everyone that they would need to somehow find more bullets soon if they wished to continue using the firearms that had saved them numerous times. 'They' always had a way of showing up at the most inopportune times as well, so the idea of running into a large gathering without enough ammo certainly didn't make this realization any less discouraging.

"Frankly, I'm quite impressed you've all managed to conserve as much as you have up to now. Bullets tend to go by very quickly if you just shoot at everything you see." Kiriko admitted in a rather surprised tone as she then walked over to help Khota inspect anything he could've possibly missed.

 _'Swords one, guns zero.'_ Saeko thought to herself as she knew that eventually they'd have to rely on melee weapons once the bullets were all gone; taking solace in knowing that the group would always need her when it came to fighting 'Them'.

"So...once the rain settles down, we just keep moving on to the elementary school?" Saya suddenly asked Takashi as she had her arms crossed while looking out a window to observe faint movement across the street. Most likely a pack of 'Them' trying to chase down the claps of thunder that occasionally rumbled.

"Well, it's the best we can do for now. Why? Don't like that idea all of a sudden?" Takashi asked curiously; hoping that she didn't decide to start insulting his intelligence or bring up some kind of bad news he really didn't want to hear now that their situation was finally starting to calm down.

"It's the most sensible plan we have right now, but what do you intend to do if something goes wrong? For example, what if one of us was to get separated from the others?" Saya suddenly began to explain in further detail as Takashi was completely silent in response, his face frozen in contemplation, which had already confirmed Saya's doubts.

"Komuro, you need to start taking everything that can go wrong into account from now on. I mean...what would you do if someone was hurt? Or say one of us got lost and was just as defenseless as Alice?" Saya then lectured in a much more firm tone as she witnessed a firm look develop in Takashi's eyes, as if those words really resonated with him.

Instead of responding to her though, he simply turned away to approach Alice. He knelt down beside her as he remembered to soften his expression for her. She simply smiled at his approach and formed a very curious look in her eyes when she realized he clearly had something very important to tell her.

"Hey, Alice-chan, I have to ask you something. Have you ever been lost before?" Takashi asked as she just sat in front of her with his legs crossed while Alice continued to look up at him with Zeke nestled in her lap.

"No. My parents always kept a close eye on me." Alice answered honestly and bluntly as she continued to play with Zeke's floppy ears.

"Well that's good…kind of...so, I take it you don't know what to do if you were to get separated from us then?" Takashi asked hesitantly, uncertain as to how he could approach such a serious subject with Alice.

The young child actually paused for a moment to think up a response, but soon shook her head. She stopped playing with the dog and was now looking straight into Takashi's brown eyes. With no humor being expressed, it was crystal clear to her now that this was something he wanted her to be prepared for, just in case.

"No. What should I do if I get lost, Takashi-niichan?" Alice asked curiously, her bright eyes now looking up at him for guidance but still feeling confident that Takashi would have an answer as always.

"Well...if we ever get into a fight that isn't going our way, then I want you to find somewhere to hide. Look for a place where it would be hard for someone to see or even reach into. You'll need to wait there until we come to find you. Understand so far?" Takashi explained as he wanted to cover all of his bases just to ensure Alice wouldn't be confused or uncertain what to do when a time like that were to come.

"So kind of like hide-and-seek then?" Alice asked as she almost considered the survival method to be like the game she used to play all the time.

"Exactly! But listen, you especially don't come out for any reason unless it's one of us. You can't trust anyone you don't know, alright? Whatever you do, you have to stay put until we find you." Takashi said with a nod before trying to remain dead serious so she wouldn't treat this like a game but rather a serious survival method to help her in the future.

"I understand. Thank you, Takashi-niichan!" Alice acknowledged with a soft smile before lightly wrapping her little arms around his neck while the rest of the group couldn't help but smile at her infectious enthusiasm.

"Don't worry about it. We've made it this far, so I don't intend to let anything happen to you or anyone else here." Takashi said in response as he was now somewhat blushing at the affection Alice was displaying.

It wasn't long until the rain had finally begun to calm down long enough for the group of survivors to venture out again into the seemingly empty neighborhood. The winds were far calmer this time around as the air was heavily with moisture. A strange smell filled the air that was most likely smoke, but it was near impossible for any fires to be burning after such heavy rainfall. The group stayed alert as ever as they were all kept their eyes peeled for anything remotely unusual or out of place. At one point they could see what looked like a large hotel standing out above some office buildings in the far distance. They all silently acknowledged to each other that if somehow things were go wrong on the way to or at the elementary school, it would be a good place to hole up in.

Takashi stayed in front to lead the others every step of the way. Every step was with confidence as he knew they had a decent amount of time before the rain would pick up again. However, Zeke suddenly began to growl with his white fur standing straight up, baring his sharp little teeth when they were passing down one street; causing everyone to freeze in place and instantly be on the lookout for any of 'Them'. He was always the first to know of any immediate danger, and he'd yet to fail them so far.

"See anything on your side, Hirano?" Takashi whispered as he cautiously kept looking back and forth, nervous as all hell as to what it was Zeke could've been so hyped up about. There were no obvious signs of 'Them', yet Zeke refused to budge an inch.

"No, I don't see anything...I don't even hear anything." Khota answered nervously as sweat began to bead across his forehead now. He kept his grip loose on his weapon to prevent any misfire despite how fast his heart was racing this very moment.

Just as it seemed like the coast was clear, Khota noticed a faint glowing red dot in a window on the distant house across from them. The grey skies made it hard to see long distance, but he quickly looked through his scope for confirmation only to feel his jaw drop. For he had just realized that a few centimeters below that red glow was the unmistakable barrel of a gun pointing in their direction, carefully hidden by two window curtains.

 ***KA-POW***

A deafening cracking sound echoed just a split second after Khota had just barely managed to pull Takashi down onto the wet asphalt; both letting out a painful grunt as they landed quite hard. When the powerful rifle round barely missed them (and luckily the others), a small clump of the street chipped away from the impact. The entire group was instantly on full alert the second they realized they were up against more armed survivors.

"Everyone get to cover right now!" Takashi snapped as he motioned them all get behind a car or a building, just as the doors to the neighboring houses suddenly flew wide open to reveal several men running out; each one armed with a makeshift weapon or a heavy-duty gun.

Without hesitation, the rest of the group scrambled for cover and ducked down as several more shots were taken at Takashi and Khota. Luckily they both stayed low and were able to just barely make it behind a moderately high wall. Bullets bounced and ricocheted off of the concrete wall as they couldn't hope to peek up without potentially getting hit. Shizuka and Saeko were both crouching behind a car wrapped around a telephone pole. Rei, Kiriko, Alice, and Saya meanwhile were standing around the corner of the entryway leading into the small house behind them.

"Alice! You know what to do?" Takashi suddenly called out as he could see her staring right at him from across the street.

The young girl quickly nodded and immediately sprinted back to find a good place to hide; knowing she had to find somewhere to hide and fast, given how intense the fighting clearly was even to her. Saya instantly noticed this and began to run after Alice only to be roughly pulled back by Kiriko. The young genius just stared at the former officer desperately as she hated the fact Alice was now completely out of her sight.

"Let her go. I know this is tough for you. It's tough for all of us,but we can't risk Alice-chan getting caught in the crossfire. Don't worry though, we'll find her after we take these bastards out." Kiriko said calmly in an attempt to help Saya focus more on the matter at hand. Knowing full well that the little girl was far safer in a hiding spot than in the middle of what felt like a war zone, Saya quickly wiped the tears brimming in her eyes and clutched her rifle tight, ready to help end this quickly.

"Move in! These weaklings can't fight back!" an aggressive male voice called out as several of the men taking cover behind various cars and walls began to move in on the group; taking several more shots at Takashi and Khota's position as they tried to return fire.

However, just as the strangers were moving in for the kill,Kiriko fired the automatic pistol she was carrying in short, controlled, bursts while Saya quickly followed her lead by desperately firing several suppressing shots at their attackers. While her accuracy would make most laugh, the numerous bullets whizzing by did cause the men to stop dead in their tracks the instant the returning gunshots started.

"Oh, fuck! Fall back!" one of the men announced out of shockas their hasty rush quickly turned into a desperate break for cover when one of the seven men was struck in the chest by Kiriko; knocking him flat on his back in the middle of the road. He was now left by himself in the middle of the fray as he continued to bleed out in the middle of the street. His painful gasps for air were masked by the sound of numerous thundering gunshots between the two groups; the blood from the entry mark slowly oozing out his torso and flowing down the street.

Saeko bit her lip as she gripped the handle to her katana ever so tightly. She desperately wanted to be of use and slay these bastards that dared try to harm her close companions, but she knew it would be suicide to rush out into the open when they were all using guns. It was then that she realized she still had that pistol Khota had given her back at the police station they had visited two days ago. Strapped and holstered tightly to her right leg, she carefully pulled it out and glared at it.

Despite having absolutely zero experience with such a thing before now, she could only now observe the various bits and ends of the foreign tool. She then glanced over to see Kiriko pulling on that small lever where her index finger could slip through. Saeko now took a deep breath before grasping the handle tight in her hand; somewhat regretting that she didn't have Khota teach her sooner.

Shizuka meanwhile watched as the young swordswoman peeked around their cover and tried to point it at the nearest target she could distinguish in the chaos. One man could be seen hiding behind a tree, completely unaware of his side being exposed to her. She raised the handgun up until the sights were in place. After a soft squeeze of the trigger, she watched as unexpectedly nothing happened.

"Hey! Watch your ass!" one of the men announced when he spotted what Saeko was up to. The immediate blast of a shotgun caused her to jump back out of reaction, just a fraction of a second before a flurry of buckshot tore into the corner of the ambulance she was just standing next to. Saeko cursed to herself and holstered the pistol in frustration as she knew it was pointless for her to try using it.

The same man with the shotgun continued to walk closer with his weapon raised in Saeko and Shizuka's direction, only for another round to suddenly strike him in the side. He dropped his weapon and landed flat on his ass, but managed to scramble back behind cover immediately afterward. Saeko turned her head in surprise to see that Rei had managed to hit him just in time. She shot her brown-haired compatriot a thumbs up out of thanks before the attacker up in the house began to take pot shots at all of them in the hopes that none would try to fire back.

Just when it seemed like Takashi's group had a chance of pushing these people back; a chilling and all-too familiar sound could suddenly be heard by both groups. Just when it seemed like things were bad enough, they had only become that much worse when the first of many of 'Them' had suddenly arrived from the east. 'They' poured into the neighborhood like an unstoppable swarm, ready to consume everything in 'Their' path. While most of the men tried to flee, some attempted to stand their ground. Those that remained had managed to take a few down with their firearms, but as Takashi's group retreated to the west, the gunshots soon became faint until nothing but silence remained.

As Takashi's group had fled the scene, Alice was currently hiding beneath a car not too far from the fighting. She silently watched in horror as several feet dragged and limped past her; her heart racing with fear with the knowledge that a single sound could draw all of 'Them' to her. All the little girl could do now was pray that 'They' would shuffle on without noticing her and that her group would find her again like Takashi promised they would.

What must've been minutes had eventually gone by without any sound or sign that 'They' were still nearby. Alice carefully stuck her head out to make sure the coast was clear. She could see the vast horde in pursuit of the other survivors were just now a ways down the street. The young girl carefully pulled herself out from the car with Zeke in her arms, trying her best to keep him from barking or growling.

 ***Thunk***

Alice nearly jumped out of her skin when she looked over to see a bloody handprint smacking against the inside of the car window. She let out a terrified yelp out of sheer reaction, only for the undead passenger to suddenly become riled by the sound of her voice. A low but familiar groan could be heard from inside the car, only for the window to suddenly shatter. Luckily, Alice managed to step back away so that the undead creature's clawing hands couldn't hope to reach her; its arms slowly being gouged by the shards of broken glass lining the window frame as it continued clawing at the air for the little girl.

Just as Alice thought she was safe, she looked back down the road, and her heart slowly sank deep down as a fair number of 'Them' from the back of the lumbering stampede slowly twisted 'Their' necks and heads in an almost unanimous fashion before slowly making the long trip back to Alice's position, drawn by the sound of the shattering glass. Without thinking, the little girl panicked and started running further up the block, certain that hiding outdoors was way too dangerous for her to be all alone. Deciding that a nearby house or store would be a much safer place to hide, Alice quickly left the area and never looked back once.

A further ways away, the rest of the group was still running for their lives through the winding streets of the neighborhood as it seemed the horde of 'Them' hot on their heels was only growing in number as more and more were drawn out of the houses and joined into the undead mass.

"Takashi, where are we even going?" Rei suddenly called out to him as they quickly ran into what looked like an abandoned construction site, complete with the skeletal remains of unfinished houses and foundations scattered all around.

"Anywhere but here, that's for certain!" Takashi yelled back in response before they all suddenly stumbled down a virtually hidden concrete slope; everyone just barely keeping their balance after skidding down the wet, sloped surface.

Once they'd come to a stop, they looked around to see they had to be ten feet inside a submerged drainage tunnel; judging by the large metal grate that had broken their descent. The whole structure had the same descending slope going all around, giving the drainage tunnel an unmistakable funnel shape. The sudden sound of approaching running footsteps drove them all to look back up to the ridge of the tunnel, watching as what had to be the men they were just fighting with had suddenly fallen down the slope after following them down to seek refuge from the undead horde.

"Oh, fuck, these assholes had the same idea!" one of the men announced as both sides immediately had their guns pointed at each other. Each of the men was wearing a dark blue jumpsuit, unmistakably the kind a prison inmate would wear. All at once that had explained to the group why these men were so hostile, and especially how they'd managed to obtain the guns they had.

"Funny that you'd be calling us the 'assholes' here." Takashi retorted with a dead serious glare in his eyes with his shotgun aimed right at their chests; stepping forward in front of the others, as if shielding them from whatever shots might be thrown in their direction.

Before their battle with these men could continue, the undead horde could be heard approaching. The prisoners quickly spun around to see the first several corpses come crashing down the steep slope. Bits of rotting flesh and tattered clothing scraped off against the rough concrete surface on the way down, but this didn't deter 'Them' from getting back up like it was nothing.

"Okay, fair point. How about we forget that shit though and focus on these freaks. Agreed?" one of the inmates suggested as his partners began to slowly back up in a desperate attempt to put as much distance between themselves and 'Them' as possible.

"Fine. But if we survive this, you better hope we never meet again." Takashi reluctantly agreed, despite this decision going against every instinct advising him against teaming up with people who just minutes ago were trying to kill him and his friends.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Let's fucking do this!" the first convict with a particularly grizzled face and long black hair replied hurriedly before stepping forward and leveling his rifle to start shooting.

"Step aside. We'll try to thin 'Them' out while the rest of you try to climb back up." Khota suggested as Takashi, Saya, Kiriko, Rei and himself took position in a double lined formation. Khota, Kiriko, and Takashi were standing up while Rei and Saya crouched down in front of them. The rest of the two groups meanwhile were trying their best to get back up the high slope behind them since 'They' were clearly coming from the direction they'd just come from.

Knowing now was not the time to be holding back, they allowed 'Them' to come close, only to start picking 'Them' off one by one. Being the best shot amongst Takashi's group, Khota took the hardest shots by either striking the ones further back to lessen up the advancing undead, or nailing the ones that had a noticeable limp that made it much harder to strike the head. While most of Saya's shots would miss entire rows of 'Them',some managed to actually strike at the kneecaps; causing some to fall down and crawl at a much slower pace. When not blasting upright undead of her own, Rei would help pick off the ones crawling as her mother would take care of the ones Takashi couldn't shoot while he was reloading his shotgun.

Steam gently fumed from the firearms with every shot bounced and danced along the ground as all became silent; everyone's ears ringing, seeing how loud it was to be firing without any ear protection. The gunshots rang out for miles for undead and survivors alike to hear. The harsh winds began to pick up and howl once more, but they all could care less at this point. All that mattered was keeping 'Them' back for as long as they could.

However, the longer this fight dragged on, the more ammunition had to be used to give the others more time to make their way out. Unfortunately, the slopes were far too steep and wet for them to manage to climb up. It wasn't long until Saya and Kiriko had expended the last of their rounds, soon followed by Rei;looking at her rifle worriedly when it could no longer fire into the seemingly endless mass of 'Them'. Takashi suddenly flipped his shotgun so he was holding it upside down as if he were to use it like a club. Khota felt his blood freezing up as the last round in his last clip was now flying through several of 'Them', leaving him absolutely defenseless without any of his precious firearms to fight back with.

"You've all done your part, but this is my fight now." Saeko suddenly announced as she stepped forward with her blade fully drawn out. Despite the incredibly dire situation they were all in,she couldn't be happier to finally start fighting on her terms; almost speaking as if she was ready to die here if it meant the rest of her companions would be able to escape unharmed.

"You kids try to find a spot you can actually climb up. Just don't leave us down here if you do." the long-haired convict offered as he and his partners armed with shivs and metal pipes stood by with Saeko to start cutting and beating down the nearest of 'Them'; knowing that she couldn't possibly stand any chance doing this all on her own.

"Don't worry, they won't." Kiriko said reassuringly as she looked back at Rei; knowing they would do whatever they could to help them escape in time. Without another word, she stepped forward to join the rest of the melee defense with the martial arts spear held tight in both her hands now; taking a firm stance, ready and waiting as she prepared to skewer the first of many of 'Them'with the sharp tip.

As the next clap of thunder rumbled from the sky, Saeko suddenly dashed forward; sweeping her blade in a horizontal arc. Several of 'Their' heads slowly fell sideways off 'Their' shoulders as the bodies fell down to the ground. Saeko's wrist elegantly swung the blade sideways to remove as much blood as possible before poising herself to strike again. Her agile movements made her look like a ballerina, but her vicious attacks gave her the appearance of a ferocious predator on the hunt.

Nothing could come between her prey and the unimaginable excitement that filled up her very being whenever she was uninhibited to do what made her feel truly alive. The steel blade cut effortlessly through flesh and bone alike as the convicts made sure to keep their distance just in case she were to get too carried away.

While Saeko covered the right side, Kiriko began to help out by ramming the spear straight into several of 'Them' at once. The spearhead piercing 'Their' mushy skulls like they were month-old pumpkins. Her hands gripped the weapon tightly before she made a jerking motion to rip the spear out; obliterating the skulls.

When one of 'Them' actually managed to catch her off guard and grab the shaft of her spear, she prepared to let go of her weapon,only to be surprised when Rei suddenly stepped in with her bayonet and thrust it straight into the empty eye socket of the decaying monster trying to kill her mother. Kiriko let out a soft sigh of relief before nodding to her daughter out of gratitude and acknowledgment that she was truly grown up into a strong woman who could take care of herself. Both of them continued fighting, side by side now, as the undead horde showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Several of the convicts managed to beat several of 'Them' to the ground and smash 'Their' heads into red and grey, mushy paste. However, with no discipline or proper training, it wasn't long until one after another, they were overwhelmed and devoured by the next wave; leaving only the long-haired convict, Kiriko, Rei, and Saeko to keep the undead at bay.

"What's taking you guys so long?!" Rei called out anxiously as she turned back to see nobody had managed to climb out of the pit yet. She could feel her fear begin to intensify and the adrenaline course through her whole body 'They' were starting to slowly push them all back until she and the others were just a few feet away from the rest of the group as they'd been backed up against the slope.

"It's too steep and the rain has made it even harder to climb back up. We aren't going anywhere." Takashi responded in dismay as he gave up any further attempts at climbing back up the concrete slope, ready to make a last stand with everyone else as they all collectively came to the blood-chilling, heart-stopping realization that this could actually very well be the end for them.

Everything began to go quiet as Takashi just watched the fresh wave of 'Them' slowly but surely come closer with every passing second; the wall of reanimated dead flesh closing in. Blood stained teeth and torn tongues were bared; causing everyone's blood to go ice cold with sheer terror. Snarls and low groans filled the air to the point Takashi couldn't even think straight anymore.

Those dead, grey, lifeless eyes swiveled in their sockets as if to sink even more fear further into 'Their' prey. Bits of flesh dangled and hung loose from gaping bite wounds like tattered clothing pulled through a shredder. The collective smell like diving head first into a wet pile of week old garbage; the rain clearly having helped aid the rotting process in a lot of 'Them'.

 **[Forward Unto Dawn OST - Axios]**

"I'm sorry...everyone...I fai-." Takashi began to mutter out of immense regret, just before blood suddenly splattered all over his chest. He went silent as the undead fiend that was a few seconds away from tearing his throat out suddenly collapsed. His eyes slowly followed it down to see a small black hole had pierced right through the back of its skull like a hot knife slicing through butter.

Before anyone could react, even more of 'Them' began to recoil back with small, black holes bursting between 'Their' eyes. The hail of what sounded like two fully-automatic carbines now replaced 'Their' empty groans howls as the whole group looked up to see two new figures positioned above them now at the top of the slope; their spent casings rolling down into the pit of death as they continued to fire into the undead mass simultaneously with almost surgical precision.

They were both wearing long strips of cloth wrapped loosely around their faces, save their eyes, to avoid getting spattered with any of 'Their' blood or to avoid being blinded by the heavy rainfall. One had a medium build; wearing a long sage green sweater as he began to tie the rope to one of the steel girders before tossing the loose end down to Takashi's group. The other one was much bigger in size and had a brown leather bomber jacket on. His eyes were scowling as he quickly slapped another magazine into his carbine and fired another rapid volley.

"Get out of there now! Climb!" a young male voice suddenly commanded; sounding no older than sixteen. Nobody down there was about to scoff at a last second rescue like this, and with no hesitation, they proceeded to start climbing one after the other. Shizuka and Saya were the first to come climbing up, taking the smaller stranger's extended hands as he helped them to the ledge; neither of them noticing how their rescuer's green eyes widened with shock when seeing Shizuka in particular.

They both clung tightly onto his rather strong forearms as he helped pull them back onto their feet the rest of the way. Meanwhile, his much larger partner continued to rapidly pull on the trigger to his MP5SFK sub-machine gun, mowing down wave after wave of 'Them' like it was child's play. It was quite clear that the swarm was still being drawn into the pit regardless of how many he would be able to drop, so instead he just crouched down to help pull out the next two climbing up: Rei and Kiriko. The smaller one then proceeded to pull out the long-haired convict and Takashi, followed by his partner effortlessly helping Khota squirm over the ledge.

Saeko this entire time had been holding her own against several of 'Them' at once. Her blade was now coated in the coagulated blood of the undead as several limbs and heads had been severed with each of her precise swings and slices. The look of pure thrill could be seen burning in her deep blue eyes with every one of 'Them' she managed to vanquish.

"Oi! Stop fighting and get you're bloody arse up here already!" an all-too familiar voice called out to Saeko; causing her to spin around to see where it came from; effectively breaking her concentration in the middle of the slaughter.

She quickly rushed over to the rope and began to pull herself up with her katana properly holstered at the hip. Before the young swordswoman could get out of reach from 'Their' clutches, a large hand grabbed her ankle and pulled her straight back down. Her blue eyes widened as a familiar reanimated hulking brute in a black shirt and white bandanna was amongst this horde and had managed to keep her pinned up against the wall with overwhelming force.

Desperately trying to break loose, she swiped her katana at his jawline only for his arm to inadvertently block it. The dense muscle and thick, clotted blood made it near impossible for her to pry the blade free in time. She let out a groan of desperation and actual fear as her hands desperately tried to keep his large head at bay.

"Saeko!" Takashi called out in horror at the terrifying sight as he looked down from above, ready to jump down and save her no matter what would become of him. Before he could take a single step forward, he suddenly felt himself being pushed back as another leapt into action in his place.

Seconds before the undead behemoth could sink his rotting, jagged teeth into Saeko's soft flesh to finish her off; the larger of the strangers that had rescued the rest of her group had suddenly jumped down and charged the giant head on, as if intending to fight one-on-one. The hulking mass of re-animated flesh suddenly swerved around and actually managed to backhand Saeko's rescuer like a rag doll against the hard concrete slope. He landed with a hard thud and a low groan escaped past his lips.

When the wrap of cloth concealing his face had been knocked loose, Saeko felt her jaw slowly drop in disbelief to see it was none other than Frasier Lawson himself with those unmistakably piercing blue eyes and the instantly recognizable stone cold determination that was always on his face whenever faced with a difficult challenge. She just kept looking at him as if he were just a ghost her mind had conjured up to play tricks on her in her single moment of desperation.

The overly determined Brit was almost instantly back on his feet and charging in for more, as if he were completely exhilarated from receiving such a hard blow. His foot kicked at the side of the undead giant's leg, which forced the brute to go down on one knee. Frasier quickly scaled around onto his back, only to pull back at the bandanna and underlying hair; causing the monster to growl viciously as it tried to shake Frasier off.

Saeko found she was now free from the vice-like grip, but now could only watch in awe as Frasier wrestled with the bodybuilder-sized brute. Using just one of the many grappling techniques Arthur had taught him, Frasier managed to lock the undead giant in place as he quickly reached behind his hip and soon held up the knife Mark bestowed upon him high in the air,only to repeatedly plunge it down into the creature's thick skull. The menacing beast slowly grew silent and limp as Frasier then stood up covered in its thick, brown blood.

Without further hesitation, the two quickly scaled back up the rope just in time to avoid being caught by the rest of the undead that had swarmed the bottom of the drainage structure. The moment Saeko had pulled herself up over the ledge; she immediately turned around to help Frasier back up. Her hands felt pleasantly warm to him as he slowly lumbered forward before stopping in time to see her looking right up at him with a look of what could only be relief.

"You're...alive." both survivors muttered softly at the same time between their mutual panting breaths of exhaustion as their eyes were focused solely on each other. Their chests were both heaving back and forth as their adrenaline from the fight had finally begun to wear off.

Frasier was at a complete loss for words now as he found himself once again lost in her deep blue eyes. His heart was beating at such a rhythm similar to the way a little kid would pound away at a drum. That goofy smile already started slowly forming along his lips before he found himself realizing that she was staring right back at him, almost as if expecting him to say something. Deep down in his chest, he wanted to say how happy he was to have finally found her; to express what joy and relief this had brought him. Perhaps even just blurt out those three words he'd fought so hard to never utter in her presence. However, before he could open his mouth, he noticed movement on his right that kept his words at bay.

 **[]**

"Saeko! Do you have any idea how close that was?!" Takashi suddenly interjected as he grasped her shoulders tightly; her head bowing down in shame that he had seen her so vulnerable after seeing so many times just how much pride she put into being the best fighter in the whole group.

"My apologies, Komuro-kun...I-" Saeko began to apologize only for Takashi to lift her chin up. Before another word could escape her mouth, she suddenly felt his lips pressing against her own; her hands slowly wrapping around and clutching onto his waist. A warmth burned fiercely inside both of them as Takashi could no longer hold back the emotions and sense of attachment he'd come to develop towards Saeko over the past few days.

Frasier meanwhile felt his entire world collapse before his very eyes as he could feel the ice cold heavy weight of realization bury itself deep within his reeling heart: he was too late. His mind was now swarming with half-formed regrets, with a bottomless pit in his stomach swirling with nausea. His once powerful set of lungs now burned with such intensity it felt like all the oxygen in his body had been stolen from him. A most sickening feeling crept inside his heart as it felt as though his blood had turned into tar; making it feel like his heart was skipping several beats at a time. Worst (and probably most crushing) of all to him was the fact that Saeko never even knew how he felt and most likely would never even have such a concept cross her mind now.

"Ah...well, that was quite unexpected...uh, ahem! Frasier-kun, this is Takashi Komuro-kun. He's our leader and...Frasier-kun? Where did you go?" Saeko blurted out in a flustered tone, her face a deep red, before quickly regaining her focus to properly introduce Takashi to her longtime friend, only for both of them to look around confusedly when he was suddenly nowhere to be seen.

They both watched as Frasier towered over the other members of their group only to push on through with both fists clenched tight together; watching him slowly approach Marcus as he unwrapped his own cloth mask. While they could not see Frasier's expression, it was quite clear that something was not right when they could see a look of serious concern on Marcus' face in reaction to what he himself could see. What Marcus saw in Frasier's face was unlike anything he'd ever seen from him before: the two shimmering glints in those blue eyes that were irrefutably tears.

There was such a raw intensity to the pain Frasier was in, as if it was an open flesh wound. The visible display of emotion emanating from him, despite how hard he was trying to desperately hide it, was so bizarre to Marcus; it was like trying to witness a new color. His emerald eyes slowly watched in awe as the set of pearl shaped tears ran down Frasier's face and fell to splash against the cold asphalt only to disappear among the countless other splashes of the still pouring rain. Marcus slowly took a deep breath as he knew that as much as he wanted to just get Frasier home as soon as possible now, there was still the matter of Alice to take care of.

"So...that's it, huh? We're just going back now?" Marcus gently asked in a low voice as he couldn't help but feel absolute pity to see Frasier in such intense pain, someone he'd never expect to look so torn up over such matters as heartbreak.

"You're right, Marcus. Give them the girl so we can go home." Frasier replied in a low rasp as he could almost feel his voice crack near the end; trying his best not to show any emotion to anyone that were to look upon his now sullen face. Right now all he wanted was to go home and spend as much time as possible alone.

"Alright, big guy. I'm on it." Marcus said sympathetically; having enough respect and maturity to know Frasier was in no state to be toyed with right now.

"Noah, it's safe to come out now." Marcus then announced; causing the rest of Takashi's group to suddenly look over in their direction.

It was then another teenage boy, this one even younger and smaller than the first two, stepped out, only to look over and see the look of soul-crushing pain on Frasier's face. Noah carried a shotgun in hand but had the most innocent and pleasant smile a stranger could have. Among the rest of the group, Khota could feel a sense of weight being lifted off his shoulders upon discovering his friend was still alive and well. However, when Takashi's group noticed Alice slowly walking up behind Noah,was it was like a spark had suddenly been thrown into a powder keg. Without any warning, Saya suddenly lifted her MP5SFK at them with a furious and protective look burning in her eyes.

"Step away from the kid! I swear to God, if any of you hurt her...!" Saya practically screamed as her barrel was aimed right at Marcus' head. Frasier looked over his shoulder only to sneer in absolute disgust. The potential tears in his eyes were suddenly replaced by a terrifying rage as he instantly swerved around with his carbine pointed right back at Saya. Everyone else holding a gun (excluding Saeko) quickly held it up against the other side. Alice quickly stepped back in fear now that everyone was suddenly aiming guns at each other.

"Quite some friends you've got here, Busujima-san. First we save the little girl, then we save all of you, and now you're all turning your sights on us." Frasier said in a cold, dead serious grunt as he kept his finger on the trigger; more than ready to shed more blood if he had to in order to protect his brothers. The still smoldering anger inside him sent tremors up his arm, as if giving him an eagerness to kill some more.

"Look, just...just lower your weapons and we can talk this out,okay? You're outnumbered, and there's no need for anyone else to die today!" Takashi suddenly announced before Saeko could reply. They both watched as his words had only further pushed Frasier into a more hostile stance, as if ready to massacre them all right here on the spot.

"Such an empty threat. Please, tell me how you intend to shoot us when none of you have any bullets left?" Frasier scoffed in disregard before he formed a slight sadistic grin; knowing he had the advantage here. His feeling was only further confirmed when Takashi's group all formed looks of shock towards each other that he could see right through their bluff.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just-" Frasier began to demand, only to be interrupted when Noah suddenly approached him and gently lowered his rifle to point at the ground. The two just glared at each other as if mentally debating who was in the right here. Marcus slowly lowered his carbine as he just watched from a distance, ready to leap in just in case Frasier finally lost the last restraint on his temper with Noah.

"That's enough, Frasier. Can't you see they're all just scared?" Noah said calmly as he looked up at the rather twisted and betrayed look in Frasier's eyes; that fiery glare initially making it look like he was going to blow a fuse and explode into a blood frenzy. But finally, after one deep sigh, he realized the bullets and the guilt weren't worth it. Frasier simply glared at the rest of Takashi's group as he motioned Alice to go back to them.

"Saya!" Alice squealed as she ran out to instantly get swept off her feet in the young genius' arms. Saya fell to her knees while holding Alice close; joyous tears freely running down her face as she held onto the little girl like her own baby sister.

"Alice, why were you with these people? Takashi specifically told you to wait for us!" Saya demanded; her voice trembling asthe tears continued flowing from her eyes; slightly sniffling as she awaited Alice's answer.

"I was waiting for you guys like you told me to, and then they found me. I-I did my best! I'm sorry!" Alice tearfully attempted to explain as her voice already began to crack; feeling complete and total guilt for making Saya so angry, worried and sad at the same time.

"If it makes you feel any better about her decision, it was either come with us until we found you, or stay in a store infested with 'Them'." Noah then attempted to explain as he stood before the mall, making sure that everything would be alright before he and his brothers took off.

"They even let me carry this. So I could protect myself in case they were trouble." Alice then added as she showed Saya the large handgun Frasier had given her. Looks of shock and astonishment were exchanged among everyone as they all looked up at Frasier.

"You seriously gave a little girl a handgun?!" Kiriko suddenly interjected as she was rather appalled by such lack of judgement; glaring at Frasier as Saya couldn't help but agree with the concerned mother on the matter of doing something so reckless and stupid.

"An empty handgun, specifically; completely harmless even in the hands of a child. Noah insisted we taker her with us and look for you lot, so I had to convince her to trust us somehow." Frasier responded coldly, as if he felt insulted having to justify the choice he made before Alice politely handed it back to him. They all watched as he loaded the clip back in with just a few turns of the wrist. The two groups were now completely silent after such an awkward and intense introduction to one another had finally cooled the earlier tension.

"So what do you all intend to do now?" Noah suddenly asked as Takashi and Saya formed skeptical looks at his question; wondering why he would possibly want to know or care about their survival plan.

"Why do you ask?" Takashi questioned suspiciously as he raised an eyebrow; never taking his eyes off the trio for even a split second. While they were just in a rough standoff with each other, it was hard for him to ignore the fact that Frasier's group just rescued them and had returned Alice to them in one piece.

"Because it looks like you guys could use our help. It isn't very safe to be wandering the open streets to begin with, but without any ammo, it's nothing short of suicide." Noah answered sincerely before he did something completely unexpected and offered Takashi several 12 gauge shells for his semi-auto shotgun.

"A-Are you for real?" Takashi suddenly asked in last thing he was ever expecting from a stranger such as Noah was a handout of free ammunition. The red colored rounds were slowly rolling between his fingers now as Takashi kept switching his gaze from the rounds to the non-threatening look on Noah's face.

"I know we didn't exactly start out on the right foot here, and for that I'm sorry. But perhaps it would best for all of us that we combine forces into one big group. You know, 'strength in numbers' and all that." Noah acknowledged regretfully before finally laying his offer to Takashi on the table.

"What's in this for you, though? There's no way you'd be willing to offer something like this without expecting something in return." Takashi said skeptically as he kept his hands at his side while Noah was mentally taken aback at how distrusting Takashi seemed to be of him despite his group having just rescued him and his friends. Then again, the fact that Frasier so easily pulled a gun on them didn't exactly leave Takashi's distrust unjustified.

"Alright, I'll be frank with you here. We've taken over a sizable hotel with more than enough room for all of you, and we have enough supplies to last us over until any potential evacuations can arrive. While it's manageable at the moment, I personally think it would be nice to have more survivors join us. We've been attacked every now and then by smaller groups of 'Them', and honestly, I just really feel like we need to start looking out for each other with everything that's going on. I know that may sound like a bunch of rubbish to you, but it's the honest truth here." Noah expressed as Takashi and his group appeared astonished to be offered such a sweet deal that would easily benefit them far more than it would for Noah's group. But even beyond that, there was an unmistakable air of sincerity in what Noah expressed to them, like he truly meant every word he said about wanting to help people; and it couldn't help but give a shared feeling of warmth and trust for the youngest Lawson from Takashi and his group.

"Seriously?" Takashi finally asked as he was still amazed that this young boy would suggest such a thing with all sincerity.

"Seriously." Noah said with no sense of sarcasm in his voice; feeling certain that their groups combined would make quite the formidable force; hoping that there wouldn't be any objections from anyone.

Takashi eventually accepted the ammo from Noah and proceeded to walk back to discuss with the others following him on what they'd have to say on the idea of going with these three strangers. Were a fight to break out, it would be near impossible to stand a fighting chance; considering how fast the first two brothers had proven themselves to be very capable fighters just minutes ago.

"Personally, I feel we'd be much safer hunkering down in a hotel. It gives plenty of vantage points for keeping lookout, more than enough beds for everyone, most likely a boiler system so hot water for showers is still available, and they must have established a sturdy defense in order to keep 'Them' pushed back for this long." Kiriko explained as she laid out some immediate advantages the Lawson's personal sanctuary held in store for them.

"I don't know about this. The last two seem fine, but that muscular one...he really makes me uneasy. There's no telling what he could be capable of with that short temper of his." Rei said as she glanced over at Frasier, only to look back at the others with hesitation. Given how previous incidents and encounters with bigger survivors went bad very quickly, it seemed to make Rei very hesitant to start trusting them now.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you so long as I still breathe. I'll make it very clear to them who they're dealing with if that would help." Kiriko suddenly offered as she spoke in a calm yet protective tone; wanting to ensure her daughter's safety at any cost.

"I…thanks, Mom." Rei said in a flustered tone; blushing out of embarrassment that her mom just called her "sweetheart" in front of everyone else. Nevertheless, she greatly appreciated everything her mother did for her and was still overjoyed to be reunited with her after worrying about her for several days.

"I don't like his size either, but he did just save us, so I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, having strong allies would be really helpful. Did you not see how he handled Shimada-san back there? Besides, believe it or not, I briefly knew the youngest one before the outbreaks. Noah's very kind and really intuitive when given the right tools. I know we can trust him if nobody else. It would be insane for us not to go with them." Khota suddenly spoke up in their defense as he recollected the memory he had of him and Noah meeting that fateful day and almost instantly getting along like a house on fire; certain that despite the rise of the apocalypse, Noah would still be unaffected and as warm-spirited as ever.

"If I may, I think it would be best for us to go with them too. At the rate we're going, it seems like we'll be out of everything before we can reach the elementary school. I also happen to know what to expect from Marcus-kun, seeing how often he'd visit me in the infirmary his first month. He's really sweet, and he's a good boy at heart. I really feel we can trust him." Shizuka confessed as she then began to recall how Marcus was almost always coming into her office during his first month back at Fujimi Academy.

He'd be coming in for all kinds of reasons, whether it was a cut, a scrape, a sprain, a bruise, or even something as simple as needing headache medication. But no matter what it was, Marcus was always so nice to her, as well as quite charming, and Shizuka genuinely enjoyed spending time with him whenever he'd come in. The faint memories couldn't help but bring a warm, nostalgic smile to Shizuka's lips as she glanced over her shoulder towards him as he looked to be talking with his brothers as well.

"They might be strangers to most of you, but I've known Marcus-kun and Frasier-kun long enough to know we can trust them without a doubt. Marcus-kun can be a bit childish at times,but when needed, I've seen he can be quite determined and willing to step up. Frasier-kun on the other hand is without a doubt someone you'd want on your side...if you can convince him, that is. They're descendants of a strong and proud military family originating from the U.K., so if anyone can survive this,it would be them." Saeko vouched as the others all seemed to slowly agree that despite the risks, it would be best that they trust the Lawson brothers for now and accept the alliance between their groups.

"How do you know so much about him, Saeko?" Takashi suddenly asked with a rather suspicious look in his eyes as he then looked back to see the three brothers were having a discussion of their own; hoping to God she was right about them being trustworthy.

"Frasier-kun has been training under my guidance for a while now in the art of the sword. While his form is nowhere near as refined as my own, he is a quick learner and his raw physical strength makes him quite the adversary. Komuro-kun...I wouldn't suggest trusting them if I considered them to be even the slightest bit of a threat to this group. Trust me." Saeko answered sincerely as she voiced her concerns to him, feeling certain that going back with them to the hotel was their best option.

Takashi looked deep into her eyes; knowing that she truly was speaking from the heart. Without Saeko or her training in the art of the sword, he would've most likely perished a long time ago. Her instincts had proven to always be right thus far, and to ignore them could prove to be a fatal mistake he just couldn't risk. All he could do now was bow his head to try and think of the final call to make, contemplating the choice that would affect everyone who looked up to him as their leader.

As Takashi remained in thought, Noah suddenly came walking up to the rest of the group by himself, momentarily catching them by surprise that he'd show up by himself after talking with his brothers.

"Excuse me, I'm really sorry to interrupt, but there's been something on my mind for the last few minutes I just need to get out in the open. Ma'am, by any chance are you a police officer?" Noah nervously asked as he glanced over at Kiriko, who now turned her gaze upon the young boy.

"Formerly. What's it to you, young man? Is that a problem?" Kiriko replied with a hint of curiosity as she raised an eyebrow at his rather outspoken reaction to her outfit of all things.

"No! It's not a problem at all! I just wasn't sure if there were any police still left around the city. You see, a few days ago, Frasier and I ran into this large contingent of police officers back at the Eastern Police station. We even ended up helping them fight off this large horde of 'Them' that had crossed the Onbetsu Bridge." Noah began to explain; completely unaware of the spark of hope he'd just ignited within Kiriko and Rei's hearts.

"Are you serious?! How many were there? Who were they? I swear if you're lying...!" Rei suddenly asked in a somewhat hysterical tone while her hands grasped Noah's shoulders. A clear sense of desperation filled her words before Kiriko lightly pulled her back so Noah could breathe.

"Well, most of them were just recruits or cadets fresh out of the academy. But I remember they were all being led by this detective who somehow managed to keep the chaos at bay long enough to organize them all for that fight." Noah began to explain as both women just stared into his blue eyes; watching intently as he tried to piece together the events from memory.

"Did you happen to catch that detective's name? Please...this is really important to me." Rei finally asked in a much softer and approachable yet emotionally tired tone. There was so much emotion visible in her eyes, it couldn't help but give Noah goosebumps. Her weary body language appeared to give off signs of desperation as she looked ready to break down from the anticipation of Noah's answer.

"His…his name was Tadashi Miyamoto. And when it was all over, he told us he was setting up in some local elementary school. That's the last I saw of him." Noah gently said slowly and calmly as he watched an instantaneous spark of hope and joy immediately take over Rei as she suddenly hugged him like a child would when presented with a new teddy bear. She then quickly rushed to her mother who just stood there in completely relieved awe to hear that her husband was still alive, even if this report was just a few days old.

"Mom! Did you hear all of that?! Dad's still alive! We have togo to the elementary school as soon as possible!" Rei began to exclaim eagerly, beyond relieved for the moment yet still knowing they needed to act upon it right now. Kiriko however seemed hesitant to agree.

"Rei, this is fantastic news, but we can hardly go on much longer at this rate. We have no ammo, little food left over from what I had scavenged, and the rain is just going to make our journey even more perilous. As much as it pains me to say this,we should go with these boys until we can recuperate and collect ourselves. Please, I hope you can understand my reason for saying this." Kiriko suddenly expressed as she felt cold inside to see Rei's hopeful expression slowly turn to that of disappointment.

"I...yeah, I understand. Dad is pretty tough after all, so if anyone can hold out for a little longer, it's him. You always know what's best, Mom." Rei said reluctantly as she then turned away to await Takashi's final word. He just looked at the still hopeful look in her eyes; knowing they had to find him for Rei's sake. The young man just let out a hesitant sigh before realizing he had to make a choice now.

"My friends seem to be willing and able to follow you three for now. I don't suppose you have anything else to spare us?" Takashi finally answered as he turned to face Frasier who then approached and stood just a few centimeters over him.

"Five. There's two more back at the hotel that I'm sure will be thrilled to have more people joining us. I can spare you just a bit of ammo for now. When we return, you'll have more than you could possibly need." Frasier answered peaceably as he then handed Saya, Kiriko, and Takashi several more rounds and clips for their weapons. His eyes quickly looked at the rest of the group and immediately noticed something was out of place here.

"Wait. Is this guy with you as well?" Frasier suddenly asked when his gaze focused upon the long-haired convict standing in the back; his eyes never looking away now that he noticed what type of jumpsuit the man was wearing which; causing him to stare intensely, as if trying to telepathically proclaim his distrust for the former inmate.

"No. He most certainly isn't." Kiriko answered very firmly as the others looked over at the man who just stood there as if expecting something to happen now. Sweat was slowly pouring down his face as Frasier then smirked for a moment, accompanied by a twisted intensity in his stare.

"Good." Frasier said in a much lower mutter before, in a single swift motion, he placed Mark's handgun under the man's jawline and pulled the trigger. The man didn't make a sound as he fell over backwards; rolling freely down the slope into the drainage pit filled with 'Them'. Frasier simply stared at the ensuing feeding frenzy before he proceeded to walk away with absolutely zero remorse in his eyes.

Everyone else had flinched out of reaction, feeling an intense, cold, uneasy tremor running down their backs at what they had just witnessed; to see such a cold and brutal execution decided within just mere seconds. Regardless of whether the man had started out as their enemy or not, to see the person they were about to follow straight up murder someone without any hesitation left them all with a twisting feeling in their they could hope for now was that Frasier had a limit as to who he would suddenly attack without any warning or mercy. As they followed him out of the construction site, both groups quickly formed into two parallel lines as they began to carefully trek back to the hotel.

At the rear flank were Khota and Noah; keeping an eye out for anyone or anything potentially following them. Luckily, 'They'were nowhere to be seen, and so far it was safe to assume the convicts from earlier were nothing more than just a small detachment.

"I still can't believe you made it, Khota. If you don't mind me asking, how did you ever escape?" Noah asked Khota curiously as they looked like two war buddies reunited and swapping horror stories together.

"Well, believe it or not, I managed to attach a custom sight onto a gas powered nail gun in the woodshop classroom using some tape, a chipped eraser, and a ruler. It was a close call, but just as I put that bad boy together, I managed to kill several of 'Them' rushing Takagi-san and I. All it took was one shot and BLAM! Worked like a charm." Khota said proudly and enthusiastically before realizing he was now starting to miss that crazy contraption.

"A simple nail gun converted into a gun that fires nails. That's bloody brilliant." Noah chuckled softly as he was genuinely impressed by the quick thinking and sheer innovation on Khota's part to weaponize such a thing. If Noah were to be honest with himself, it was already giving him some ideas as to what else he and Khota could create putting their minds together.

"Well, all it took was the right motivation and nearly being eaten alive to help me focus." Khota said modestly as he quickly glanced over to Saya before looking away to make sure Noah didn't catch on or notice how his cheeks barely turned pink when looking at her.

"Those are two very good reasons indeed." Noah responded as he looked up at the nearby rows of buildings overlooking them on both their sides just to make sure nothing stuck out when the rest of the group passed them by.

"What about you, Noah? I'm dying to know what you guys had to do when it all went down." Khota asked eagerly, clearly excited that he could finally have someone to really talk to about weapons, ideas and tactics again; earning a mutual grin from the young Brit.

"We escaped by building a potato cannon, hollowing out the spuds and filling them with a combination of steel wool and some household chemicals to make our own little firebombs. The results were quite good, if not a little crispy." Noah answered proudly as Khota had the most astonished and mesmerized look in his eyes as he tried to piece that imagery together; almost wishing now that he could've been there to see it in action.

"Oh man, that's so cool, I can't even think of a word to describe it." Khota muttered in awe as he was now strongly tempted to make one if they could find the parts or the time.

Just a few steps away, Kiriko and Rei walked side by side, keeping an eye out for anything on the sidelines such as suspicious looking vantage points or alleyways. Every little movement they'd catch kept them on edge and in constant expectation for anything to pop out. Luckily, in spite of that constant feeling of worry, Noah's revelation had greatly bolstered their motivation; driving their every step like never before.

However, every few seconds, Rei couldn't help but cast a worrisome glance to Frasier's back, still greatly disturbed from what he'd done so easily. It couldn't help but keep her feeling quite wary of him, and a little wary of his brothers as well. As much as she wanted to trust Noah, she still knew that this new world was capable of changing even the best-intentioned people in horrible ways she didn't even want to think about.

"Mom, I've been thinking, and I want to know what you you think that boy Noah was really telling the truth? Do you really think he saw dad?" Rei whispered to her mother; hoping that she was just being paranoid and that the young Brit was indeed speaking the truth.

"You want the truth? Yes, Rei. I really do think so. I've interrogated enough scumbags to know when a man is lying, and I can tell you now, there wasn't one thing in that boy's tone, or his eyes or his body language that raised any of my red me, he was telling the truth. Besides...how else could he have been able to describe your father so well? It couldn't have just been a coincidence." Kiriko said reassuringly; helping to calm Rei's nerves as she let out a grateful sigh, already feeling a little lighter emotionally. Her mother then looked over her shoulder to see Noah and Khota chuckling together, causing her to smile warmly; infinitely grateful that he'd seen her Tadashi alive and well.

As she turned back to keep looking ahead, she immediately noticed Rei was glancing over to Takashi and Saeko, only to look away and bow her head slightly, a faint yet unmistakable look of sadness evident in her eyes.

"So, you and Takashi-chan are no longer...you know?" Kiriko asked curiously; pretty much putting the pieces together herself when she saw the painful expression her daughter had.

"Yeah. We actually broke up a while ago. I didn't know how to tell you or dad about it, so I just never mentioned it. Hisashi and I started dating shortly after because he seemed to actually listen to what I had to say, and he always seemed to have his priorities straightened out. The very first day this all happened; it was just the three of us trying to escape from school. The whole place had been infested almost instantly. Hisashi…Hisashi died that afternoon protecting me…a-and Takashi had to put him down once he…came back. It wasn't too long after that when we ran into the others and…well, that's how it's been up to this point, really.

"Over the last few days, Takashi's changed so much. He really stepped up to the challenge of leadership, and even when all seemed lost, he kept fighting on despite the danger he was putting himself in for us. I honestly couldn't help but feel myself falling for him all over again." Rei explained softly as she recalled all the events the two had undergone the past week; her mother remaining completely silent as she listened to every last detail.

"And that other girl has developed feelings for him too, I take it?" Kiriko guessed after recalling the obvious display of affection the two had shown minutes ago.

"Yeah...part of me despises her for it, but another part of me completely understands. In the end, I can't really blame her for feeling the way she does for him. This is a time for us to be looking out for one another, and it's not right for me to feel like Takashi belongs to me alone. Besides…it's clear now that he's already made his choice. It still hurts a part of me inside, but I have to remember that it was my call to break up with him to begin with, and I just have to learn to live with the consequences." Rei explained as she spoke in a low, clearly sad tone as she now had her eyes focused on her feet as she continued walking.

"Well, I won't lie, it kind of hurts that you didn't talk to me about your relationship more in the past, but I can still understand your hesitation. It's very natural. You've really been through a lot recently, Rei. I'm sorry we haven't been there for you as often as we should have. But no matter what happens, in spite of however you may feel in a moment, just remember to always keep your head up and remain optimistic. I know it's hard to believe these days, but I really do think things will get better in time." Kiriko said sympathetically as she gently patted Rei's shoulder in support; feeling immensely pleased to see Rei crack half of a smile; clearly taking all her words to heart before they continued to keep their respective watch in silence.

Slightly off to the sides of the center of the column was Saya and Marcus, and in between them were Shizuka and Alice. The two were constantly forced into the center for protection as Shizuka was the only one among them with the invaluable extensive medical know-how to help with all kinds of injuries, and Alice was pretty much the emotional beacon that kept everyone's spirits high with her almost constant and infectious optimism. Everyone in the group was already more than willing to risk their lives if it meant keeping her safe, but with no one was it more evident than with Saya. Even though she'd never verbally admit it; Alice was one of the most precious people in the world to her, and after the earlier events of today, she would already sooner die than ever risk losing sight of Alice again.

"Just let me have a look, Marcus-kun." Shizuka continued stubbornly requesting as she kept reaching her hands out to start feeling Marcus down for anything resembling a wound, in spite of him constantly trying to keep his distance from her, for once not in the mood for being manhandled by the voluptuous former nurse.

"Shizuka-sensei, I'm fine, honest! Although we do have an injured friend back at the hotel that could definitely use your help once we get there." Marcus explained as he continued to insist that there was nothing wrong with him; hoping that her extensive medical knowledge would allow them to finally give Johann the proper treatment he so clearly needed for the last several days. Up to this point they'd managed to keep his wound clean and constantly change the bandages, but they always knew it required some more substantial treatment they themselves weren't capable of providing. Hopefully, now that Shizuka was with them, that concern could finally be put to rest.

"Of course! I have to help out in any way I can." Shizuka replied in clear determination as she seemed quite excited to finally be of some real use to the group; having always hated that feeling of not pulling her own weight around after all everyone else had done to keep her safe from all the heavy fighting.

"I must say, it's really good to see you again, Shizuka-sensei. I hope you've been doing alright all this time. I'm so relieved you didn't end up as one of 'Them'." Marcus suddenly said in asofter, much shyer inflection as he looked down at his feet as though expecting his words to go right over her head.

"Well, it was a bit close at first, but luckily everyone has done an excellent job of keeping me protected. And how sweet of you to say that! I'm really glad you haven't turned either, Marcus-kun. It would be such a terrible loss otherwise." Shizuka replied in a joyful tone before draping her slender arms over Marcus' shoulders from behind; lightly squeezing him in her arms; her massive chest practically squishing against the back of his neckand his head; not that it was necessarily an issue for Marcus, as his heart started racing and his whole face turned a deep red as he could fully feel just how warm and soft her all-too bountiful bosom was.

Saya meanwhile was just rolling her eyes at the sight before turning Alice's head to look forward when she noticed the young girl was giggling at the two of them. She kept thinking of how relieved she felt now that Alice was back where she belonged. A strong sense of being Alice's protector had long been established ever since Takashi's group had rescued Alice; and ever since then, Saya was always looking out for her like her own personal guardian angel.

"I'm sorry I ran away, Saya." Alice suddenly apologized while trying to keep from making eye-contact with her significantly taller protector.

"Don't start apologizing for something you didn't do wrong. The more I go over what happened in my head, the more I realize it was for the better that you were away from the fighting. It was stupid of me to even think for a second that you should've stuck with us through that whole mess, Alice. This was even closer than when we crashed against that barricade a few days ago." Saya admitted in a soft sigh; somewhat biting her tongue to admit she overreacted earlier, even though she still personally felt justified feeling the way she did earlier when having absolutely no clue as to where Alice could've gone.

"If it makes you feel better, I really missed you, Saya." Alice said sweetly as she looked up with an adorable smile that practically forced Saya to smile in response at such innocence and affection; a single tear threatening to start welling in one of her eyes.

"Don't try to butter me up. It won't work, you little munchkin." Saya grumbled playfully as she looked away to hide her smile and rustled Alice's hair; causing her to giggle and try to push Saya's hand away, all the while Zeke was slowly wagging his tail happily, as if he could just somehow sense their positive mood.

Taking position further up front but still behind Frasier were Takashi and Saeko. Their hands were tightly held close together, fingers interlaced and all, as they would occasionally catch the other looking at them. Luckily, the two were still as alert and active as ever and were more than ready to fight again were the need to arise.

"I can't believe today still isn't over." Takashi grumbled under his breath as Saeko's eyes soon shifted upon him to respond, although it was clear he'd mainly been talking to himself.

"It has been an exhausting day, but if this hotel they've claimed is as good as they say it is, we might actually be able to get some decent rest tonight." Saeko optimistically sighed as she felt a sore sensation tingling in the back of her legs, her upper shoulders, and the bottoms of her feet.

"Yeah, hopefully. So, Saeko...you and that guy, Frasier-san…you and him were just friends, right?" Takashi replied as he could only imagine how comfortable the pillows would feel against the back of his head. He then looked over at Frasier at the very front; walking completely alone and remaining absolutely dead silent.

"That's right. He was always very clear on where we stood back then. So yes, we were only close friends..." Saeko responded as she recalled several occasions in their past before her voice started to trail off. Takashi then looked away, almost as if he seemed suspicious of something else now.

"Don't worry, Komuro-kun. You have nothing to worry about with him. I will always be here to keep you safe. It's an honor to be with you." Saeko then expressed to reassure his doubts before lightly squeezing his hand; feeling a pleasantly warm sensation inside of her stomach when he shot her a grateful, contented smile; both knowing that their bond could only grow stronger from this day on.

Meanwhile, Frasier continued his lonesome walk; keeping a moderate distance from the others as he desperately tried to ignore any emotion that was trying to surface within. His eyes continuously scanned the entire area in front of him as he continued acting as the group's scout which was no doubt best considering his dormant anger left him in no mood for idle chit-chat.

His entire body felt weary as his could just tell his spirit was entirely broken. Mentally he was churning up a storm; trying to forget that he ever had close personal feelings in regard to Saeko. It did still bring some joy to his heart that she had survived this entire time to some extent, no matter how indescribably terrible it felt that he could no longer be able to confess his deepest affection and admiration for her. Several tears began to form again, that horrid stinging sensation that stung his eyes and would blur his vision before he wiped it all aside; knowing that he couldn't even let his own heartbreak get in the way of their progress.

 _(One long hour later)_

As the two groups of survivors traversed the eerily abandoned streets of northern Tokonosu, the rainstorm had somehow managed to intensify even more than it already had. Heavy rain would pour down on them relentlessly; the winds' constant howling would mask other potential sounds from the undead and would sometimes deceive the group at times when passing through any empty buildings with open doors or windows. The only solace that could be had from the otherwise abysmal weather conditions was that the few remaining fires from car wrecks and damage caused by other panicking survivors had been officially snuffed out at long last.

The group could now finally see the hotel up ahead, and it was just as promising as they'd all been hoping it would be, almost like a shining beacon of refuge after seven long days of constant struggle. Their hearts raced as they all began to break out into a fast-paced jog. At the roof was Hitomi with the binoculars, who immediately began to bolt downstairs the moment she realized that she could see over eleven lively figures heading right for them, three of them being the Lawson brothers. She had been worried sick about them after their run shouldn't have lasted more than an hour, and to see them all alive and well again bolstered her descent with boundless relief.

"Johann, look alive! We've got company!" Hitomi shouted to the young German happily as she passed him by in the lobby. He had a stack of playing cards set out on a table in the form of a house, although it of course came crashing down the instant Hitomi dashed through with him now hot on her tail.

They both quickly rushed to clear the removable portion of the barricade and hold the doors open just moments before everyone practically poured into the hotel lobby; each one breathing heavily as they all looked as if they had finally found paradise after a lifetime in a wasteland. Johann quickly locked the doors and slid the barricade back over it as Hitomi rushed over to figure out from the Lawson's who they'd just brought in.

"I take it you found more than just food out there." Hitomi said with a bright smile and a rather strong sense of joy to see they were not the last survivors in the entire city.

"Oh no, they're part of tonight's dinner." Marcus chuckled lightly as Takashi's group collectively turned their heads toward him with clearly unamused looks, given how thin the trust between the two groups already was. Marcus awkwardly felt his laughter die down before rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Heh, just kidding." Marcus nervously announced before both his brothers lightly punched him in the arms from both sides.

Takashi and the others couldn't help but look in amazement around the lobby of their new found sanctuary. It almost felt like stepping into a whole other world after having to scour around the city for days. No words could express how safe and calming it felt for them to be inside an actual secure shelter again. While the lobby was only partially illuminated by candlelight and the few rays of daylight that shone through slots in the barricade, it still gave off a very welcoming atmosphere that seemed to sap away all feelings of apprehension and tension they had all felt on the way here.

"I'd like to welcome you all to our humble home. My name is Officer Hitomi Mori. I'm sorry; I would've made something for you all to eat had I known my friends would be bringing you all back with them." Hitomi announced politely as she introduced herself to Takashi's group before she turned to the Lawson's, her eyes dead centered on Marcus in particular. Despite the embarrassment of being unprepared to feed them on arrival, she was still greatly pleased nonetheless that these people had all survived.

"Well, it shouldn't take long to cook what we've brought back. Get me a few pots and some warm water, and we'll be able to eat within the hour." Marcus said confidently as he took the portion of camping meals out from his backpack. Takashi and his group couldn't but all glance at each other in mutual agreement of how hungry they were once the subject of food was brought up, which of course brought smiles to all their faces once Marcus offered to cook for them.

Marcus and Hitomi walked off together to the kitchen while everyone else almost simultaneously collapsed into the large cushy chairs and couches; letting out heavy groans of relaxation and relief, some nearly on the verge of falling asleep almost instantly while still waiting for orders from their respective leaders.

"You've all been through a lot today, so you can take a moment to rest. Your leader and I need to discuss a few things." Frasier suddenly announced as he then motioned Takashi to follow him into the stairwell. Now, the lobby was completely silent as everyone else was at a momentary loss of what to say to their new respective companions.

"Excuse me, Miss Shizuka-sensei? Do you think perhaps you could help our friend, Johann? I'm certain he'd like a proper look at his injuries." Noah suddenly asked in order to break the silence; instantly catching both Johann and Shizuka's attention. Once Johann noticed the large medical bag Shizuka was carrying, he immediately understood what was about to happen, and while still nervous, he couldn't help but feel relieved that he was finally going to be treated by a real professional.

"Miyamoto-san, would you care to assist me? I might need an extra pair of hands." Shizuka suddenly brought up as she motioned for Rei to come join her. The young woman was immediately on her feet and at Shizuka's side, already eager to do whatever she could to help her new companions.

The three sat down at one of the tables with Johann's arm laid out along the cool, wooden surface with his sleeve slightly rolled up. Shizuka carefully began to unwrap the old bandages around his hand, only to barely restrain a shocked gasp to see just how extensive the damage really was. The two fleshy stubs would occasionally twitch in reaction to the air as the tiny bits of yellowish-red bone could be seen protruding out from where his two missing fingers should've been connected. Luckily she was prepared to some degree and began to immediately inspect and ensure that there were no signs of infection.

"Oh my God...what happened to you?! Was this because of 'Them'?" Rei suddenly asked; horrified when she noticed just how severe the wound was, somewhat hesitant to approach if he was potentially infected.

"No…I wouldn't be here if one of 'Them' did this. These…these were thanks to some bastard punks who jumped me and thought they could do whatever they wanted." Johann answered with a pained groan as he could begin to feel the painkillers from earlier that day starting to wear off.

"I'm so sorry. I can only imagine how hard it must have been trying to cope with this. I hope they got what they deserved." Rei expressed sadly as she tried her best not to stare at the open holes around the exposed bone stems.

Johann didn't answer her, though she could tell from the silent intensity deep in his green eyes that that was exactly what happened to the people responsible for this. Rei couldn't help but feel a stronger feeling of sympathy towards this young man as he seemed to be greatly troubled by a good many things she was sure she couldn't begin to guess.

"I'm sorry, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Rei Miyamoto. What's your name?" Rei suddenly asked in slight embarrassment as Johann turned to look at those beautiful reddish-brown eyes of hers. To him, she somehow seemed to just exude a calming, kindhearted aura that somehow managed to make him forget the pain of his hand.

"I'm Johann...Kessler. Forgive me, I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'm kind of in a lot of pain right now. I am really glad to have more survivors staying with us though, if that counts for anything." Johann said apologetically before stopping himself when he glanced at the sharp needle Shizuka now had in hand; running a small thread through the eye of the sharp prick. His heart started to beat faster, his eyes widened ever so slightly and his teeth now visibly clenched down together out of nervous anticipation.

He was then suddenly forcing himself to try and ignore the painfully sharp pricks from the needle being sewn into his flesh to help seal off the exposed gaps. Rei quickly reached out to hold his arm in place to help Shizuka steady her needlework. Johann's face could only express horrible pain from his tender wound being continuously tampered with. At first he let out groans of pain with every move, but he quickly fell silent when Rei began to gently rub one of her hands along his arm and make a soft, gentle hushing noise; like a mother calming a crying child.

"Alright, that's one down. I'll give you a moment to recover while I change my thread. Just hang in there and it'll be over before you know it." Shizuka announced after a brief sigh of relief; indicating that the first of the two stubs was sewn up just tight enough to help the flesh heal over itself over time.

"How bad does it look?" Johann suddenly asked as Rei was somewhat hesitant to tell him how what was once his ring finger was a bloody stub now barely stitched up with thread and with thin lines of blood flowing down the side.

"It's pretty rough to be honest, but Shizuka-sensei is a professional, so luckily it will heal nicely over time." Rei admitted as she looked up at Shizuka as if to confirm the overall good news, to which the nurse thankfully nodded, bringing the young woman to smile in silent gratitude.

"So, Johann-san…do you mind if I ask you about yourself? I figure seeing how we're going to be living together, its best we can better understand and learn to trust each other. I-I'm sorry, is that weird of me to be asking? I realize this isn't exactly the best time to start bringing that up." Rei asked curiously before realizing how inappropriate it was for her to start asking questions about the young man at a time like this; looking away in embarrassment.

Fortunately, Johann found her friendliness and sense of curiosity to be very refreshing after several days of agonizing pain and constant worry. But as he began to think of anything to answer her with, he began to bow his head down with a worried expression forming across his face, deep in thought now as he couldn't help but start thinking of Toshimi. Johann quickly snapped back to reality when he glanced up to see Rei's look of genuine confusion as to why he looked so down all of a sudden.

"No, it's not a problem at all, Miyamoto-san. I understand where you're coming from, and honestly, I agree. Our groups should get to know each other. I'm sure with time your friends could really get along with our group…or at least what's left of it." Johann replied with a warm feeling in his gut when he saw Rei begin to smile warmly at his kind words.

"'Left of it'? You mean there were more of you?" Rei asked concernedly, disappointed in herself for not even considering the inevitable fact that they must have lost someone since this all started. When she saw the reflective look in Johann's eyes, she instinctively knew what he was about to say was not going to be pleasant.

"Yeah, we had to watch a close friend of mine turn into one of those things firsthand back at the school. When we got out, we headed into the city to get my aunt and uncle…but when we got there…I-I found them in their room…c-completely torn apart by those things. Not long after that, Frasier, Marcus and Noah'suncle sacrificed himself to save Frasier from getting bitten. Then to top it all off, my girlfriend got separated from us when another horde attacked the convoy we were going to escape obviously made it out, but I've been worried sick about her ever since. We've been having to hole up here and make certain it's safe, and all the while I can't stop thinking about wherever she might be and if she's alright." Johann reluctantly confessed with tears beginning to well up in his eyes as Rei kindly just sat there and listened to every word with a look of pure sympathy glistening in her reddish-brown eyes.

"I'm so sorry to hear all of that. Hopefully you guys can find her. Perhaps my group and I can help you search for her." Rei politely expressed as she spoke with absolute sympathy in her voice. Such heartfelt kindness caused Johann to immediately smile at her offer. Somehow, he could just feel inside that she was being serious in her offer to help him.

"That's very kind of you to offer. We could certainly cover more ground that way. Thank you, Miyamoto-san. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but I'm really glad we have someone with a caring soul like you with us now." Johann said gratefully before noticing Rei's cheeks turn slightly red as Shizuka couldn't help but smile at the touching moment.

"I'm glad to see you two are getting along just fine, but I have to interject now and seal up the second one. Are you ready?" Shizuka commented as she then held up her needle; trying to give Johann a heads up before making sure he was ready to continue. He gave her a reluctant nod and clenched the table in anticipation for round two as Rei once again held onto his arm gently.

Meanwhile, Frasier was walking down the third floor hallway; showing Takashi the personal living quarters that his group would be able to use for their time here. From the start it was clear to him that there was more than enough space, to the point everyone could have their own room if they so desired. But regardless, it was quickly decided and agreed upon that everyone would have at least one roommate just in case something happened such as a break in.

"Well, with this all covered, all that's left to really show you is the armory at the end of the hall and the roof where we keep at least one person on watch for any signs of trouble at all times."Frasier explained casually as if he were legitimately giving a simple tour to any random group of tourists, all while Takashi couldn't help but take everything in with a sense of amazement.

"Damn, you guys really are military. This setup is so well thought out, I can't possibly think of a guy desperate enough to try and break into this place." Takashi admitted almost breathlessly. Honestly, after the Takagi estate, he wasn't sure if he'd ever find himself situated in a place anywhere as welcoming as this hotel.

"Hopefully that day should never come, but if it does we'll beready. Tell me, Komuro-san...just how many have you killed?" Frasier said confidently before suddenly stopping in his tracks and asking in a much lower tone, a question that caused Takashi to freeze and mentally double back to make sure he'd heard Frasier's question right.

"Umm...wow, I never really kept count, but I'd say somewhere around thirty of 'Them'? Maybe more?" Takashi responded as he shrugged his shoulders, confused as to why such a question would matter to him.

"I wasn't talking about 'Them' though." Frasier replied as he was still very curious to hear what the actual answer would be. He slowly looked back to Takashi over his shoulder, his eyes almost locked on him as they finally continued to walk.

"Oh...that…t-that's quite different. Just one, so far. It was entirely out of self-defense if that makes it any better." Takashi answered very hesitantly, feeling a chill go up his spine as he was suddenly overwhelmed with the dreadful memories of that terrible night at the gas station.

"Interesting. And just how did that make you feel?" Frasier asked as they both found themselves walking back down the stairwell to the lower flowers; their voices almost echoing off the walls if one were to listen for it.

"You have to understand, it was all in the heat of the moment. This bastard had grabbed Rei, and I tried to talk him out of it. No matter what I said though, he just kept waving this switchblade around. Once I spotted an opening, I dashed forward and pulled the trigger. It was like I was being fueled entirely by adrenaline and...something else." Takashi answered with slight hesitation at the end as he tried to fully recall all the emotions that had been raging inside him when it all happened. Frasier's curiosity only intensified now as he motioned for Takashi to continue.

"I felt like I was just watching myself from the sidelines; like this burning pit of anger and fear deep down inside had taken over my body. It was so strong; it made me feel like I didn't even care about dying so long as I took him with me." Takashi continued as his words became heavier and he was soon trembling with dread at the thought of ever having to go through that feeling again.

"Hmm, and here I thought you were just another spineless weakling who was playing 'hero'. I'll admit, I'm actually quite impressed with that, and especially by how you've managed to keep your group together all this time. They seem to actually respect and listen to you." Frasier retorted in a genuinely impressed tone before going on to praise the fact that this young stranger had already begun to exceed his expectations.

"Thanks...I think. Wait, doesn't your group listen to and respect you?" Takashi said confusedly. Obviously Frasier wouldn't have brought up something as specific as respect for no reason, and now Takashi felt a little more than curious to find out why.

"Listen? Yes. Respect? Not unless you replace respect with fear. They just don't understand why I must be so hard and constantly on their backs. All it takes is one mistake to get us all killed out here. I refuse to let them drop their guard, even if it means I must hold it up for them." Frasier answered as Takashi soon found himself nodding; finally understanding why he was so hesitant to bring them along.

"I can see why, given how bad things have gotten. It's only been a whole week, and the world is pretty much run by 'Them' now. I just have to hope we can be evacuated soon." Takashi said in an understanding tone as he could only hope that the evacuation notice they'd found at the police station two days ago was still happening, instead of being just another failed attempt by the government to save the few survivors left.

"And what if there ends up being no evacuation? What if theSDF can't protect you? What if you have to keep relying on yourself and the others to survive? What will you do then?" Frasier questioned as Takashi had to pause for a moment to realize he was relying entirely on this evacuation to work out without a hitch. To know he had no kind of backup plan left an overwhelming feeling of worry in his gut.

"I…I-I really don't know. Unless you don't want us around for whatever reason, perhaps our groups could stay merged just a little longer then. You know, to watch each other's backs." Takashi suggested as he could only hope that Frasier would be open to even entertain such a thought.

"Depends how the next day or so goes by. Komuro-san, I hope you realize that if the army isn't able to fix this mess and it's allowed to just keep developing as it has been, things are only going to get a hell of a lot worse before they get any better. Times will come where you'll have to make some terrible choices you would otherwise hope never to make. And when that time comes, you need to be able to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: just how far are you ready to go in order to protect your group? Will you really do anything for them, or are you only in this to use them to keep you alive?" Frasier slowly asked; his eyes piercing straight through Takashi as he proceeded to lay all the metaphorical cards on the table for him. Takashi could feel his mouth go completely dry as he realized the horrible truth behind Frasier's words. Frasier had clearly already come to terms with what he was saying, and now it was HIS turn. If he was going to have any hope of keeping his friends alive, he was going to have to be ready to cross some serious lines to do it.

The more Takashi thought back to every challenge they'd faced up to this point, the more he realized he couldn't deny that Saeko, Rei, and Khota's specialties were what really have been keeping the group alive and well compared to his own personal abilities; realizing again that he truly needed them even more than he'd initially thought. A low sigh of uncertainty and yet also of heavy realization and acceptance escaped his lungs before he looked up to Frasier.

"I might not be as good at fighting as Saeko, Rei, and Khota-san, and I might not be as smart as Takagi-san and Marikawa-sensei. What I do have, however, is an undying loyalty and drive to not only lead them through all of this, but also to die for them if I must." Takashi finally admitted; the strength and confidence in his straight posture clearly showing he'd accepted the full weight of his role as their leader and what it would require of him from now on.

"Good. I can understand now why they follow you…why she sees you like that." Frasier responded calmly and even somewhat proudly as he showed something of a smile, if such a thing were possible.

"You mean Saeko…don't you?" Takashi asked hesitantly as he now began to feel somewhat tense, uncertain what he could've meant by all this now that she was being mentioned out of the blue.

"I do. She was a very close friend to me before all of this. In fact, she was perhaps one of my only friends ever. So honestly, for her to be following you for your aptitude was questionable at first, but now it's as clear to me as a full moon." Frasier reluctantly admitted as he couldn't help but confess his reason to ask about Takashi's leadership so inquisitively.

"That's all though, right? Just friends?" Takashi asked as he wanted to be certain that Saeko didn't potentially embellish the truth about Frasier from their discussion earlier.

"That's right. Nothing more, nothing less. Why do you ask?" Frasier answered in a rather low grunt at first before pondering as to why Takashi would need information like that at all. It had already taken everything in him to finally bury the pain he'd felt at this point, so he was silently hoping Takashi would just drop the subject so they wouldn't have to talk about it and potentially bring those horrible emotions back.

"Just curious is all. So tell me, since you asked first...just how many have you killed if I may ask?" Takashi dismissively answered before quickly changing the subject as he couldn't help but want to compare their stats, almost as if measuring up to him.

"Seventy two of 'Them' and five, possibly six survivors. But who's keeping score at this point?" Frasier answered before speaking rhetorically at the end. Takashi looked somewhat surprised he could answer so calmly and with no hint of regret to be found in either his tone or his face. Yet despite that,something about him gave Takashi a sense of relief knowing that he understood what had to be done in order to survive. Even if it meant taking a darker path to protect those he loved.

 _(Roughly thirty minutes later)_

With Johann properly patched up with a new set of bandages wrapped around his hand and dinner finally prepared, both groups sat at the makeshift dining table, consisting of several of the normal tables propped up against one another. Takashi and Frasier both returned to join the others; intending to explain the rules and show them where everything else was beyond the lobby and give them a better feel for their new home. Each survivor grabbed chairs of various shapes and sizes from around the lobby, most notably Marcus' choice to bring an entire armchair to the table which he proclaimed as his personal throne; scratching his initials into one of the arms just so there were no misunderstanding later on.

Several plates were set out in front of everyone as it turned out the bag Marcus and Hitomi had chosen contained numerous servings of chicken and rice. Hitomi had helped give the chicken some extra flavor by adding some left over butter and pinches of a handful of herbs. The room carried the strong heavenly scent, being nearly overwhelming to Takashi's desperately hungry group. Zeke immediately started wagging his tail; trying to beg for scraps as bits of drool spilled from his little snout; Alice occasionally giving him a small sliver of chicken when nobody was looking in her direction.

"I just wanted to say: thank you two for all of this. It feels so good to be able to eat a warm meal after so much fighting and running all this time." Kiriko said in immense gratitude as she smiled at both Hitomi and Marcus; the rest of Takashi's group nodding in response.

"Don't mention it. You know as well as I do that it's my job to help those in need." Hitomi responded humbly as she noticed the older style of police uniform being worn by the mature woman who was probably no older than thirty-nine.

"Well, either way, I'm infinitely grateful for you to allow us, complete strangers, into your home. It really means a lot to know not everyone out there is out to get you and take everything you have." Kiriko continued to express as she couldn't help but display her gratitude to the fullest.

"Don't mention it! Heck, we can't honestly deny how great it is to have new people to talk to; to know we aren't all that's left in the city." Noah replied as he was not really as shy to speak up as one would expect, given how friendly everyone had proven to be in the short time since they'd arrived.

"So, Marcus, since we've got so many new people staying with us, you got any more jokes to tell?" Johann suddenly asked eagerly as he was hoping to have a good laugh to get his mind off the soreness of his hand and the painful surgery. Unfortunately for him, there weren't too many painkillers left, but as far as he was concerned, this would make for a good alternative.

"Oh, why not?" Marcus said excitedly as he took a moment to think of one that would be a little more appropriate around Alice; knowing that he'd practically lose his head if he said any obscenities around her overbearing caretaker, Saya, who was already shooting him a sharp glare of warning.

"Okay, I got one. 'So a British General had sent some of his men off to fight for their country during the Falkland Island Crisis. Upon returning to England from the South American island, three soldiers that had distinguished themselves in battle were summoned to the General's office.'

''Since we weren't actually at war,' the General began, 'I can't give out any medals. We did, however, want to let each of you know your efforts are vastly appreciated. So what we've decided to do is to let each of you choose two points on your body. You will be given two pounds sterling for each inch of distance between those parts. We'll start on the left, boys, so what'll it be?''

''The tip of my head to my toes, sir!' the first soldier announces as he motions up and down.'

''Very good, son. That's 70 inches, which comes to 140 pounds' the General comments as he finishes measuring the soldier.'

''The tip of the finger on one outstretched hand to the tip of the other, sir!' the second soldier requests as he holds his arms and hands outstretched horizontally.'

''Even better, son. That's 72 inches, which comes to 144 pounds' the General announces as he nods in approval at the clever choice.'

''The palm of my right hand to the tip of my left pinky, sir!' the last soldier requests, which instantly earns some raised eyebrows from the others.'

''That's a strange but fair request, son!' the General responds as he knows it isn't the most conventional of choices, but certainly an honorable one nonetheless.'

''Wait! Son, where is your left pinky?' the General suddenly questions, astonished to see it was completely missing from the soldier's left hand.'

''The Falklands, sir!' the third soldier replies.'"

Marcus then sat back; resting the back of his head in his hands as it took just a second later for the entire group, even Frasier this time around, to burst into laughter. A proud smile of satisfaction spread across his lips when he could see that his brothers especially found that humorous; a feat on Frasier's part he never imagined he'd ever accomplish. He then looked over to see Hitomi was red in the cheeks from so much laughter, which especially bolstered his confidence as he felt warm inside for making her so happy. Eventually everyone calmed down and were able to start eating again without the risk of choking in the process. Nevertheless, it was clear they were all immensely grateful for the laugh.

"So Frasier-san, tell me, what you think of this whole situation?Do you really think we stand a chance as a species against 'Them'?" Rei suddenly asked as Frasier was initially taken off guard as to why he had to answer such a question before realizing his military background probably prompted such curiosity. He just leaned back and took a moment to process his answer in a way that she'd be able to understand.

"The militaries of the world, especially those of the U.K. and the United States, should be able to handle this better than most, but even the mightiest of armies have their flaws and weaknesses, especially against an enemy like 'Them'. From the start, we're taught to aim for the center mass, the torso area in which most of our vital organs are kept, so that our target is the easiest to hit and will go down relatively fast.

"'They' however do not require such parts, rendering our most basic shooting teachings entirely useless. Head shots are the only known way to put 'Them' down, and they are considerably harder to hit on a wobbly target. However, we still have the advantage of the air and sea. I can only hope they can organize a proper countermeasure before even those aren't going to be enough. The more people are turned, the harder this struggle will become." Frasier answered honestly as he could only imagine what his countrymen were doing to keep 'Them' from entering their home. He then looked up to see his words had only caused the others to realize just why the military and police were unable to hold 'Them' back. Their expressions were clearly mixed as they could all only silently hope the military could adapt to this enemy soon.

"Any other questions?" Frasier then brought up as if he were at a Q somewhat enjoying that he finally had something to talk about that didn't involve his background nor personal feelings on more sensitive matters.

"Why did you shoot that man earlier? He wasn't one of the monsters, was he?" Alice suddenly asked nervously; causing the entire room to become deathly silent at the fact she not only witnessed the execution, but had also pretty much seen Frasier murder a man she had seen as no kind of threat. Saya especially felt an instant cold sensation at the thought of how much such a horrible sight could affect the poor girl.

"No. At least, not the kind of monster you'd know of." Frasier answered as he slowly shook his head; being dead honest with Alice as she slowly gulped out of nervousness just by looking at his sharp gaze. Even the way he spoke made her feel incredibly uncomfortable, let alone put everyone else on edge when they remembered that look of zero remorse in Frasier's expression after he blasted that man point-blank.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Frasier, you killed another survivor? Who was he?" Hitomi suddenly questioned intensely as she glared angrily at Frasier; her hands clenching into fists as she was eager to hear what Frasier had to say for himself. Everything else he'd done up till now had put her in a good enough position to distrust him as it was, but this for her was the final straw.

"He was wearing a prisoner jumpsuit. Need I say more?" Frasier said dismissively as Hitomi only seemed to be infuriated by this latest demonstration of his blatant disregard for human life.

"Oh, so that's it, then? The man wears a certain outfit, so you just murder him in cold blood? Goddammit, you aren't the law here, Frasier!" Hitomi began to shout furiously; having finally had enough of Frasier acting like he was the judge, jury and executioner, completely above any consequence for his actions.

"You weren't even there to grasp the context 'officer'. You weren't there when my little brothers were getting shot at by what were without a doubt convicts, and you especially weren't there when Johann was maimed by those teenagers! I was though, and I did what had to be done to protect every last one of them! You're not a judge, you're an officer. Remember that and know your place." Frasier began to growl as he stood up from his seat, watching Hitomi's expression of livid disgust in him slowly turn to a look that clearly expressed her regret for not being there to protect the younger of the two Lawson brothers, nor Johann when he needed her most.

"Frasier, you need to calm down. She didn't know..." Noah began to plead as he reached out to gently pull down on Frasier's forearms, only for him to violently pull his arms away; refusing to listen to reason or be talked down by his youngest brother twice in one day.

"No! My mission is only to protect you and Marcus! If I kill, I do it solely for that and that alone! Nothing will stop me otherwise! Failure is not an option for me!" Frasier shouted as if he was saying this for the hundredth time now; not knowing what was so hard to understand about that.

"Is that what this has all been about: your self-given task of redemption to impress a father who doesn't even care about you anymore? He cast you and me aside because we failed to live up to his perfect little dream! It's been three years, Frasier! Get over it!" Marcus suddenly called out as the room was dead silent after that. Frasier was now practically heaving with held back anger as his chest puffed up and down; his open palms now trembling in clenched fists, as though he were a single muscle spasm away from beating the first person he saw to a bloody pulp.

However, his hands suddenly loosened up as he stood up from his chair and simply walked away to the stairwell. His heavy footsteps could be heard stomping up the stairs so he could be secluded from the other survivors. An awkward silence filled the room for a few moments as nobody made any eye contact or dared say a word; all of them astonished to see just how fast this conversation went downhill.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make him mad." Alice suddenly apologized; quickly catching the attention of the others as they all looked to see a look of serious regret on her face, as if she felt personally responsible for his outburst just like when he became so angry back at the sporting goods store.

"Don't be sorry, kid. Frasier has always had a very short temper rivaled only by his overzealous desire to impress our father. The only problem is he's yet to realize there's no pot of gold at the end of that bloody rainbow." Marcus attempted to explain before taking another bite of chicken; hoping that Alice would understand that she had done nothing wrong in the slightest by asking him why he killed that man so callously and without a direct reason.

"You still think he's doing this for you two? He's dangerous and only becoming more unstable by the day. How long do you think it'll be until the rest of us are suddenly considered a threat his 'mission'?" Hitomi brought up as she was clearly unable to trust Frasier in the slightest anymore. Her natural police instincts and training were now kicking into full gear to warn her and the others of the impending trouble they now had on their hands were they to choose to stay with such an unstable person.

"You talk about him like he's some kind of wild animal! Frasier might be a hard-headed prick at times, but if he were truly so bad, would he not have simply left Johann behind at that store after he lost his fingers?" Noah protested in Frasier's defense; certain there had to be some redeeming quality behind all of his rage and anti-social behavior.

"Don't forget that he tried to do just that back at the school when we first met Johann and Toshimi. Remember how he also didn't want to get involved with helping out that convoy? Hitomi and Alice-chan wouldn't even be here if we did what he said. Noah, he may be blood, but you can NOT let that blind you to his actions and ulterior motives. In the end, it's always been about himself and impressing father. Nothing more. Nothing less." Marcus explained as Noah couldn't help but bow his head. There was no arguing against those two solid pieces of evidence, no matter how much to the contrary it felt to him.

"I'll be honest and say that I have no problem with you four. But every time I look at him, he has this unsettling look in his eyes. Even his tone is very off-putting. I have a daughter to look out for, and we simply cannot stay under the same roof as him if he's going to prove a threat." Kiriko admitted, not dancing around the issue as she kept a wary eye on the stairwell, almost as if expecting the man himself to come back any second.

"People like that never change. He's just a murderer using the excuse of being military-raised to justify his psychotic behavior. He's really no better than the people he's killed already." Saya commented as the others around could only listen and watch as the overall trust for the eldest Lawson was slowly dissolving.

"Be grateful that he's willing to do the dirty work around here. It's not so easy to make a choice like that if you've ever had to." Takashi suddenly said dead seriously; causing the others to look at him in surprise at his stance on the matter.

"Takashi, what are you talking about? How could you possibly know what it's like to kill?" Rei questioned as she was rather surprised, if not angry, at his lack of empathy.

"You of all people should know, Rei. Remember that thug at the gas station? If I didn't shoot him, who knows what he would've done to you?" Takashi explained as the others were astonished at the revelation of their trustworthy leader, especially Kiriko who now had an expression of nothing less than sheer horror at the thought of her daughter being threatened by anyone.

"You only shot him in the shoulder! It didn't actually kill him! That's different..." Rei protested as she tried to justify Takashi's own actions despite how hard it was for her to fully accept.

"Yeah, and 'They' were right behind us. You don't need to deny it, Rei. I essentially killed him, and I'd do it again if I had to. For any of you." Takashi announced as he clenched his fists, making it quite clear that killing another survivor did make a heavy impact on his conscious despite how he knew he did the right thing in the end. He then shifted his eyes over when he felt Saeko gently holding his hand as if understanding entirely what he was getting at.

"Look, we should all probably get some rest. It's been a very long day." Khota suggested before things could escalate any further. Not one survivor could possibly disagree at the idea of some much needed rest after what they had all gone through today alone. Marcus and Hitomi gathered the plates to wash up while Noah motioned the rest of the group to follow him up the stairs.

"Stupid! I'm so fucking stupid! Now he's going to be all pissed off and start barking down even more orders..." Marcus grumbled under his breath as he frantically began to scrub down the dishes.

Hitomi just looked at him with a concerned look in her beautiful eyes. Everything in Marcus' body language made him appear tense and concerned that he'd truly made a mistake by calling out Frasier, almost like he'd betrayed him when he needed his support the most back there.

Before he could continue his rambling any further, he suddenly felt Hitomi's small hand gently holding his shoulder. Marcus tried to look away, as if embarrassed that she was seeing him in a moment of weakness, only for her other hand to gently brush against his cheek and slowly turn his head back to look directly at her. He let out a low sigh as she rested her head against his chest, listening to that rapid heartbeat of his as her arms gently began to wrap around his waist.

"It's okay, Marcus-kun. After these dishes are done, I say we take one of those sake bottles back to my room. Sound good to you?" Hitomi whispered softly in that soothing tone that always managed to melt Marcus' heart as she pressed her body even closer to his own.

"Sounds like as good a time as ever. I'm looking forward to it." Marcus responded as he then looked deep into Hitomi's glistening eyes only for his gaze to slowly trail down to her soft pink lips.

Without thinking, he slowly leaned in, feeling her lips instantly pressing back against his eagerly. Their cheeks both turned warm and red while their bodies adjusted for the height difference with Marcus gently picking Hitomi up by her hips and pressing her up against the countertop; feeling both her slender legs wrapping around his waist only to pull his hips against hers. Their warm breath filled the air around them as they were caught up in a constant cycle of kissing, moaning and sighing in incredible pleasure. Hitomi lightly bit down on his lower lip; giving it a slight tug before pulling back with a rather satisfied grin on her adorable yet beautiful face.

"You know what? Fuck the dishes." Marcus finally said with a mischievous grin as he looked at them only to look back at her giving him an excited smirk that made it quite clear that the feeling was very mutual.

Up on the third floor, the others were setting aside their personal belongings and equipment while slowly settling into their respective rooms as planned by Takashi and Frasier.

Saeko had of course bunked with Takashi, Rei went with Kiriko, Shizuka and Saya both shared a room with Alice resting between them protectively, Khota and Noah stayed together to most likely stay up all night to brainstorm new contraptions they could make, Johann had a room all to himself, and Marcus and Hitomi soon would claim her room along with a bottle of sake; leaving Frasier to also bunk alone whenever he wasn't on watch duty. It was undoubtedly for the best too, considering his outburst earlier.

He just sat up on the roof with a detached scope in hand; using it like a substitute for a telescope as he kept one of the MP5SFK carbines loaded and propped up against the ledge next to him. So many emotions and thoughts were being kept at bay now. Between his personal feelings for Saeko and having to trust all these unknown faces, he felt like his entire base of operations had been compromised. It greatly disturbed him to feel such thoughts he was told to deny, to allow civilians inside of what he considered his own personal military base. It might as well have been one given the sandbags, barbed wire, and armory.

"Frasier-kun, do you have a minute?" Saeko's voice suddenly asked from behind as Frasier slowly leaned back from the scope to see that she had managed to sneak up on him without him noticing; a scary thought knowing that she could so easily catch him with his guard down.

"Sorry, Saeko-san, but I'm rather busy at the moment watching out for nothing." Frasier sarcastically replied before Saeko managed to form something of a smile; still having a serious look in her eyes though.

"Well, I wanted to ask if you could perhaps show me how to use this sometime." Saeko then requested as she proceeded to unholster the M92 Vertec handgun that was still tightly strapped to her right leg. At first, Frasier glanced at it before he then dismissively waved her off.

"This isn't really your style, Saeko-san. Besides, shouldn't your gun otaku be able to show you how it's done?" Frasier answered as he then noticed a rather inquisitive expression taking over Saeko's face; like she was suddenly suspicious of him now for some reason. She then bowed her head and looked away as if embarrassed by something.

"Hirano-kun has a very respectable aptitude, if not a rather strange obsession, for these devices, but you're military. I'm certain you could easily run circles around him with your personal background. When fighting against those armed convicts today, I tried to use it, but the stupid thing didn't work at all. You know me well enough to understand that I HATE the feeling of being useless in battle, to be on the sidelines feeling helpless. So I figured you could take a look at it first to make sure no parts are missing. If it can be used, I want you to teach me how to shoot, Frasier-kun." Saeko calmly explained as she paced back and forth now. Frasier knew that whenever she started to pace around an area, it clearly meant she was becoming irritated; a mood he somewhat dreaded should he ever have been responsible for it.

"I'm not that great of a teacher, Saeko-san. Just ask Marcus. The more I try to help him, the more he just pushes me away with sarcasm and further resentment of me." Frasier sighed in doubt of himself as he just shook his head; almost speaking like he knew that training under him most likely wouldn't go nearly as smoothly as Saeko might've initially thought it would be.

"Prove it then. Besides, I'm much tougher than him so don't feel the need to hold back." Saeko said in a more firm and challenging tone; causing Frasier to pause for a moment. He then narrowed his eyes, knowing she wasn't going to drop the subject now.

After gently handing the pistol to him, she watched in amusement as he seamlessly slid the clip out from the vertical grip and retracted the slide; causing a single bullet to pop out before he snatched it in midair. His fingers then looked down the sights to see all was where it should have been, only to then form a rather amused grin.

"Do you know that all guns have these helpful little switches called the 'safety'?" Frasier suddenly asked as he looked back at Saeko to see her pondering on the use of one.

"No. What does it do?" Saeko answered without a single clue as to what he was going on about; slowly piecing together the purpose of such a feature and only then realizing the only reason the weapon didn't fire back then was because the safety was left on. Her cheeks instantly turned red with embarrassment as she looked down in complete silence.

"If you like, we can test it out tomorrow depending on what the others are planning. You know...if they can trust me long enough to cooperate." Frasier then said in a rather low tone as Saeko now looked up surprised; previously unsure if he had listened in on their entire discussion about him being unstable and hard to rely on.

"I'm sorry you had to hear all of that, Frasier-kun. It's not easy to trust another survivor, especially one much taller and stronger such as yourself. Our experiences up to this point have given many of them some good reasons to be afraid of what we may come across out there. But fear makes them blind to who you really are. They don't know you like I do." Saeko said as if apologizing on behalf for the others; feeling somewhat guilty that her group had insulted him after he'd bothered rescuing them and allowing them into his sanctum.

"No. They're right to fear me for many reasons, Saeko-san. I'm not some petty murderer though, if that's what you all think. Our group, my little brothers, were attacked by what I can without a doubt say were more of those filthy convicts. I don't take chances when it comes to letting my enemy go, undead or otherwise." Frasier began to explain with a more serious demeanor; making it very clear that he wouldn't allow anything to happen to Noah or Marcus. She then realized that his body appeared to tense up as he went along, as if such words had irritated and wounded his pride.

"I entirely agree with you, and I especially don't consider you to be a lowly killer. You did what any good brother would've done,and that's protecting your own family. I respect that a lot, Frasier-san. I really hope you understand that I'm on your side here. And it's a very huge personal relief to know that you're still alive and unchanged..." Saeko expressed calmly as her hand was now resting on his shoulder while she stood over him with her usually piercing gaze now showing one of absolute concern and compassion.

It was then silent between them after her words finished trailing off. Frasier bowed his head before turning his back on her. Saeko then decided to let him go; knowing it would take some serious time for the others to adjust to his rather distant, crass, callous attitude. She slowly walked back to the stairwell only to glance back at him one last time from the doorway. He remained vigilant and watched the night through the sights of the scope; causing her to form a confident smile; knowing she had someone like him to watch over them as they could all sleep soundly for the first time in what felt like months now. As the door closed shut, Frasier let out a remorseful sigh; knowing that bringing them here was the right thing to do. No matter how much his instincts tried to tell him otherwise.


	8. Chapter 8: Good Neighbors

**Tokonosu City, Japan**

 **Z-Day+7**

A soft snore resonated within the room Saya and Shizuka had claimed. Snug in between the two women, Alice gently stirred herself awake in bed to see them both fast asleep while still in their clothes from last night. Saya had her face buried in a pillow while Shizuka clutched one of her own in her arms, as though she were hugging it. Still brushing the sleep from her eyes, she soon noticed a bump under the blankets, now rustling at the foot of the bed, only for Zeke to poke his tiny head out from the covers; his little tail already wagging happily at the sight of the little girl. She immediately got to work petting his head gently as she slowly took in her new surroundings.

Alice slowly hopped out of bed; barely making a sound on the thick carpeted floor; slowly closing the door behind her as she looked down the hallway, only illuminated by the nearby windows that had allowed the first signs that it was morning to seep into the building. The candles that had been mounted on the walls barely flickered as the cheap wax had all but melted down to the last few centimeters. To be unattended in such a calming and expansive place was like exploring a whole new world to the small girl; unable to keep from smiling as she enjoyed the surprisingly pleasant sensation of the carpet against her little bare feet.

At first she ran down the hallway before realizing there were multiple paths that she could take; knowing that if the others were anywhere near tired as Saya was, it would probably be for the best that she let them to catch up on their much needed slumber. Her curious eyes then noticed the staircase that led up even higher.

Part of her was very curious to see what was on the roof, but she quickly came to the conclusion that her guardians, especially Saya, wouldn't approve of her being up so high without them to watch her every move. Instead the young girl skipped and hopped down the steps to see if anybody else was down in the lobby. Her footsteps and the occasional giggle of amusement echoed throughout the stairwell as she went on her merry way.

Alice wandered into the lobby only to realize that nobody else was down here. It felt rather empty and cold at first, but she soon was able to put the strange, foreign feeling behind her as she was eager to find something to do. Curious what several of the abandoned suitcases scattered around had inside of them; she opened a few to find mostly clothing and other personal belongings inside. Luckily, one bag had a small toy car she was quite thrilled to find.

For the next several minutes, she would run the toy car along the ground and over various objects such as the chairs and tables nearby; her imagination hard at work as she imagined herself to be driving the fastest car in the world, occasionally adding her own personal sound effects to help add to her own immersion.

 **[Hildur Guðnadóttir – Light]**

However, as the innocent child entertained herself, just a few feet away from the front doors, a figure could be seen moving out of the corner of her eye. Alice glanced over just in time to see a man wandering towards the building through one of the openings in the barricade. At first she was startled by the sight when she noticed his skin was grey and that his steps appeared to be in a clumsy stagger; but she soon realized that the man couldn't possibly break through the shatterproof doors, let alone the barricade. The more she stared at the approaching undead man, the less she could feel herself fearing it.

There was a bite mark that could be seen along his lower jaw with strips of flesh hanging loosely from it; permanently exposing the bottom row of his yellowing teeth. Both his eyes were whitened out and swiveling in their sockets, looking mindlessly in two different directions. The hair was a dark brown in a spiky style. He seemed fairly young; most likely in his early twenties before perishing. Wrapped around his chest was a white t-shirt stippled with dark brown crusty blood with the sleeves cleanly torn off, as if it were a symbol of rebellious nature in his former life; and long grey shorts with a plaid design with a length that just barely covered the torn up knees, and last but not least on the feet was a pair of brown sandals.

To Alice, this was like watching a dangerous animal in the zoo from a relatively safe distance, rather than being up close to a horrifying monster that was literally within arm's reach of her if not for the doors. All this time she had spent running away and hiding behind someone else, she was never able to truly observe these creatures; unable to take in the harsh reality that these were once just ordinary people like her: people that had families and friends that loved them; all with hopes, dreams and aspirations that were now completely and cruelly dashed away from ever becoming a reality now.

Just as it seemed like the creature was moving towards the makeshift barricade, it just stopped midway before colliding against it. The undead man just stood there with his head hung back as if listening for any sounds nearby. Alice watched curiously as his jaws would occasionally clack together; causing her to giggle a little at how silly it appeared now. But then something strange happened next.

When Alice focused on the face of the monster, it did not seem to be capable of harming anyone for such a seemingly docile figure. Instead she could've sworn the creature now had an expression of deep, unconscious sadness permanently fixed for all to see. Even for how young she was; she already knew that to be stuck in a state of living death was a fate nobody should have to suffer; no matter how cruel or bad they might've been otherwise. What should've been fear was instead replaced with pity for the lonesome being. Alice then began to wonder what kind of person this man once was, what his family was like, and especially how happy he must have been with his former life.

In that moment, in the blink of an eye, Alice watched helplessly as the undead man's head suddenly popped wide open only to be instantly followed by a loud cracking noise from up above. The man stumbled around for a bit before collapsing in front of the barricade, his thick necrotic blood already flowing down the concrete steps leading to the door like a series of morbid waterfalls. Alice let out a remorseful sigh at the sight of such senseless violence against something that looked so pitiful.

A strange, unsettling thought then began to form in her head she simply couldn't shake off. She began to recall how her father was killed by another survivor a week ago. All she could think of now was one of the last things he said to her, when she asked of the whereabouts of her mother. He'd said she was alright and that she'd meet up with them later. Numerous dreadful possibilities began to creep into her vivid imagination as she tried to deny any conclusions that lead to her mother being one of 'Them'; wandering aimlessly and alone.

 **[]**

Her brooding was quickly broken once she could hear the footsteps of the others approaching from the stairwell. She turned away from the door to be greeted by Takashi's group, soon followed by the new strangers they were now staying with. At the sight of the people who'd saved her life that horrible day, a part of her now felt a strange yet pleasant sense of peace and acceptance with the knowledge that while her parents might be gone, these people were now her family; that no matter what,she could count on them to protect and care for as if she had known them for years now.

"Alice? What are you doing down here on your own?" Saya asked in the middle of yawning, just barely awake enough to realize that she was down here long before they were since she wasn't in their bed when she had been abruptly woken by the sound of that gunshot.

"I didn't want to wake you so I thought I'd come done here to explore." Alice confessed remorsefully, expecting another lecture for not staying with one of them at all times.

"Well, luckily even without the barricade, the doors are shatterproof and already have been locked up tight. It looks like it was just one of 'Them' out there, or I think Frasier would've made more noise about it by now." Marcus commented just as Saya began to open her mouth to predictably explain how Alice needed to be more careful.

"Well that's certainly one way to wake up. How often do you guys have to deal with uninvited guests like that?" Kiriko suddenly asked as she turned her curious gaze back to Marcus,who was already proceeding to the kitchen.

"We've only had a few skirmishes with some smaller congested numbers. It's not like 'They' would have any chance of breaking through the doors, but Frasier still feels we need to be proactive about protecting this place. Fortunately, the bigger hordes are probably further up North by now. We've only encountered stragglers for the past few days, and luckily no other survivors have come knocking…at least not yet." Marcus answered while still trying to wake himself up, prodding his hazy memories to give her a proper answer. Kiriko seemed content with his response and responded with a simple nod.

 _'And that's only with five people? Imagine how well this place could be run and defended if we brought Tadashi's group here...'_ Kiriko began to ponder to herself before noticing the rest of Takashi's group, half-dressed from last night, begin to drop onto the chairs and sofas; still trying to wake up and adjust to the fact they actually had a relaxing nights sleep.

As the others seemed to be relaxed and ready to fall asleep again, the sound of heavy footsteps became more and more prominent by the second, only to reveal Frasier exiting the stairwell with a carbine carried along his shoulder. A rather satisfied look filled his eyes when looking over at the undead man he'd expertly shot nearly a minute ago.

"Sorry for the rude awakening, everyone, but it's time for us to establish the ground rules around here. C'mon, get up." Frasier announced loud and clear enough to the point everyone was fully awake and alert now. A few disgruntled groans of annoyance could be heard before he was standing before them all with his arms crossed; a dead serious look in his eyes.

"I want to make it abundantly clear that so long as we're going to be living together; that you all know this isn't a free ride. I expect each and every one of you to be able to pull their weight and then some to make sure this place remains functional at all times.

"Rule number one: I want at least one person on watch at all times to keep a lookout for any potential danger or rescue vehicles moving our way. With the amount of us there is now, I highly doubt that will be an issue.

"Rule number two: We will eat two meals a day and the rations will be carefully monitored to keep what little stock we have stored for longer use. So no seconds or snacks shall be permitted." At this particular news, Khota could be heard letting out an immensely disappointed sigh.

"Rule number three: If there's any immediate danger to the hotel,I expect you all to arm yourselves with whatever you can and regroup with the others.

"Rule number four: No matter what, I'm in charge and responsible for my brothers. So if you have a problem or concern with them, you'd best talk to me about it first so we can avoid any complications.

"Final rule: Do not take advantage of our trust or hospitality. I think you all know quite well what the consequences are if you do. If none of you like it, the door is right over there. Any questions?" Frasier finished after speaking in a strong, authoritative voice; uncertain why Takashi's group and even his own people seemed to be completely taken aback, as if he'd just essentially declared martial law upon the hotel. Before anything else could be said, Marcus raised a hand.

"Understood, Mein Führer…so, you ARE aware that your barn door is open, right?" Marcus asked as Frasier immediately turned deep red out of sheer embarrassment when realizing somehow his fly was down despite being certain that it was up earlier. The others had to restrain their laughter as he turned around to quickly zip it back up.

"Our fearless leader." Hitomi lightly chuckled sarcastically as she was somewhat pleased to see Frasier somewhat vulnerable,no matter how minor it may have seemed. The others continued gently laughing and snickering before proceeding to get up to properly dress themselves.

"Heh, guess I'm more tired than I let on. Sorry about that..." Frasier mumbled apologetically as he almost looked like he was actually embarrassed and had no way to rectify his trouser malfunction.

"Relax. You've been up all night watching over us. Perhaps you should consider getting some rest. You've certainly more than earned it." Saeko gently whispered in a quick hush when passing Frasier by to re-equip her light shin and elbow pads and combat boots.

Unable to form a response, Frasier just paused where he stood for a moment before looking back at his most recent kill. The thick brownish liquid still oozing out down the steps as the rotting corpse remained entirely motionless. The young Brit just grunted before heading to the kitchen to determine how much food should be distributed for the morning. To his surprise, Kiriko's additional cache, added to what he'd brought back, left them with roughly several weeks of food; along with the food that was barely being preserved in the heavy duty freezer down in the basement.

'Perhaps this won't be as hard as I anticipated.' Frasier thought to himself as he proceeded to head for the basement after snapping a glow stick to help illuminate the path for him.

Meanwhile, the others were changing back into their semi-wet clothes, still damp from the night before; all the while regretting that they ditched the plastic rain ponchos on their way to the hotel. The girls used one room to change whilst the boys used one further down the hall.

"Ugh, I don't suppose they'd have any spare clothes for us to borrow?" Saeko complained when realizing just how uncomfortable it felt to go back to wearing her damp outfit, especially her black leather combat boots.

"One can only hope. I did notice some suitcases in some of the other rooms, so with any luck, there will be something we can take." Rei responded before pulling up her green skirt over her white frilly panties.

"Forget this. I'm going to go grab some now. No way am I'm wearing wet clothes when we have so much variety available." Saya announced as she then stormed out to quickly grab a suitcase and drag it back for the others to make use of whatever clothing they could find.

With the flip of a handle, the suitcase made a clicking noise before opening up wide to reveal numerous piles of clothing for them to try on. One by one they'd begin to try on whatever seemed passable for now, only to see most of the sizes weren't right.

"I suppose I can wear this for now. But should the opportunity present itself, I suggest we get more clothes from a store or something." Saya commented as the others were still trying to fit into random bits of clothing they were able to scrounge up that seemed to be somewhat near their respective sizes while she slipped on a dark red turtleneck.

"I agree. Something about this just feels…wrong. This used to belong to someone who's probably dead now." Rei added in agreement before reluctantly buttoning her school shirt back on before throwing on a navy blue sweater to help cover the wet white shirt that would've easily displayed her white lacy bra otherwise.

"Thanks, I really wanted to think about dead people while trying on a stranger's clothing." Saeko sarcastically remarked before tossing what would've been her new shirt back into the pile of clothes.

"I'm sure the boys won't mind obliging our request. If not, we'll just make them." Hitomi chuckled humorously as she tried her best to brush her hair aside before tying her pink ribbon around a handful of it, bringing back her typical ponytail hanging from the left side of her head.

"I like the way you think, Hitomi-san: very confident and headstrong." Kiriko said with something of a grin before proceeding to adjust her former police outfit.

The young woman smiled back before they all proceeded to return back downstairs to see what the rest of the group was up to. Walking side by side, they soon found themselves suddenly stopping at the kitchen area to see Marcus, Takashi, Khota, and Noah waiting patiently in the lobby speaking among themselves.

"You guys are still wearing those soaking wet clothes?" Rei asked as she was completely astonished to see they appeared to have no issue nor quarrel with something that would've personally bugged her to no end.

"Yeah, we just kind of got used to it." Marcus responded without any hint of regret or shame in his voice as he looked around to see the others around him seemed to be in agreement.

"Boys." Hitomi lightly mumbled under her breath as she playfully rolled her eyes before noticing Johann and Frasier weren't around.

"Where're the other two?" Hitomi then asked as she looked around to make sure she simply didn't overlook the lobby.

"Johann is using one of the restrooms while Frasier took it upon himself to make breakfast. So if you smell smoke, one of us should probably get in there to make sure he isn't burning the bloody place down." Noah answered, earning a few amused chuckles from Marcus and Khota.

Alice was sitting on a countertop in the kitchen; her small legs swaying back and forth as she was eagerly watching Frasier attempt to use one of the instant-ready meals he'd retrieved the other day; the fresh scent hitting them the way a tidal wave would smash against a coastline.

"Do you need any help?" Alice asked curiously as she peeked her head over to see a large red and brown mush of what now smelled like meat.

"No. I'm more than capable of doing this on my own. Thank you for the offer, though." Frasier answered in a more calm tone than she was used to before adding a few cups of water to the mix.

"Please?" Alice then asked, almost begging at this point, prompting him to turn his head over his shoulder only to be met with her staring right back with a very hopeful gleam in her purple eyes.

"Persistent little thing, aren't you? Very well then. Take this and stir it around every few minutes to get the stew mixed up nicely. Just keep your hands clear of the water, kid." Frasier remarked in a somewhat defeated grunt as if he knew she'd never stop bugging him otherwise. He then handed her the wooden spoon only to step back to supervise her every move like an overbearing schoolmaster.

"I'll do my best!" Alice exclaimed proudly; her hands already slowly swirling the wooden spoon as she kept her eyes focused on the mixture, a ridiculous look of serious determination on her tiny face.

Frasier suddenly felt something licking the back of his heel; spurring him to look down out of sheer reaction alone. A genuine smile crept across his lips as he noticed Zeke playfully licking the back of his ankle. The eldest Lawson knelt down only to start running the back of his hand down the small pup's back; the soft fur slowly brushing along his rough palm. A whacking sound filled the room as Zeke's tail began to wag and slap against the metallic oven door.

"I take it this little one belongs to you?" Frasier suddenly asked before picking up Zeke; lightly chuckling out of amusement when he felt those small teeth lightly nibbling at his fingers.

"Yeah! Well...I mean, he wasn't our dog at first, but we couldn't find his owner, so we're his family now." Alice said excitedly before verbally backtracking when she took a moment to realize that Zeke used to have a family before them, her voice becoming somewhat sad as she tried to justify them taking the small dog.

"I see. He seems very healthy, and I can only imagine how close he must be to you and your people by now. You're very lucky." Frasier said with a strong hint of jealousy hanging from his voice as he set Zeke back on the floor.

"Do you like dogs?" Alice then asked as she began to feel much more comfortable talking to Frasier now that he wasn't yelling or being continuously angry at every little thing that happened.

"No, I don't like dogs. I love them, kid. Dogs tend to be very strong, intelligent, and best of all; loyal to whomever they bond with." Frasier answered in a lowered hush as he knelt down and began to play with Zeke by lightly giving the young dog a soft nudge, prompting him to play.

Zeke started barking energetically before darting back and forth as if now challenging Frasier; that short white tail wagging back and forth wildly as Alice couldn't help but let out a giggle of amusement at how silly Zeke looked with his lower jaw hanging low with that long pink tongue hanging off the side.

Frasier then noticed movement in the corner of his left eye,prompting him to spin around to face whoever it was. He was immediately met by Saeko; a rather pleasant smile on her face after having apparently watched the entire scene between the two. A part of Frasier was thrilled to see her soft eyes looking straight at him as if acknowledging he existed, and another part being somewhat pleased that she didn't sneak up on him this time.

"Good morning, Saeko-san. Did you sleep well?" Frasier asked calmly as he casually leaned against the counter, nearly slipping from lack of balance; causing her to barely stifle a giggle.

"I actually did thanks to you, your brothers and your friends. It especially helped having you to watch over m-us." Saeko began to express out of gratitude before correcting herself at the end; forming a rather embarrassed look on her face before she quickly walked over to check on Alice's progress.

"Good morning Saeko-neesan." Alice exclaimed in a delightful, chipper burst of energy that caused Saeko to smile back at her as she slightly knelt down to be closer to the little girl's eye range.

"Good morning, Alice-chan. I take it you're responsible for all of this then?" Saeko asked gently as she looked over to see what they'd be eating this morning.

"Yes...kind of. I helped by stirring it around! Does that count?" Alice expressed proudly before correcting herself so it didn't seem like she'd taken all the credit. Not that Frasier would've even cared either way.

"Every little bit helps, Alice-chan. I eagerly wait to see how this turns out." Saeko responded softly before turning just in time to catch Frasier idly staring at her; quickly looking away as they made momentary eye contact.

She just then noticed the bomber jacket he was usually wearing was now resting on the back of a chair, leaving the young Brit in a white wife beater. When the giant undead man from yesterday had knocked him back into the concrete slope, it tore several holes and scrapes along the back. It couldn't help but make Saeko feel partially guilty and weak that she had to have Frasier put his life on the line to save her. The young swordswoman knew that was unacceptable and in that moment silently vowed to never need rescuing again.

Saeko then felt her eyes trailing up Frasier's body: starting from the back of his heels, stopping for a few pleasingly uninterrupted seconds at his rear, only to then notice just how well built his entire back physically appeared now that it wasn't concealed by the academy's uniform. Through the white fabric, she then noticed a few splotches of blood could be seen on his side.

"Frasier, hold on. You're bleeding..." Saeko slowly announced as she realized that just underneath his left armpit, another splotch of blood could be seen that looked considerably fresher than the others.

"It's nothing more than a scratch. Don't worry about it." Frasier replied with a dismissive groan when her hand suddenly touched it. He instinctively tried to turn away the wound, as if trying to conceal it from her.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd be inclined to believe you. But given our current situation, I think you should at least let Marikawa-sensei look at it just to be on the safe side." Saeko expressed concernedly; unable to reasonably fathom why he was acting so stubborn about it, making her all the more curious of just how serious it could've been.

"Show me what-oh my goodness, what happened to you?!" Shizuka's voice suddenly asked from the doorway leading into the kitchen, apparently having overheard their entire conversation. Her tone quickly shifted from a confused ditzy pitch to a high shrill teeming with shock at the unexpected sight of blood.

The beyond buxom nurse quickly jogged over with such a burst of energy that she nearly ran into them dead on before barely stopping in time. The commotion and her almost high-pitched shift in tone prompted the others patiently waiting outside to take notice as they all started to crowd the kitchen entrance themselves.

"Oh great, why not invite everyone to come look?" Frasier groaned sarcastically as he absolutely detested the idea of everyone crowding around the kitchen to stare at him like a burn victim.

"What's going on?" "Frasier, what's this all about?" "Was he bitten?" "Hey, step back, will you? Give them some space." "Not another step, Lawson. Let's see that wound." "Why didn't you tell us about this?" "Do you not care how badly this could get out of hand? Answer me!" "Answer him!"

All of these words swirled around in Frasier's head as he could see them all talking at once and staring at him like he was just another one of 'Them'. The unexpected and continuous barrage of questions slowly wearing his temper thin to the point he could feel his hands slowly clenching up. His eyes closing tight before he finally lost control of himself.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" Frasier barked out in a fit of frustration that cast a momentary silence over the kitchen before he realized just how hard he was breathing now; sweat slowly trickling down the side of his head as he noticed mixed responses of fear, anger, and shock at the outburst.

 ***click***

The sound of Hitomi's .38 revolver could suddenly be heard being primed; leading Frasier's full attention to now fall entirely upon her.

"Show us the wound, Frasier. If you have nothing to hide, you'll cooperate with us here. Drop the tough guy crap for once in your miserable life and think about how this affects all of us…please." Hitomi said in a deathly serious low growl before her voice started to somewhat trail into what sounded like desperation for him to just do as he was asked.

Frasier just glared at the gun barrel then back to Hitomi before letting out a low grunt of annoyance before he turned to the side and lifted his shirt up to reveal a large gash cutting up into his left latissimus with several small trails of blood running down his side.

"Okay, I really don't think you should be handling the food anytime soon." Marcus commented more out of shock than attempting to crack a joke at Frasier's expense; slightly flinching when Noah punched him in the arm to signify how inappropriate he was being.

"See? No bite marks, no discoloration, nothing. Happy now?" Frasier grumbled angrily before lowering his shirt back down. Hitomi slowly holstered her gun with a sigh of relief, but her glare towards Frasier didn't soften at all.

"Happy? Happy?! How can anyone be happy when you're so reluctant to show us something as serious as this?! Why do you ALWAYS have to make everything into a goddamn battle?!" Hitomi retorted in equal anger; her eyes glaring furiously at him as she was practically at her wits end with him now.

"I think both of you should calm down before this can escalate any further. Hitomi-san, he's fine as far as the situation goes for now, so let's just take that for what it's worth. Frasier-san, I think you should let Shizuka-san take care of you before anything does infect that wound. Surely you two can at least agree to that extent." Kiriko suddenly intervened as she had a strong feeling in her gut that the two were about to start trading blows if the tension between them was any indication to her.

Without uttering any words the two simply parted ways; Hitomi storming back to the lobby and up the stairs while Frasier planted himself firmly on the table with Shizuka instantly rushing back and forth to prepare herself to help properly patch his wound up.

"I think we should give Shizuka-sensei some space. Let's go." Rei suddenly suggested as everyone couldn't deny that was the best and only thing they could do at this point. Soon, everyone but Shizuka, Frasier, and Noah had calmly left the room; Saeko stopping at the door to make brief eye contact with him before slipping away to join the others.

As the door to the kitchen closed, Marcus quickly went upstairs to comfort Hitomi; leaving Takashi and his group to discuss among themselves what their next move should be.

"I swear those two seem to be going at it every chance they get." Khota expressed as she just shook his head, knowing this wasn't going to be the last of it either.

"At this rate, one of them is going to kill the other. I don't know about you guys, but I don't want any of us to be between that when it happens." Saya agreed; causing the others to bow their heads, as if reevaluating their chances of lasting in here with the Lawson's group.

"Perhaps we should reconsider our choice to stay with them." Rei brought up, causing the others to start pondering the pros and cons of staying at the hotel.

"But it's safe here, and we have everything we could possibly need right now. Do you really want to go back to constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure you're not being crept up on? Let alone the possibility that we might run into more hostile survivors while we have no ammunition on us." Takashi brought up; all at once making the group realize that leaving the hotel anytime soon would be too risky.

"We don't necessarily have everything, but you do have a point regardless. Perhaps we should help them find a middle ground should they start arguing again? Something tells me they'll need us more than even they previously anticipated." Saeko brought up as she knew that the constant infighting of Frasier's group would only lead to their own demise; the others silently nodding in agreement before turning to see Alice had just now walked out of the kitchen while trying to carry several bowls in her arms.

"Alice-chan, what are you doing?" Saya asked curiously while the others smiled at how determined she appeared to be when trying to perfectly place them on top of the table. None of them could deny that at least she could always help them forget their troubles, even just for the shortest time. In a way, the sweet little child was one of the most important people in their ranks.

"Setting the table of course. How else can we eat breakfast Saya?" Alice replied with a rather proud smile before she had managed to set the last one up without any assistance from the others.

"I thought I told you it's 'Saya-nee'…ah, forget it. Fair enough, munchkin. Wait here while I grab the pot; I'm certain you did a fine job with it." Saya began to chastise the small child before finally letting out a heavy sigh of defeat. If the little girl wasn't going to refer to her as 'neesan' before, what chance would there be of her doing it now? Unable to help but smile at how enthusiastic Alice seemed, Saya quickly made her way for the kitchen to help while everyone else began to sit themselves at the table.

When passing through the kitchen, Saya could instantly spot the boiling pot on the stove. Before grabbing it, she stopped to observe Frasier being patched up by Shizuka. A massive bruise could be seen along his upper back from where he was slammed into the concrete slope; leaving a yellowish-purple bruise.

Set beside him was a bowl of bloody water with a needle resting at the bottom while the dedicated nurse continuously sewed and threaded the next one through his exposed gash. Noah occasionally helped by gently scrubbing away the blood that began clotting with a fresh washcloth to assist Shizuka, occasionally whispering to Frasier that they'd be done in no time.

What really put her off though was not the nasty gash but rather the way he personally was reacting to it, or rather his lack of reaction. Occasionally he'd squint or clench his fist when the flesh was being tugged harder than usual; but beyond that, hejust remained entirely unfazed by it. The young genius could only imagine what he must've done in his past life to be able to ignore such pain at will. Thinking of how strong he truly was now only made her shudder at the thought of his true potential as a fighter, or what he'd be capable of if he were to turn his aggression on her and the others.

"We're going to start eating if you guys don't mind." Saya suddenly announced as if feeling rude for not letting them know why she was here; quickly turning the stove off before putting on reinforced oven mitts and carrying the pot away.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, go right ahead, don't worry about us. We'll be done any minute now." Noah called back softly before Saya proceeded to leave them to their business.

Saya slowly made her way out of the kitchen, lugging the pot in her hands while letting out a frustrated grunt with almost every step. It was definitely a lot heavier than she'd been expecting. Setting the large pot on the table, she proceeded to fill the empty bowls while everyone else couldn't help but watch hungrily; the promise of food only seconds away finally reminding them of how hungry they truly were. Once it was all there before them, they spared no time digging in while one by one, the rest of the survivors began to return; Shizuka being second to last to approach with quite the satisfied smile on her lips, knowing that she'd done exceptionally well with her most recent treatment.

"Guten morgen, everyone. So, what'd I miss?" Johann asked as he finally exited the stairwell before proceeding to pull up a chair between Marcus and Takashi; looking around for answers while Saya helped pour him a bowl.

"Oh, just the usual." Hitomi answered before they all turned to see Frasier finally emerging with white medical tape wrapped around his upper left torso, his arms and back only covered by the tattered bomber jacket, leaving the rest of his front section exposed. Everyone remained dead silent as all that could be heard was the sound of his chair being dragged back before he sat himself down.

"Rough morning aside, we need to seriously start considering our next move. Everyone, please feel free to speak your minds." Frasier announced calmly as he tried his best to seem more approachable this time around.

"Well, I was looking at the map, and we've really cleared out a lot of useful areas, given how fast we've been scavenging." Marcus began as he gently pushed his plate aside only to roll out his map absolutely filled with red markings he'd put there himself to keep a record of every block and structure they'd thoroughly cleared.

"Well, what else do we really need right now? From what I can tell, we have everything we need until help arrives." Shizuka asked curiously as she was now concerned that there might've been something she'd missed when originally checking their personal fort out.

"We have the means to survive for a few weeks. But what if this should last for a few months? Or even an entire year? Or…even longer?" Frasier answered with a question of his own; leaving Shizuka silent. Everyone else couldn't help but ponder the actual chances the remaining local government really had to evacuate the remaining survivors of Tokonosu. So far it seemed very slim, even with Tadashi Miyamoto's plan to evacuate. And that wasn't even taking into consideration what the rest of Japan must have been like during all this madness. Who was to say if the rest of the country wasn't somehow even worse than this city right now?

"We were thinking that most clothing stores would be completely untouched, given how low of a priority they'd be compared to food and fresh water. It would be a nice thing to have, and it would also be far more hygienic for everyone here to have at least two sets of clothes we can try washing down by the river, then drying them off on the roof." Rei brought up as she was certain that being in the same outfit day after day would prove to be a problem they could entirely avoid.

"With Johann-kun's condition, and should the unfortunate event of anyone else getting seriously injured arise, we will need stronger medicine. I used the rest of my supply of suture on both of you as well, and it would be awfully sweet if you'd consider looking for more." Shizuka added as she almost spoke in what could've been interpreted as sweetly begging to get what she needed. She then proceeded to lean forward on her elbows, practically pressing her massive chest straight out as if she were letting it do the talking for her.

"It's also imperative we find books that can help teach us things such as how to gather and filter our own water, aquaponics and other agricultural methods to start growing our own food. We could even grab something to use as borders, and then some bags of fertilizer and different seeds to make our own rooftop garden. We can only keep scavenging our meals for so long,unless you want to start foraging in the woods to the North." Noah stated in a very determined voice that especially got Saya's attention given how clever the young man appeared to be by thinking so far ahead of everyone else.

"So many choices...I don't suppose there's a place that has all of that, hmm?" Frasier asked in a low mumble as he was hoping he'd only need to make one trip for today. His body felt sore from the previous few days as the strain was finally starting to catch up to him.

"We could try the Taiei Shopping Center. I know we saw some of 'Them' over in the distance last time, but with both our groups, cleanup is possible. What do you guys think?" Marcus suggested before noticing Takashi's group instantly formed looks of despair when he mentioned that place.

Khota had the worst reaction when his face nearly turned pale and his eyes never blinked once till Saya put a hand on his shoulder as if to help pull him back from that state. He then just pulled away before attempting to leave the room. Saya's grip however kept him in place, only to follow up with the most genuine display of affection anyone had ever seen her show when her arms practically pulled him in for a hug.

"What just happened?" Hitomi eventually asked as Marcus, Johann, and Noah formed concerned looks of their own while Frasier's expression remained the same.

"We were there before, a few days ago. Things seemed to be working out until 'They' got inside. We lost several people, but worst was a young police officer named Asami Nakaoka. Khota had to make the toughest choice any of us could've ever imagined by either allowing her to become one of 'Them' or…kill her with a quick shot to the head. It almost broke him entirely once we got away, so no, we can't go to the Taiei Shopping Center." Takashi explained grimly in remembrance as he felt immense regret for not being able to save the young officer from such a tragic ending. Khota could be heard gently sobbing into Saya's arms while Hitomi sat there completely shocked at the news.

 _'Asami-san...she...she was so green and naïve, but damn if that stopped her. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you.'_ Hitomi thought to herself as she began to tear up; Marcus' hand gently resting on her shoulder as she shrugged it off and brushed away the tears. She knew now more than ever that she had to be stronger than ever before to make sure nobody else here would end up the same way.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Hitomi-san. I know this news can't be easy for you." Frasier suddenly announced; causing her to shift her eyes upon him. His face was still stone cold, yet those words held what sounded like genuine empathy for her sadness.

"T-thank you, Frasier-san. It must be quite obvious if even you can so easily tell, huh?" Hitomi tearfully thanked as she hated how her voice began to crack whenever she tried to speak out beyond a whisper; not even caring at this point how he could read her so easily.

"If it helps, I think I know a good alternative. There was another mall set to open last weekend near here. With the outbreaks however, it was canceled for obvious reasons. I'm thinking we could try there instead, and with any luck, it will still be stocked for its opening week." Marcus suddenly brought up, quickly earning positive looks from everyone as they all seemed to unanimously agree on its potential.

"So who will go to scout it out then?" Johann asked as he looked at the map now only to realize how far the walk would be.

"All of us should go. Safety in numbers, and its best we bring back as much as possible. The more trips we need to take, the more likely someone gets hurt…or worse." Kiriko answered as if making a case out of it; speaking with a strong determination that had no opposition given how strong her logic seemed to the rest.

"Very well, it's decided then. Everyone get ready and we'll head out in ten minutes." Frasier announced calmly before watching the whole group form optimistic smiles at what sounded like a really solid plan; watching them all leave at once before he eventually pulled himself up and proceeded to suit up in the armory.

After the ten minute mark, the group was finally ready to head out into downtown Tokonosu once more. Frasier was reluctant at first to leave nobody to watch over the hotel, but after locking the front doors, he felt confident that nobody else would be able to get in after that barricade had been set up and the barbed wire had been set on all the balconies. Takashi's group on the other hand had expressions that initially resembled what someone on vacation would make, feeling that their time off was far too short.

However, the weather quickly changed their tune when they were met with bright rays of sunlight peaking over the lingering dark clouds. The river nearby brightly reflected the sunlight; giving them all an undeniably tranquil feeling as they carefully traveled over an empty bridge heading south into the former metropolis. A small overcast could be spotted far in the distance,but that was for another time to hold any concerns over.

Marcus took point with the map in hand with Saeko and Takashi acting as the vanguard of the group, backing the middle Lawson brother up should something jump out at him or if they'd spot something he wasn't able to focus on. Just a few yards behind them walked Rei, Kiriko, and Noah as the mid-flank. In the center walked the most vulnerable consisting of Johann, Shizuka, Alice, and Frasier, much to his dismay. Covering the very back walked Saya and Khota, whom was grateful to be given one of the H&K MP5SFK sub-machine guns in place of his emptied out AR-10 rifle.

"There it is. Outside looks clear; but on the inside, it's anyone's guess." Marcus suddenly announced as he could hear everyone approaching from behind; whispering among themselves on whether or not to approach any closer.

Before them towered a shopping mall twice the size of the Taiei Shopping Center. There seemed to be two smaller sub-sections of buildings connected to it while the rest was composed in almost a dome-like arch. A large red banner flowed high for all passersby to see with golden colored text reading: "Grand Opening in Just Two Days!"

The parking lot remained entirely vacant; a long, flat blacktop stretched out to accommodate hundreds of vehicles. Several tall lamp posts hung overhead with a flock of birds perched upon them occasionally making noise to help quell the unsettling silence. A gust of wind howled in the background as they began to approach the massive entrance.

"So how do you two intend to do this?" Saeko asked before turning back to look at both Frasier and Takashi for their input; both leaders turning to seek input from the other. The others anxiously waited as the two boys began to speak in a hushed whisper before turning back to address the current situation.

"We move in three teams of four." Takashi began to announce while Frasier stepped forward to begin doing a head count on the group.

"Noah, Kiriko-san, Johann, and Takagi-san will take the left side of the entrance plaza. Marcus, Khota-san, Shizuka-sensei, and I will take the connecting bridge to provide overwatch from the second floor. Saeko-san, Komuro-san, Rei-san, and Hitomi-sanshall take the right side of the entrance plaza. Alice-chan and the pup will stay with my group to keep them out the reach of any potential threats we might find in there. Any questions?" Frasier instructed as he spoke in a soft yet firm tone in an attempt to keep the others from becoming intimidated by him, but still take him just as serious as if his voice was the final say on the matter. Luckily the others seemed content with this plan and began to line up at a doorway locked up by several chains.

In one swift squeeze, the strong bolt cutters took the chain apart with little resistance. Bits of metal bounced off the ground as the doors were swung wide open. Saeko gently pressed both doors open as she motioned everyone to start moving in to form their teams; their shoes occasionally squeaking lightly against the polished floors, which led to them walking at a slow pace to keep the noise down.

The darkness they were expecting from lack of electricity was replaced by the sunlight beaming through the massive glass skylight above; giving them a moderate amount of light to work with as they began to advance up the walkways. To their surprise though, further inspection of the outlets led to the discovery that the lights were still working; giving them a full range and view of what each store contained.

"This place actually has power? How?" Marcus questioned aloud for all to hear as they began to carefully observe their surroundings as if expecting some kind of threat to show itself.

"Must be a backup generator like the J-Alert system had back at the police station. For how long this will last is anyone's guess at this point, though." Saya answered as she was somewhat amazed this place was still running without someone here to maintain it,despite it still only being less than a week since the EMP disrupted everything.

"The lights seem to be a bit dim, so perhaps it's using less power than the typical bright lights these places tend to use." Noah added on as he began to walk up to the nearest store that was selling photography items and accessories.

"Hmm...This might actually be easy for once." Rei commented as the others began to smile at the idea of being in a mall that wasn't locked up or filled with other survivors like the previous one was.

"Keep your guard up regardless. We still might not be alone." Frasier firmly announced before motioning the three groups to start sweeping the areas as previously planned.

"You really think that someone else is in here with us? I didn't see any other entrances or cut locks aside from the one we just used." Shizuka asked somewhat timidly at the idea of being snuck up on or being watched without her knowing.

"True, the front seemed to be secure, but we don't know about the sides or the rear of the mall. Just keep sharp and scream if you see anything. And I do mean ANYTHING." Frasier said in an attempt to calm the nurse's nerves as they began to climb the stairs; now standing watch over the other two groups from a bridge connecting the second floors together, which gave them a perfect line of sight over the entrance plaza.

"This place looks really awesome. Kind of makes me wish it had opened before this all happened." Rei commented as she observed the various perfume kiosks and outlet stores fully stocked with various outfits that instantly caught her attention.

"Yeah, no kidding! Seems like a bitchin' place to hang out after school or work." Hitomi agreed as they noticed the entrance plaza was only getting wider the further they walked down; the walls curving outward to connect to a massive intersection at the center of the mall.

"This place is alright...just another mall if you ask me." Takashi commented, showing his lack of enthusiasm as he was uncertain why this place seemed so great compared to any other mall they'd been to before.

"You're a guy. You wouldn't really understand what it means to us." Hitomi replied as Rei and Saeko somewhat smirked at how quick she was to practically extinguish his criticism; leaving Takashi silent as he lightly grumbled to himself before Saeko lightly nudged him and shot him a smile.

"Relax, Komuro-kun. You'll learn soon enough." Saeko said in an encouraging tone before taking his hand in hers; his frown slowly shifting to a content grin as his hand squeezed hers back.

Rei meanwhile tried her best to ignore the two as she silently wished Frasier had put her in a different team. It killed her inside to see the two acting like this, almost as if they were intentionally trying to rub it in her face. She then turned her head to see her mother looking over in their direction. The young teen shot her mother a false smile to keep any suspicion of her sorrow at bay before Kiriko turned back to focus on her side of the entrance plaza. Suddenly, Zeke began to give off a low growl before barking wildly as if trying to warm them of something.

"Movement! I've got movement on the second floor!" Noah then called out which echoed off the walls for everyone to hear,instantly setting everyone on guard; simultaneously backing away as they looked up to see what he was talking about.

"I'm on it!" Frasier called back, running at breakneck speed while Khota lifted up the scoped SMG only to catch a brief glimpse of a small figure darting around a corner, effectively leaving his line of sight.

"Whatever it was, it's too fast to be one of 'Them'! Watch yourselves." Khota announced as the rest of the group began to head up the nearby escalator to the second floor.

As they reached the top of the escalator, Frasier only just darted by as he had a fiercely determined look on his face, like a tiger on the hunt. His footsteps sounded like he was pounding his shoes into the floor before he too vanished around the corner.

"Hey, wait up!" Takashi called out as they ran after him to make sure he didn't run headfirst into danger without anyone to back him up. A part of him couldn't help but question how Frasier could remain so limber despite having fresh stitches put into him just over half an hour ago.

 ***slam***

A loud metallic rattle could be heard; causing everyone to nearly jump out of their skin. Uncertain whether or not it was Frasier's doing only lead them all to wonder if he was in trouble now. Their hearts were now racing, only for them to suddenly come to a stop when they saw him standing before the entrance to an antique shop with Mark's pistol gripped tightly in his right hand. A large metal security fence had been set down; causing him to pause for a moment and consider who might be on the other side of the gate as the rest of the group had finally caught up.

"What did you see, Frasier?" Noah asked anxiously as he lightly kicked at the fence to test how reinforced it might've been.

"I couldn't really get a good look. Whoever it was had a good head start and locked me out in time. Someone grab that bench over there." Frasier answered as his chest heaved back and forth, his words somewhat restraining anger before he holstered the weapon and started to rub his hands together.

"What do you need this bench for, exactly?" Takashi questioned as they watched in awe as Frasier squatted down only to suddenly pull up on the security fence.

At first it didn't budge, but the longer he kept at it, eventually they could hear a wailing sound above the door frame. The sound of gears being grounded and forced against their design eventually overwhelmed the gate's structure. A snapping sound rang out before Frasier began to stand with the gate resting on his shoulders.

"Quickly, get that bench in there. Now!" Frasier ordered in a strained voice before barking at them as if he were to drop it any second now.

The moment Takashi and Marcus had propped the wooden bench up against the door frame, Frasier quickly stepped inside the pharmacy to see it was now possible for everyone to enter. Luckily as the eldest Lawson had predicted, the gate remained opened and the bench was able to sustain the pressure for now.

"You really shouldn't have done that. You might've really hurt yourself, especially after I just gave you stitches!" Shizuka said with clear disappointment and concern that Frasier was being so reckless as to overwork himself; slightly frowning when he shrugged his shoulders in response to indicate her worries meant nothing to him at the moment.

"That would be a real shame, especially because I would've opened up if you'd given me the chance to open it for you." a croaky voice suddenly announced from the back of the antique shop; causing them to shift their gaze to what appeared to be an elderly man with a walking cane approaching them.

He wore what looked like a red sweater vest over a long white dress shirt and light tan kakis to go with his brown leather slip-on shoes. His back was slightly hunched over while his head managed to look upright still, adorned with a wrinkled face that made it look like he was frowning even if he didn't actually intend to. Both his feet shuffled forward at a restless pace despite every joint in his frail body sounding like it was creaking inside. One gnarled looking hand would be tightly wrapped around his pale birch cane as the other hand would clench around his hip for support. Whatever remaining white hair he could proudly brag about now could only be combed sideways over his rough looking scalp.

"My apologies, sir. My brother can be quite hasty sometimes. We can put it back if you like." Noah said in apology before he looked ready to fix the gate regardless of what the old man said.

"You might as well leave it up since you've already gone through the trouble of getting inside." the elderly man responded rather dismissively as if he didn't even mind the fact that Frasier most likely broke his only means of real security for all they knew.

"I'm still quite surprised you managed to outrun us. You've got some serious skill for an old timer." Frasier commented as if he was embarrassed that he couldn't keep up with someone so old and frail looking.

"Hmm? Oh, hahaha, that was definitely not me you were chasing, young man. That was my grandson, who is being awfully rude by not greeting our guests." the old man said with a confused grumble initially before letting out a hoarse burst of laughter; his voice then raising louder at the end as if trying to call out to someone they couldn't see yet.

Out stepped a young boy wearing denim blue overalls that wrapped around his red and white striped shirt. He had short black hair and a very timid set of brown eyes that showed instant distrust of these strangers standing before him.

"But Grandpa...these are the people I was just telling you about! Can't you just make them leave?" the young boy whined as he practically hid behind his grandfather while wasting no time sharing his feelings towards them.

"No, Kenji. I honestly couldn't make them go even if I wanted to. Show them some respect and I'm confident they'll show you kindness in return." his grandfather suggested as he was quite confident that these strangers would've made demands by now if they were looking to start trouble.

"Umm... I-I'm Kenji. N-nice to meet you..." the young boy known as Kenji responded as he stepped before them to give a quick bow, only to immediately retreat back behind his grandfather for comfort. Another rough chuckle could be heard from the old man as he seemed rather amused by all of this.

"Pleased to meet you both. My name is Komuro Takashi, and these are my friends. If it makes you feel any better kid, we promise not to hurt either one of you." Takashi gladly announced before the others quickly nodded in agreement to prove they really were friendly, which seemed to help the young Kenji feel some sense of relief as his grandfather simply smiled at the kind vow Takashi made.

"That is quite the relief to hear. I'm glad my instincts have yet to betray me at my age. Might I ask what your group is looking for exactly?" the old man inquired as he began to walk towards a large leather armchair while motioning them to follow him.

"We came here in the hopes that nobody else had the same idea to check out a mall that never made its grand opening. We figured it would be untouched and hopefully stocked for the first week. It looked completely untouched when we arrived, which gave us the impression nobody was home." Takashi began to explain as the elderly man just slowly nodded back and forth in understanding as to why they'd come here.

"That seems reasonable enough to me. My name is Isao, and you've already met my grandson, Kenji. Please, feel free to explore the mall as much as you like. It's not like anything beyond this humble antique shop is mine anyway." the elderly man known as Isao, said in a somewhat strained groan as he seemed rather pleased to have company over; even if said company was solely here to scavenge and essentially loot whatever they could find of use.

"You're very kind to give us such free range, Isao-san. I don't suppose there's a catch?" Marcus said with a very grateful sigh before expressing his feeling that lead to there being something Isao would want from them.

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something your group can help me with, but for now, just take what you need. I'm going to put some tea on if any of you would like to join me. My grandson just flat out refuses to try it, but I'm sure one of you will be brave enough, hehehe." Isao replied dismissively as he genuinely did not feel the need to take advantage of the young survivors who he could clearly see were somewhat desperate. Their manners alone had given him a much needed sense of security and relief. His hoarse chuckle filled the room before Kenji looked away as if embarrassed for being mentioned to these strangers.

"I think that's a wonderful idea. One of our leaders would love to join you. Isn't that right, Frasier?" Hitomi said as she suddenly gave him a light shove that caused him to stumble forward to Isao, who seemed delighted that someone would stay with him.

"Sure, just ring me a bell if something comes up, and do try not to forget about me." Frasier reluctantly agreed as he knew there was no use in denying the kind old man some much needed company. A sly smirk could be seen on Hitomi's face while the others seemed rather surprised that Frasier would so easily sit this one out.

"Don't worry we'd never forget you." Noah replied happily, as though he was genuinely ecstatic to see Frasier actually being civil with a stranger for once. Both Frasier and Marcus couldn't help but smile at how happy Noah seemed to be before they looked over to Shizuka, who was now walking over with a small footrest in hand.

"Make room for one more. I'd absolutely love a warm cup of tea right about now!" Shizuka said enthusiastically before planting herself down on the padded footrest, which was so low to the ground her knees were practically holding her massive chest up; causing poor Marcus' face to turn red as he couldn't help but stare as a result.

"Make that three. I'm certain the rest of you can take it from here." Kiriko announced as she seemed content with just standing for now before quickly turning Marcus around to join the rest.

"Anyone else? I've got more than enough tea for you all!" Isao offered with a wide smile as he seemed delighted and chipper at the fact so many people actually decided to stay with him.

"Perhaps before we leave, Isao-san. We really should gather up what we came here for." Takashi politely declined before he just watched as Isao propped himself back upright onto his feet;slowly shuffling over behind the checkout counter only to approach with something in hand.

"Take this map of the mall. It should give you a good idea of where everything should be. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for." Isao said as Takashi gratefully bowed and accepted the paper map before the old man went back into another room in the antique shop; his steps having more energy to them than what would be expected of a man his age.

"Please allow me to assist you." Kiriko offered as it only took her just a few steps to catch up to him. No complaints could be heard from the elderly man as they went into another room that must've been where Isao and Kenji resided in.

"Try to have fun, you guys." Hitomi said as they all began to leave Isao's antique shop so they could start exploring the various shops and booths that were now theirs to explore to their hearts content.

"I'll be sure to send you a bloody postcard." Frasier grumbled under his breath before Shizuka lightly hugged his arm playfully; her somewhat tight grip feeling unusually warm to him.

"Don't be so sour, Frasier-kun! It'll be fun, and we can join them later! Besides, it's very important you rest as much as possible." Shizuka said in her typically bubbly tone before deciding to play with his hair as he simply sat on the carpeted floor beside her; knowing that the strain and fatigue he felt now was something to not be taken lightly.

"Perhaps it is for the best. Besides, the mall seemed secure even after all the noise I made." Frasier said in acceptance before he could hear Kiriko and Isao talking in the background while making the first batch of tea; all while trying to ignore the fact Shizuka's chin had somehow found itself resting on his shoulder as if she'd decide to take a quick cat nap.

Meanwhile, the group calmly wandered the entrance plaza,feeling very relieved with the knowledge that the only living thing here was a friendly old man and a very timid child. Wandering the empty court, it wasn't long until every unlocked store that had its initial stock for the grand opening began to feel more like a treasure trove to them all.

"I guess we'll just split up for now and meet back here in about an hour. Just call out to the others if something comes up or if you see trouble." Takashi suggested as the others nodded in response only to do just that by going off in all different directions.

Alice immediately ran off into a nearby toy store that had caught her attention with all its bright colors. The young child was accompanied by Saeko, Rei, and Hitomi. Kenji eventually followed them inside as he was curious to see what they were up to.

"Wow! You get to stay here and have all of this to yourself?" Alice exclaimed in awe as she began to look over the relatively small store with glee and cheer sparkling in her eyes.

"Uhh, yeah, actually. It's pretty cool, but it can be kinda boring with nobody else to play with." Kenji answered in response before realizing how happy Alice appeared to be.

"Wait here first, Alice-chan. I don't want to take any chances." Saeko expressed as she drew her sword out and began to slowly sweep the toy store; checking every last aisle and exit to make sure nothing would be able to get in without her knowledge. However, it was clear for now, much to her disappointment as she was hoping for at least one fight to satiate her endless thirst. The steel blade clicked back into place as she motioned to Alice that it was safe to explore freely.

Without needing any further reasoning, Alice quickly darted into the nearby aisles with the intention of checking out every last thing this store had to offer her. It was like a paradise for the little girl, completely forgetting the horrors and nightmarish things she'd witnessed the past week; enjoying every last moment of her freedom in the toy store while the others just watched her with warm smiles all around. Zeke ran eagerly by her side and occasionally barked whenever she'd get all excited over something she'd stop to gawk at.

"Hey, I remember collecting these when I was little! I'm amazed they still sell them." Rei suddenly announced when she spotted a small purple stuffed animal that resembled a lion; looking it overlike it was a long lost friend that she needed to add to the collection she'd forgotten about so many years ago.

"Aww, he's such a cutie!" Hitomi exclaimed in a playful squeal before playfully petting it, feeling a sense of giddiness in her stomach like she was five years old again.

"What about you, Saeko-san? You ever collect anything as a kid?" Rei then questioned as Saeko was watching Alice from where she stood.

"Me? Not really...I never really saw the point in it to be honest. Although I will admit it does look rather cute." Saeko responded somewhat distantly as she shrugged her shoulders, while still able to admit some slight interest the more she looked at it. Alice then came back with a spring in her step and a board game in her tiny hands.

"They didn't have a bike, but they had this. It looks like fun...will you guys play it with me when we get back to the hotel?" Alice said in a somewhat disappointed voice before immediately replacing it with hope when presenting them with the box still wrapped up in its plastic seal.

"We'd love to, Alice-chan. You can keep looking around if you like. We still have plenty of time left." Rei explained as she took the box and began to look it over.

"That's alright, I'm gonna go see what the others are doing." Alice replied only to suddenly take off into the opening plaza. She immediately noticed Marcus and Noah wandering into a nearby store meant to be selling hardware tools that caught her interest.

"What are you guys doing?" Alice suddenly asked them with Kenji curiously following her from behind; almost like he was her shadow at this point, given how nice it was to see another kid again.

"I was hoping to find something on electronics for beginners and how to install them. Maybe get some of the hotel generators running again." Noah explained as he kept trying to browse through the various books left beside the checkout counter.

"Oh, neat. Can I help?" Kenji offered as he was kinda curious about the two significantly older boys while also feeling eager to make himself useful somehow.

"Don't worry about it, we'll be alright. Just go have fun." Marcus suggested as Kenji looked somewhat disappointed that they didn't need his help.

"Sorry. I'll just leave you guys alone then." Kenji muttered in defeat as he began to walk away feeling somewhat unwanted or even unwelcome after they'd turned him away so quickly.

"Actually, let me ask you something. You ever throw a paper airplane off a bridge before?" Noah suddenly asked as Kenji looked at him in puzzlement, almost like he'd just been asked the question of the century. The young boy slowly shook his head in response as the two Lawson brothers just smiled at each other, as if they had something in mind for him now.

"Come with us. We'll show you how awesome it is." Marcus suggested as they walked over to a printer placed behind one of the checkout counters; pulling out the loading tray to reveal plenty of fresh white paper for the taking.

"Take it all." Marcus instructed as Noah and Kenji took several stacks before the middle Lawson closed the loading tray back up as if it were just out of habit.

Several minutes later on the bridge, they all had amassed a small armada of paper airplanes that littered the floor beside them; each one folded and prepared for takeoff. At least seven different variants could be seen among the pile. Kenji nervously tried to peek over the edge of the bridge as his head was slightly under the safety bar, only really able to see through the gaps in the railing thanks to being so short in comparison.

"You sure this will be okay? Grandpa always tells me not to make a mess of the place since it's our home now." Kenji asked hesitantly as it was clear what his biggest concern was now.

"We'll take care of the cleanup. You just focus on enjoying yourself and throwing as many of these as you can, alright?" Marcus reassured as he vouched for himself and Noah to take care of the inevitable mess this would make.

"Ready? Aim...launch!" Noah asked the others as they instantly started nodding enthusiastically, now holding two paper airplanes in their hands. With a single flick of the wrist, the planes went straight off into the distance before slowly gliding downwards.

The four of them watched as the little planes all landed perfectly without any fault in their performance. A second wave was tossed much harder next; causing some of them to flip around and at one point even get caught up on the welcome banner. Alice and Kenji especially found it amusing when the planes would crash into one another only to plummet straight down to the ground.

Wave after wave of the paper armada continued to glide and zoom along perfectly above the plaza. Some of the ones they threw too hard showed it right away when they'd immediately nose dive straight down or do sloppy cartwheels before plummeting like the rest.

Their laughter could be heard all around as Marcus and Noah practically went into overdrive when they started to throw off as many planes as possible without any attempt at graceful throwing, almost like it were the grand finale to a fireworks display. A large section of the entrance plaza was quickly filled up with clusters of scattered paper planes. Everyone else below took a moment to walk over and see what the commotion had all been about. Upon seeing the massive paper mess, they all began to lightly chuckle and laugh at the scene while those behind it quickly descended down the escalator to pick up after themselves.

"Ah, it really is the little things you gotta enjoy." Noah expressed whimsically as he began to pick up one plane after the other, practically feeling like a little kid playing in the family yard again.

"That was awesome! Can we do it again?" Kenji exclaimed happily; a tone they never thought he'd be capable of due to the rather quiet and shy side of him they had initially come to expect.

"Yeah! I wanna go again!" Alice added as she seemed to greatly enjoy their little moment together; a great big beaming smile onher face as she picked up one of the planes only to start throwing it back up in the air.

"Sure. We just have to pick them back up first. That's the only downside to it really." Noah responded as all four of them began to pick up the scattered remains of their little paper air force.

All the while, Saya stood there watching them pick up their mess before shaking her head at what she had written off as childish nonsense. She then suddenly noticed something that entirely took her mind off their shenanigans. A chalkboard was set up behind the window display to serve as a substitute for the welcome sign to a bookstore. Her heart filled up with enthusiasm as she rushed inside to have a look for herself, readyand willing to take any literature she could get her hands on, even if it fell under a genre or author she would normally dismiss or mock in times before. After all: beggars can't be choosers.

To the short tempered genius' delight though, it appeared the bookstore was filled with everything from deep poetry, clever science-fiction, tragic dramas, and even a few saucy romance novels that caused her to visibly blush when briefly skimming over the content within. Knowing it was too good a chance to pass up, she set one of them aside for later as she then let out a heavy sigh of regret.

 _'So many books. So many choices perfect for the taking. Better take enough to last me at least a month.'_ Saya thought to herself before grabbing an entire shopping cart worth of books, almost weighing as much as she did in total; carefully loading them up as she continued to go over any she might've missed in her initial sweep.

"Find anything good?" Khota suddenly asked from behind her as he couldn't help but linger his gaze at Saya's slender yet curvaceous figure.

"Oh, you better believe it! Now stop looking at me like that and help me take these outside." Saya replied before laying out her demands like she was making it her personal mission to get these books back to the hotel.

"Er...yeah, I can do that." Khota replied nervously as he didn't want to incur her typical wrath any further.

"So, um…Takagi-san, I hope you don't mind me asking, b-but what do you think of the others? P-personally, I mean." Khota suddenly asked nervously as he took a heavier stack than she did; earning a somewhat suspicious glare from her that gave him an uneasy feeling right off the bat.

"Well, I have to admit I like the youngest one, Noah-san. That kid seems quite bright and seems to really know his stuff. That middle one, Marcus-san, he talks way too much and really needs to get serious…but nevertheless, he's tolerable most of the time. As for that oldest one, Frasier…he genuinely scares me. Just knowing that he could kill us all with his bare hands and feel nothing from it isn't something that helps a girl sleep at night. But with that all being said, Johann-san seems like a nice guy,even if his injury will be a real drain on our medicine for the time being. Hitomi-san seems to be quite a sharp woman, if not a little hotheaded at times. Overall, I think we can trust them...for now, at least." Saya answered in great detail, speaking in a hushed whisper when mentioning Frasier, as if she were expecting him to be just around the corner eavesdropping on them.

"Fair enough I suppose, for what little time we've known them. I personally trust Noah the most out of them all, but I understand what you mean about Frasier-san. Just know that no matter what, I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you, Takagi-san." Khota vowed as the sincerity in his words seemed to have caught Saya off guard; making her feel warmth inside as she almost formed a full smile in response, not even noticing her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink.

"I...j-just shut up and help me load these books up, you chubby otaku!" Saya muttered softly while still blushing before bursting out in a flustered growl that caused Khota to nervously laugh at her typical hotheaded reaction, which he'd pretty much become accustomed to by now.

Without delay he began to help load the books up into another shopping cart while Saya proceeded to keep on adding to the pile; ignoring the look of despair on Khota's face the more he realized he was going to have to do the pushing once this was over.

 **[Franz Schubert – Ave Maria for Violin]**

Before another exchange of words could be shared between anyone in the mall, the distant sound of a violin could be heard being gently strung by a freshly refined bow. The notes gently resonated and echoed through the plaza and all the stores. Everyone that heard it found themselves being drawn in by curiosity like young moths drawn in by the brightest of flames. One by one they began to gather at a classical instrument store to find Johann of all people standing in the middle of the showroom with his back turned to them all, playing the violin with the precision, concentration and prose of an expert.

Everyone remained respectful by giving him the proper amount of personal space so his concentration would not be broken by their presence; doing their best to keep silent as they couldn't help but be in awe at how beautiful the song sounded, half expecting it to squeal any minute now when Johann would inevitably make a fumble with his still heavily bandaged hand.

But to their surprise, every note hit was perfectly timed without any excessive strain being put on the strings. Everyone began to feel a strange sense of serenity and calm the more they listened, almost as if they could feel all the weight in their hearts that had built up magically wash away in an instant. It was abundantly clear that they couldn't hold anything back emotionally at this moment.

Takashi just stood there smiling at the tranquility he felt before feeling Saeko lightly pushing into him with her arm interlocking around his. His arm soon found itself draped over her shoulders, causing her to feel strong warmth inside. They felt an undeniably powerful bond with each other, as though the union they felt back at the temple only had grown stronger since then. The look in Takashi's eyes as he gazed at her told the young swordswoman everything she needed to know as she gave him the warmest smile she'd ever given him before leaning in and softly kissing his chin; prompting him to gently kiss her forehead in return before they returned their focus to the music.

Saya herself seemed rather stunned at how Johann managed to keep it sounding so clear thus far in without missing a single note to this song; one that just kept digging at her memories as a child. It was only natural that she'd taken up an instrument during her many extracurricular activities, and as such she practiced virtually every song that had ever touched another violin, just to prove that she was the best in every field she could potentially enter. Blissful memories of the supportive and even proud smile on her mother's face whenever listening to her play couldn't help but bring some stinging tears to Saya's eyes the more she listened.

Rei meanwhile just leaned against a supporting pillar as she was perhaps captivated the most of all by the enchanting lull of Johann and his violin. She slowly closed her eyes, and as though swept up in a dream, in her head she could imagine a vast, lush peaceful meadow. The deeply green grass was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of blooming flowers of every imaginable color; indicating that spring had finally arrived. The endless sky was a soft baby blue with splotches of the occasional fluffy white cloud. The scent of the air was and nearly intoxicating in how fresh and pleasant it was. Listening to Johann's song made it feel like the end of the world was nothing more than a bad dream and that when it stopped, she'd wake up in her nice warm bed again.

A part of her couldn't help but deeply admire the passion and sheer emotion Johann was putting into this song. Deep down, Rei couldn't help but almost feel her heart flutter as she watched him play like he was deep within his own world. It was like he could somehow help her forget about the hard times fallen upon the world when she listened to him play. Her thin, curved smile was now more vibrant than most could recall her making for quite some time. A part of her never wanted this moment to end,unwilling to return to the harsh reality that awaited her and her new family when the music finally stopped.

 **[]**

When the last note had finally gone silent, Johann gently set the violin down in its case, only to jump in surprise when he turnedto be greeted by the faces of almost everyone just staring right at him without warning. Their smiles were all filled with contentment and mirth as they gently began to clap in applause for his surprisingly emotional performance.

"Oh...I-I didn't think you guys would stop to listen in. Sorry about that." Johann said apologetically as he hadn't intended forthem to drop everything they were doing just to hear him play.

"Don't be sorry! That…that was amazing!" Rei enthusiastically reassured him as she was still in awe at the beautiful performance and display of musical talent that had touched her down to her very soul.

"Really? Y-you really think so? My uncle suggested I practice as often as possible, both for my own sake and for the sake of tradition. My great grandfather used to perform for free before and during the Second World War to help inspire those around him…at least until the Third Reich decided his talents weren't desired for the war effort." Johann said in a rather surprised tone that quickly fell into one of regretful sadness, despite the fact it was quite clear his skill with a violin was beyond that of the average player his age.

"Well if you ask me, Johann-san, I think it was very beautiful…a-and I think the talent has certainly been passed down to you." Rei said with a slight blush in her cheeks as immediately soughtto help brighten his spirits; causing him to give her a faint smile of appreciation in return.

Everyone else unanimously gave him a strong nod of approval before they eventually got back to searching the surrounding stores for things they'd want to bring back with them; passing by a pharmacy that Shizuka and Marcus had just entered in search of medicine.

"So what exactly should we be looking for again, Marikawa-sensei?" Marcus asked as he began to already rummage through the pharmacy stock as if ready to just grab everything he could instead of the specific ones they'd want to take with them.

"Well, I'd stock up on gauze and rubbing alcohol for basics cuts and injuries. I'll certainly need more suture if someone needs stitching up. Luckily I've gone over most of your medical records in the past, so immunization shouldn't be an issue for most of you. It would be very nice if we could find some oxycodone to help relieve Johann-kun and Frasier-kun's pain,and if we're really lucky, maybe some diazepam." Shizuka explained very professionally while mentally checking off types of medicine they'd most likely end up using, all while softly humming to herself as she walked almost with a strut; drawing Marcus' gaze to her shapely hips before he had to look away to reserve his focus.

"Diazepam? What on Earth is that?" Marcus asked as pretty much everything Shizuka had mentioned besides gauze, suture and alcohol sounded like plain old gibberish to him.

"It's used to help relax the muscles and relieve anxiety; which considering where we're at right now, makes it a must-have for us. It shouldn't be too hard to find if they have it though, sweetie." Shizuka sweetly replied before proceeding to practically skip from corner to corner of the pharmacy in search of what she knew she needed.

Marcus meanwhile just stood there perplexed while trying to ignore how hot his cheeks were that she was addressing him so affectionately. He couldn't help but be amazed at how she could remain so positive and enthusiastic after everything that had happened the last nine days. But honestly, that was one of the things he always loved about her since he'd first met her a year ago. She had the mother of all bombshell bodies, she was insanely cute, she was kind as could be to everyone, and now he knew that virtually nothing could bring her down. He quickly shook his head to restore his concentration once he heard the sound of Shizuka rummaging through one of the shelves on the other end of the pharmacy, knowing he had to get back to work.

"That's easier said than done. I don't even know what these things look like. Oh well...I'll take one of you, some of you, I don't know what the hell you do, but I'm taking gonna take you anyway..." Marcus mumbled under his breath before proceeding to talk to himself to pass the time; grabbing bottles and small vials that looked important to him, hoping that he'd luckily grab everything Shizuka had just mentioned so they wouldn't need to make a second trip here; also so they could avoid the inevitable lecture Frasier would've forced him to listen to.

"It looks like most of the strong medicine I'm looking for is missing. You don't think Isao-san took it, do you?" Shizuka asked curiously as Marcus walked over to see her looking at a few empty shelves.

"Maybe. I'll go ask him and see if he knows anything about it." Marcus replied before he ran out the pharmacy to jog up the stairs and back into the antique shop where he could see Frasier, Kiriko, and Isao sitting together with three small cups of tea and a kettle between them; all three looking over at him as he had to catch his breath.

"Ah, have you come to join us? I'll go grab an extra cup for you, young man." Isao questioned only to get up before Marcus could even have a chance to answer.

"What? No, no thanks. I'm just here to ask if you took any medicine from the pharmacy. See, our nurse suggests we take certain drugs back for our injured, like my brother here for example." Marcus responded confusedly before proceeding to explain the real reason for him coming to see the old man.

"I see...well, I did have to take it for myself just in case Kenji or myself were to get injured somehow. You can have whatever else is left down there though." Isao explained somewhat apologetically to Marcus, yet still seeming perfectly fine with keeping what he had.

"But you took all of it! Perhaps you'd be willing to trade for it?" Marcus asked curiously as he was hoping there was some way to reason with him, really not wanting to return to Shizuka empty-handed.

"Hmm, it depends what you have in mind to give me for some of it." Isao finally brought up as Marcus then took a moment to think about whatever they could possibly offer the old man.

"Well, how about this shotgun? You never know when you might encounter someone not so friendly. That medicine wouldn't be of any use if whatever attacks ends up killing you." Marcus suggested as Frasier just shook his head in response.

"Marcus, the recoil on that thing alone would shatter his bones, although you are on the right track. I'd advise giving him the one of the handguns, like the Luger that loudmouth Takagi-san had on her." Frasier began to chuckle at Marcus' lack of foresight before suggesting an alternate weapon to trade him.

"What, the loud, pink-haired girl who would absolutely kill me if I try asking her something like that?" Marcus stated incredulously, as if expressing that such a thing would be the equivalent to a suicide mission.

"Fine, wait here with them while I do it for you." Frasier grumbled with what sounded like a sigh of relief before taking off slowly, almost as if this was the excuse he needed to leave the antique shop. Marcus was now left to stand there awkwardly as Kiriko smiled at him while Isao seemed to be getting him a cup of tea still despite him already refusing to have any.

"Here. It's a bit warm, so be sure not to burn your tongue." Isao said softly as he handed Marcus the steaming hot cup of tea; the middle Lawson slightly rolling his eyes before sitting where Frasier was just moments ago.

"So, what have you three been talking about then?" Marcus asked Kiriko as she looked up from a magazine she had been reading so she could properly address him.

"We've mostly been updating Isao-san on the state of the world,while he basically told us about his past." Kiriko said as Marcus looked over to see the elderly man had sat back down only to fall fast asleep in his chair.

"Interesting. So what's his bit then?" Marcus inquired further as he couldn't help but wonder how Isao made it all this time while having to watch Kenji.

"Well, he told us quite a lot, I'll warn you now. See, he said he originally owned a store he and his wife started up after the Second World War. When she passed away, not only did he end up losing a lot of money due to how he could barely keep up with the technological jumps Japan and the rest of the world, but he was so grief-stricken that he could barely manage his business at all. He moved in with his son and his wife after closing down the shop finally. He told us also how much it bothered him that he wasn't able to contribute anything for them for the last few years he was living with them, aside from watching after Kenji-kun.

"Just a few months ago, he'd decided to start up a new shop that would sell the old antiques he'd acquired over the years. Obviously he told us how thrilled he was to get back in the working game. Personally, I think it was mainly so he could perhaps relive memories of when he did this kind of thing with his wife. When the outbreaks started, he was already here,preparing the shop for the opening weekend with Kenji-kun helping him. Knowing it was best to stay indoors, he locked them in and hasn't left this place since, surviving off of whatever food and whatnot they could find in the mall." Kiriko explained in great detail as Marcus just looked over at the old man snoozing in his soft armchair, barely able to imagine just how much he'd been through; as well as the pain of knowing his entire world had been lost not once, but twice now.

"Shame. Perhaps fate will be kinder to him this time around." Marcus gently sighed as he then noticed Frasier walking back with the Luger in hand; setting it gently on the table before lightly whistling just loud enough to wake up Isao.

"How about this and a few extra clips of ammo for some of your stockpiled medicine? The gun is lightweight and the recoil is minimal." Frasier offered as Isao sat upright only to hunch over and observe the firearm.

At first he just scowled at it as if he'd never even seen a gun before. He then held it up and pulled out the small clip before putting it back in; forming a soft smile of acceptance before finally nodding in acceptance as he got up to unlock the cabinet he'd stashed his personal supply of medication in. Marcus then followed him, knowing what Shizuka asked for as Frasier then turned back to Kiriko.

"I'm going to check out this pet store I noticed downstairs. With any luck, there might be a small supply of medication the old man hasn't discovered or even thought to check for yet." Frasier explained in a soft whisper before she nodded in acknowledgement; lifting up the magazine she'd been skimming over before Frasier proceeded to leave the store and descend back down to the entrance plaza.

As he placed his hand on the entrance to the pet store, he noticed someone's reflection in the mirror. He cocked his head back to see Hitomi approaching him.

"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be enjoying tea with that old man?" Hitomi casually joked as Frasier remained silent before pushing the door wide open.

"Oh, c'mon, I was just messing with you. Do you always have to be so bitter about everything I do?" Hitomi asked when she then noticed him slowly scanning the room as his face began to look side to side.

"I'll check behind the counter for any possible medicine that we could use. You can do whatever, I guess." Frasier said to Hitomi as she couldn't help but roll her eyes at such a dismissive remark at her expense. Knowing it wasn't worth making noise over, she decided to take the high road and ignore him, no matter how bad it felt inside to not be standing up to him.

Hitomi just sighed as she began to walk the aisles by herself with the .38 handgun drawn out to her side. Her eyes scanned anything of use that the small pet outlet might've had in stock for them. While most rows were naturally vacant and cleared off for the most part, she'd occasionally spot accessories people would buy for their pets. The young officer gently ran her fingertips along the cool metal shelves before stopping to see a small aquarium of common house fish floating upside down in their tank.

After sadly sighing at the sight, she began to actively look around for any other pets that might've been abandoned in this almost surreal mall. To her relief though, she was only met with empty cages most likely meant for dogs and cats; soon realizing that if any larger animals were dead here, they would've noticed the smell instantly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed large bags of various dry food under a nearby display rack. She holstered the .38 to her hip before squatting down to try and read the labels. One of them claimed to be specially made for small dogs which put a smile on her face, thinking about Zeke's reaction to it. The bag made a crinkling noise as her arms began to slowly hoist it up,only for her to almost drop it after several paces.

 _'Damn, this thing's heavier than it looks. I wonder how that prick is doing right now.'_ Hitomi thought to herself, annoyed at how fatigued she was feeling.

The young police officer gently set down the bag before heading off to see how Frasier was doing on his end of the pet store. When she noticed a tall figure with its back to her, she paused for a moment to confirm it actually was him. She let off a low whistling noise through her lips only to see the figure hadn't budged an inch.

"Frasier? You doing alright over there?" Hitomi asked nervously as she couldn't help but feel uneasy when he was just standing there with his head bowed low. Her hand slowly reached out,only for him to suddenly slide something into his pocket; Hitomi being left unable to tell just what it was.

"I'm just peachy. Find anything of interest here?" Frasier responded in a soft mumble, still arousing suspicion from the young officer as if he were holding something back when she looked into his eyes. Something behind them could only raise so many questions now.

"I found some dog food for that adorable little pup our new friends had. I don't suppose you'd be willing to haul it? Damn thing must be at least twenty two kilos..." Hitomi said before pointing over to the heavy bag of food she found moments ago.

"Certainly." Frasier said calmly before holding it under his arm like it was a paper weight; causing Hitomi to shudder at the thought of his true strength before suddenly realizing he didn't even bother critiquing her own lack of strength like he usually would've. While normally this would've been a welcome change between the two, it could only make her wonder what was going on inside his head right now.

As he set the dog food down in one of the carts filled with personal items the others had deemed to be theirs, he then noticed some of the others heading into a clothing store just a little ways down. Hitomi motioned him to follow, only for them to see everyone in their group had been gathered here for a much-needed change in attire.

"Looks like its summer clothing for the most part. This place doesn't seem to have a storage unit, so we'll have to look for winter clothing elsewhere." Kiriko announced after she'd quickly glanced over the rather large selection of clothing available for them to loot.

"We've got plenty of time for that. I say we just take two, maybe three outfits per person. What do you guys think?" Rei acknowledged before asking about a limit for how much they should take back home.

"Aww, only three?" Shizuka said in an almost childishly disappointed tone of voice. If she could, she'd most likely take the entire store back to the hotel.

"Don't worry; I doubt anyone else will come looking for clothes of all things." Saeko said in an attempt to reassure the nurse if she was concerned someone else might take the rest while they weren't around.

"This is what you deem to be so important? Why not just use the clothes back at the hotel?" Frasier asked confusedly, unable to wrap his head around why these women would go through the trouble of taking clothes here while they had so many for the taking back home.

"You might be able to handle wearing a dead person's clothes, but we can't. It's really off putting to say the least." Saya retorted, causing Frasier to become silent after realizing she actually had a good point.

"You could just be naked then." Marcus suggested in a cheeky manner before Hitomi lightly punched him in the arm.

"Oh, hahaha, so funny!" Hitomi said with obvious sarcasm as Marcus couldn't help but chuckle at his antics.

"Well in any case, just don't take too long. We have a few hours before sundown arrives. I want us back in the hotel before it gets dark." Frasier advised as he then proceeded to leave the group to their own devices.

"Hold on, you aren't getting away that easily! You're staying here with the rest of us to pick something out for yourself." Kiriko suddenly called out, causing him to swerve around as if challenged to a duel.

"Really? I'm fairly confident one of my brothers can do that for me. Then again, I can just wear what I have now." Frasier replied certain that he'd be able to just go with whatever he had on him no problem.

"You mean that filthy jacket with holes all over it that's soaked with your own blood? No, just no." Saya said in disagreement before shaking her head back and forth; the others all silently seeming to agree, causing Frasier to realize he might actually be wrong here.

"Nobody let him leave until he's picked something to take back to the hotel." Hitomi joked as Kiriko went as far as to stand by the entrance with her arms crossed, apparently fine with standing guard.

Frasier just stood there with an annoyed grimace before he finally let out a defeated sigh, knowing that they wouldn't let up on the matter if he kept resisting it as much as he was. He remained where he stood as everyone else began to search through every rack and hanger available, still unable to understand why they liked it so much when they could just grab the first thing they saw and leave. He then remembered what Saya said and slid off the bomber jacket to see just how badly torn it had become over the last week.

The eldest Lawson grumbled to himself before dropping it on the floor and walking away to find something to replace it. His hands brushed past the clothing racks as he looked around in disinterest, unable to describe what he was feeling as anything but sheer boredom. Minutes passed by as the others could be heard laughing and chuckling not too far away. He slowly walked over to see some of the girls' frantically searching through the racks.

"Hey, how does this look on me?" Marcus asked as he put on some black aviators after he managed to find some brown, leather gloves without any fingers. Frasier also noticed he was now wearing a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off.

"You look...interesting? Why ask me? You were always the one with a better sense of…style, I suppose." Frasier questioned as he was uncertain why anyone would think he'd have any fashion sense, let alone Marcus.

"I don't know. I figured you'd have something to say about it. Don't tell me you don't enjoy the feeling of new clothes, especially when they're entirely free." Marcus responded after realizing who he was talking to after all.

"Do find something to cover up your bandages, though. Nobody wants to see that." Marcus then brought up as he tossed a dark orange shirt to Frasier that seemed to be just his size. The eldest Lawson grumbled to himself as he put it on over his head and finally slipped into the soft cotton shirt.

"Its fine, I guess. You got anything else?" Frasier said as he looked around to see what else was an option for him. Marcus rested his chin against his palm as if trying to determine what would look good on his older brother.

"Try this jacket on. Oh, and this hat." Marcus advised before handing him a sage green jacket and a black skull cap that fit perfectly around the top of his head.

"Why are you dressing Frasier up like a homeless man? Or is he supposed to be a robber planning on heisting a bank?" Noah suddenly asked, causing Marcus to practically burst with laughter given how that question couldn't be further from the truth in terms of appearances he was going for.

"I-I…s-shut up! Then again, should I need to intimidate someone; this just might help me after all. Thank you, Marcus." Frasier snapped in a low growl of annoyance and embarrassment, only to then see the potential benefit such an outfit might actually have.

"So what did you find, Noah?" Marcus asked as he looked over to see right away that his little brother had gone with a simple navy blue t-shirt while choosing to use the same pants he did before they'd arrived at the mall.

"I found these awesome gloves. Pretty cool, huh?" Noah answered only to show he was wearing the exact same gloves Marcus had, except these had a black stripe going down the side.

"It looks almost exactly the same as the ones I found." Marcus commented as he couldn't help but feel like Noah was trying to steal his stylish flair.

"I don't know, something about it just seems cooler. Good find, Noah. You could teach Marcus a thing or two when it comes to style." Frasier sarcastically teased as he and Noah began to laugh while Marcus slightly frowned in response.

"Ah, sod off, you bunch of tuss pots." Marcus grumbled as he shook his head before he bundled up a random shirt and tossed it at Frasier who instinctively ducked down only to laugh even harder at his brother's reaction.

The middle Lawson stormed off before accidentally bumping into Hitomi; their heads butting into each other before they each let out a groan of pain from the impact. At first she was scowling out of annoyance before proceeding to smile warmly when she realized it was Marcus.

"Oh, it's you, Marcus-kun. Nice gloves." Hitomi commented with a smile as she was no longer in her uniform, instead wearing a white blouse with the shoulders cut out, and a navy blue skirt that went down to her knees to compliment the long-sleeved top.

"Really? I'm glad you think so! I really like your outfit too." Marcus admitted, causing Hitomi to slightly blush at his compliment.

"Thanks. I don't suppose-" Hitomi began to say, only to then look over his shoulder to see Shizuka running over to them in just her underwear, a purple laced bra and matching purple panties. When Marcus turned around, his jaw practically hit the floor.

"Marcus-kun, what do you think looks better: this purple bra or this red one?" Shizuka began to ask, only to then suddenly start pulling up on her bra to quickly change out of it. Marcus and Hitomi were both completely astonished at the fact she was so comfortable, if not completely unaware of common decency, to strip in front of them like it was nothing.

Just before the bra came off, Frasier and Noah began to walk between them inadvertently, the youngest Lawson pausing where he stood as Marcus couldn't see a thing now. Hitomi couldn't help but notice his rather eager response as she just shook her head; smirking at the fact Noah just completely ruined whatever chance he had to see the insanely voluptuous nurse completely topless.

"Whoa…" Noah blatantly mumbled as though in a trance;causing Shizuka to giggle before Frasier covered his eyes and almost had to drag him along to get him moving again.

"You don't say..." Marcus mumbled in a defeated groan before seeing Shizuka was now wearing the red bra she had mentioned. If he'd ever get a chance, he knew he needed to get Noah to tell him how they looked.

"I'd suggest the red one; it really stands out. Not that you'd need those airbags to stand out any more than they already do..." Hitomi said to throw in her two cents before mumbling to herself, somewhat jealous that Marcus seemed so drawn in by this older woman who was clearly much better well-endowed than she could ever hope to be.

"I'm not sure, maybe you should try on the purple bra to be sure." Marcus playfully suggested, only for Hitomi to start pulling him by the ear as she started grumbling something under her breath while Shizuka couldn't help but giggle at the sight. She then pulled open a shopping bag she'd found, putting on a tight blue sweater with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, tight white pants, and several bracelets that would jingle whenever she started moving beyond a walking pace. The busty nursecould then overhear Takashi and Saeko just a few racks away.

"I found these. They might be more suitable for your grip on the sword." Takashi announced to Saeko as he presented her with a pair of thick gloves that seemed to make a gripping sound as she clenched her fist into a tight ball.

"Thank you, Komuro-kun. Why don't you come with me so we can find something better suited for you now?" Saeko said gratefully before tugging him along to help him find a new outfit.

"I'd like that very much. I've been having a hard time choosing between a few things." Takashi replied, only for them to soon vanish into a nearby dressing room.

A little ways away, Rei just watched from a distance, only to slowly look down and sigh before proceeding to pack up the dark grey jean shorts, black leather driving gloves, and dark green blouse she'd taken for herself; trying her best to ignore how they'd act whenever nobody was watching them. It was like torture just thinking about it for her.

"Miyamoto-san? Are you alright?" Johann suddenly asked from behind her; causing her heart to nearly skip a beat as she hadn't expected anyone to actually be paying any attention to her. She quickly turned around to face him; noticing he'd changed into a dark blue and dark green checker-patterned flannel, dark brown kakis, and an olive t-shirt underneath only seen since it was poking up from his collar.

"What? Me? Of course I'm fine! Whatever gave you the impression I wasn't?" Rei replied in a somewhat nervous babble as she desperately hoped that he'd just shrug his shoulders and forget that he saw anything.

"Well, you seem to look away or have this sad look on your face whenever Takashi-san and Saeko-san are together. I…take it you have feelings for him, then?" Johann questioned as if he could see right through her bluff. He couldn't help but feel deep sympathy and great concern for Rei as she seemed to drop the false smile to reveal a rather regretful expression. She couldn't help but feel a terrible sense of embarrassment that he was able to see through her ruse so easily.

"In a way, yes. He was mine once, a long time ago. We broke up not too long ago, but when this all happened, I felt my old feelings for him come back all at once. I had the chance, but Saeko-san was far more determined than I initially thought. She has her claws in him now, and I doubt she'll be willing to let go anytime soon. All I can really do now is accept what I had in the past with Takashi, and just move on with my life…no matter how much it stings on the inside." Rei confessed as she spoke in what sounded like her spirit had been completely broken as far as Takashi was concerned.

"I see...I can't imagine how painful it must be, especially having to be around them to see them like that all the time. I'm truly sorry, Miyamoto-san." Johann offered as Rei looked back at him in confusion.

"Why are you sorry? I mean, it's nice of you to say, but you're apologizing for something you had no involvement in. You don't have to apologize for this, Johann-san." Rei asked before clarifying her reasoning so as not to seem unappreciative of his genuine kindness.

"I suppose that's true. I'd say this is more out of sympathy than apology." Johann said in attempt to correct himself as Rei couldn't help but look at him with an expression of regret.

"I'm so sorry, Johann-san. I must sound so ungrateful right now. I really do appreciate what you're trying to do, but I just feel like this is something I should be able to handle on my own." Rei said in defeat as Johann couldn't help but feel the overwhelming air of loneliness she was exuding. He couldn't help but feel like he wanted to make her feel at least a little better; at least so she didn't have to feel like she had to go through all this alone.

"I understand if you want to be alone, Miyamoto-san. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Johann expressed with a soft smile before he began to slowly walk away to explore further on his own.

"Wait...what about you, Johann-san? How do you feel?" Rei suddenly asked curiously as she felt the desire to at least make sure he was okay himself, given the emotional turmoil she knew he was going through as well.

"Me? Well, it's nice to see not every square inch of the city is infested and crawling with 'Them'. I did dream about Toshimi last night, though. It really hurts, knowing that she could be right here with me right now, enjoying this very moment with the rest of us." Johann answered calmly before looking down when bringing up his girlfriend. Just a day without her was hard for him to deal with...but over a week apart along with not even knowing whether or not she was even still alive was a whole different kind of hell for him.

"She must be very important to you." Rei replied softly as she looked at his face and how easily it could show what he was truly feeling, like there was no use in hiding what was going on inside of him.

"You don't even know the half of it." Johann said with a bit of a smirk as if there was much more to it than just a typical high school relationship.

"So maybe you could tell me then." Rei suggested as she motioned Johann to sit with her on one of the numerous benches just outside the store in the main plaza.

"Well, it's not a very pleasant story, but if you really want me to tell you, then I suppose some context is needed first. See, I was born in Hamburg, Germany. My mother was a typical mother who loved and did everything she could for me. She…she really meant a lot to me and I still think about her every single day. My father on the other hand-he was something else.

"The man worked hard almost all hours of the day and did come through with money to provide for us, but things got worse as I got older. With the constant drinking, it eventually got to the point it was a rare sight to see him sober at all. Every time one of us tried to talk to him about it, he'd act like we were attacking him. He'd do everything in his power to bring us down so he could feel better about himself. I doubt you can imagine what it's like for a seven year-old boy to listen to his own father call him worthless; to talk to him like he's nothing more than a mistake that ruined his life and that he'll never amount to anything no matter what he does. Needless to say, it's not a pleasant feeling.

"Eventually, my mom couldn't take his abuse anymore, so she took me away so we could live with her mother instead. When things seemed to finally start getting better, she suffered an aneurysm that put her in a coma. A month later when I was eight, she passed away and I ended up being taken in by my aunt and uncle who had recently moved here. I knew I had them, but never in my life had I ever felt so alone. I was always so angry and confused, like I had done something to deserve all this.

"My aunt and uncle wanted me to try making friends here, so they helped me to try and learn the language. But I still felt like I was unwelcome, like nobody wanted to be around me. After several months of helping me cope with everything, they enrolled me in a local elementary school. A lot of the other kids didn't really pay me any mind, but Toshimi was the first person outside my family to show any concern towards how I felt. She understood me in ways that made me feel at peace with my situation. She was the first person I ever made friends with here, and to say we got along like a house on fire would be a gross understatement. We spent all the time we had in the world together, and I could physically feel like we were becoming closer every single day. The day I confessed my feelings to her in our second year of middle school was the happiest day of my life. Without her, I don't know what I'd do with myself, especially after what happened to my aunt and uncle the day this all happened.

"Now you know why she means so much to me. No matter what happens to me, I must make sure that Toshimi makes it through all of this." Johann finally finished explaining as Rei just sat beside him, staring at him in complete fascination; her gaze completely mixed with both sympathy and sorrow to hear such a rough yet inspiring tale of struggle that was literally overcome by true love.

"I can see why she means so much to you now. I'm so sorry you've had to suffer so much like this, Johann-san." Rei said in response, still completely in awe and sympathy at Johann's rough past with his father; making her even more appreciative of her own father and how well he treated his family, like they were the only thing in life that mattered to him.

"It just takes the right kind of motivation if you ask me. But between her and you guys, I like to think I'm rather fortunate. I…I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to me, Miyamoto-san." Johann optimistically expressed only to start sounding progressively quieter as he was hesitant to look Rei in the eyes as she formed a heartwarming smile of her own.

"Please, call me Rei. And don't worry, Johann-san. We're all in this together, and we'll see this hell through till the very end. Things will go back to normal eventually." Rei said with renewed faith in the world as the two survivors couldn't help but smile at each other at the potential that the undead might actually be pushed back once humanity regained a foothold.

"I'm sure you're right…Rei. And…you can just call me Johann…i-if you like." Johann replied with an undeniable shyness in his tone as they both couldn't help but blush at how informal yet close they'd already allowed themselves to be with each other. It wasn't long after when they finally reunited with the rest of the group, who had all stockpiled the various goods they felt were necessary.

"Alright, looks like that's all we can carry for now! Let's start heading back to the hotel." Takashi finally announced as was now wearing a maroon colored leather jacket with black jeans. Saeko stepped close to him with her grey skirt on; Rei and Frasier both trying desperately to ignore the sight.

Isao and Kenji both stood on an overlooking bridge from the second floor, both waving goodbye to their neighbors. Alice started waving back frantically as her group then sealed the door back up to make it look like nobody had entered.

As the group turned back to look back across the parking lot, Frasier looked to have a sudden look of grim determination on his face.

"Hmm, we've definitely come out with a lot more stuff than I'd originally anticipated. If we were to try and haul everything back to the hotel by foot, it'd take us way too long. We've only got about two hours of daylight left." Frasier muttered mostly to himself as everyone else all looked worriedly to each other, unanimously realizing the truth to his words.

"Well as much as it sucks, Frasier, there's not a whole lot we can do about it. None of the cars in the city work anymore, remember?" Marcus spoke up, not liking the fact more than anyone else. However, he failed to notice a sudden spark flash across Noah's face, as though he'd suddenly realized something.

"Hey, we might actually be in luck. Do you remember that SDF checkpoint we came across a few days ago?" Noah suddenly piped in, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"The one near the park? Yeah, what about it?" Marcus asked, clearly not even knowing where to start to follow whatever insane thought process Noah was going through this time.

"Hang on, I think I know where he might be going with this. Were there any vehicles there?" Saya suddenly asked, instantly drawing everyone's attention that she was apparently on the same page as the youngest Lawson.

"Yeah, there was one truck and a couple jeeps, although those were both totaled." Noah answered, equally surprised that someone so quickly was able to figure out what he was thinking.

"How far is it from here?" Saya asked, her orange eyes burning with a fierce sense of enthusiasm behind her glasses.

"About seven minutes south if we hurry." Noah replied as he didn't want to waste any more time and was already breaking out into a run with the pink-haired genius quickly following on his heels.

"Whoa, hold up, you two, I'm going with you! Marcus, stay here with everyone else!" Frasier called out to the two of them as he quickly took off after them, already leaving the rest of the group in his dust. While Marcus was still left completely clueless as to whatever Noah was going on about; one by one, the rest of the group all seemed to exchange knowing looks with each other, as if they all finally realized what had gotten Noah and Saya so fired up.

A ways down, Noah quickly rounded another corner with Saya and Frasier still hot on his heels. When they came to a stop, they stood before the obliterated remnants of one of the many checkpoints the Self Defense Force had erected across the city. The checkpoint itself stood as nothing more than scorched remains, almost like a charred skeletal warning. The ground was covered in spent bullet casings, empty magazines, debris and blood. There were no signs of bodies that had been devoured by 'Them', although there were one or two scattered across the scene with bullet holes in their heads and empty guns in their hands; all apparently having chosen to take the easy way out.

The sidewalks were lines with bodies wrapped in bloody sheets, all apparently having been one of 'Them' that were able to be put down. Several ambulances stood abandoned further down the road, while others were overturned or burned out. The whole scene was somehow completed by the sight of a fire engine sticking halfway out a building across an intersection a further ways down.

Trying to ignore the still lingering stench of burned oil from the multiple car wrecks, the three of them continued toward the checkpoint; Saya looking intently for wherever the truck Noah mentioned was.

Once they stepped through the burned out checkpoint, Noah instantly pointed towards a nearby alley that had nearly been hidden by a couple wrecked SDF jeeps. Not needing any further motivation, Saya instantly rushed for it with Noah quick on her heels while Frasier was already looking around as guard.

Once in the alley, Saya let out a heavy sigh of relief to see a large camo-patterned truck standing in the middle of it without a single scratch.

"Are you really thinking what I'm thinking right now?" Noah finally asked as Saya wasted no time climbing onto the front bumper.

"That depends. See if you can pop the hood and let's see." Saya ordered, spurring Noah to quickly climb into the driver's seat; flipping the switch before Saya instantly opened the hood to look at the engine.

"Oh yeah, it's just like I was hoping." Saya called out to the young man as he peeked out through the driver side window with an anxious grin on his face.

"You mean the engine really IS EMP-proofed?" Noah asked, by this point more than certain he and Saya did in fact have the same idea. Frankly, he was embarrassed he hadn't even considered this idea the first time he and his brothers found this checkpoint three days ago.

"That's right. The SDF has their vehicle engines specially designed and lined with protective metal casing to protect them from electromagnetic radiation. A lot of civilian vehicles from the 80's to the early 2000's also had similar constructs to make them resistant as well, but with time and people tampering with them, along with a lot of recent cars not having the right requirements; that's why a lot of vehicles in the city are inoperable now." Saya went on to explain as she kept observing every minor detail to make sure the truck would actually be able to run.

"Wow. I mean, I had a hunch these vehicles specifically could still operate, but I didn't know so many normal cars were capable of it as well." Noah admitted as Saya slammed the hood down and climbed into the passenger seat beside him.

"Well, I can teach you a lot more than that to keep you prepared for anything if you're interested. You just better be sure you're fully dedicated to it first. Now do you know how to hotwire a car?" Saya offered before getting right back to business.

"Well, yeah, Marcus showed me how to do it a couple times back home when I was younger." Noah admitted as he started to reminisce on those crazy times, right before Saya flicked her finger hard against his forehead to get him to focus.

"Well then let's see if you retained any of that knowledge. Try and start this thing up." Saya ordered, prompting Noah to get to work on the casing around the ignition.

Outside the alley, Frasier kept standing watch, shifting his gaze from one end of the street to the next. The only sound aside from the rustling of garbage being blown across the pavement was the low wailing of the wind. There wasn't even a single sign of one of 'Them', which frankly left him disappointed, as it would've at least given him something to do.

Suddenly, the low rumbling of an engine sounded from behind him, causing Frasier to practically jump in surprise, only to quickly step back as the large SDF truck promptly rolled out of the alleyway before quickly coming to a stop; the sound of Noah whooping in celebration inside the cabin nearly overpowering the rumble of the engine.

"Oh man, Frasier, this is the answer to all our problems! I had a hunch, I tell you! I just didn't know if it would work! We can scavenge so much farther now!" Noah exclaimed, nothing short of ecstatic as Saya couldn't but let out a soft chuckle to see him so happy about something she still considered to be basic survival knowledge. Normally she would've been chastising him for reacting like an idiot to something so simple, but somehow she didn't feel that common sense of superiority towards him as she did with so many other people.

"Well, I can't say I'm unimpressed, Noah. Good idea. Now move over so I can drive." Frasier replied as he didn't even give Noah the time to get out before he forced his way into the driver's seat; effectively sandwiching Noah between himself and Saya. With a yank on the gear switch, Frasier had the truck rolling back the way they came through the checkpoint.

Not even a minute later, the truck came rolling up on the rest of the group in the middle of the mall parking lot before lurching to a halt. Marcus looked in awe at the incredible find Noah had come back with while everyone else chose to simply look at their new ride with refrained enthusiasm.

"How the bloody hell is this possible? I thought all the cars died at this point!" Marcus asked the instant his brothers stepped out of the vehicle as Noah couldn't help but keep smiling that he and Saya had pretty much improved the life of their entire group this easily.

"Apparently the SDF have their engines specially designed to resist EMP's. Either way, we're officially more mobile than ever before." Noah replied as he saw everyone else were already hard at work loading up their new found goods into the bed of the truck.

"Alright, unfortunately the amount of our new supplies isn't going to leave enough room on board for all of us, so some of us will have to walk back. Whoever wants to drive home, climb on up." Frasier ordered as he never took his eyes off of the deep orange sky, now knowing they'd spent more than enough time out here.

"I'm the only one with a driver's license, so I'll drive. Believe it or not I actually drove something much like this before." Shizuka instantly offered, not even waiting for an answer before she climbed into the driver's seat. Before Marcus could climb into the passenger seat, he felt himself getting yanked back by his collar before Hitomi climbed up in his place; shooting him a mischievous smirk as she shut the door.

Takashi and Saeko were the first to climb up into the bed of the truck while Saya lifted Alice up to join them as the engine rumbled back to life.

"Don't worry, Alice. We'll be right behind you. We won't even be ten minutes once you get back home." Saya reassured the little girl as she nodded in understanding. Without any other words to be shared among the rest, the truck began to roll forward, quickly leaving the rest of the group in its wake as it made its way to the hotel. All the while it was still in sight, Rei couldn't keep her eyes off of Takashi and Saeko sitting together; looking at each other like they didn't have a care in the world.

"I'm sorry." Frasier suddenly muttered as Rei spun around to see he was standing right behind her.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Rei asked confusedly; certain he was referring to her reaction to seeing Takashi and Saeko sitting so close together on the truck.

"I mean for how I come off. The way I was raised and brought up is leagues different from what most of you most likely went through. I was born as a soldier, raised as a soldier, and will no doubt die as a soldier. My destiny can only be one lined with blood and steel so that the rest of my people may have security and freedom." Frasier admitted as his gaze now seemed to be focused far beyond the horizon, almost as if this were a realization he'd accepted a long time ago.

"Why are you telling me this? I mean, I certainly appreciate what you're trying to say, but why not tell everyone this?" Rei wondered curiously; feeling like he was trying to get something out of this by going to her directly instead of everyone at once.

"I'm far too proud and stubborn to just blurt out such things to all of them. Besides...out of everyone in the group, you seem to harbor the most fear by the mere sight of me, let alone when I try to give out orders. I figured its best I try to help reassure the weakest member that they will be safe when working with me, no matter how scary I might look to them." Frasier explained as Rei began to partially frown at his answer.

"Oh...well, thank you...I guess." Rei responded, feeling somewhat insulted that he actually considered Alice, the youngest of them all, to be stronger than her. However, it did help to know that he was able to acknowledge her fear towards him and try to reassure her of the doubt lingering in the back of her mind.

"Yeah well, just keep up and we should be fine. Let's pick up the pace! All of you!" Frasier said softly at first before calling out to the others who began to jog after him as he picked up his own pace. With any luck it would only take thirty minutes at this pace rather than another hour to get to the hotel.

Almost forty minutes later, the two teams had been reunited at the hotel, just arriving in the nick of time before the sun had gone down and night was upon them once more. Dinner went rather well for them this time without anyone fighting or bickering among each other. In the lobby, the group sat down near the fireplace. Candles were lit up all around to help them see as they all basked in the comforting warmth and nearly hypnotic sight of the flames.

Dessert was now being served as Shizuka brought out several cupcakes she'd found left in the freezer for the bakery at the mall. Alice, Marcus and Khota were especially delighted to have such an unexpected treat as the others were grateful just to have something that didn't taste like preserved food made to last for several decades.

As everyone else proceeded to eat and simply enjoy the moment, Shizuka herself slowly slurped up the creamy icing with surprisingly precise skill involving her tongue. The others, mostly the boys, and even then mostly Marcus, watched in both amusement and amazement at how quick and efficient she appeared to be at it. Everyone then started laughing and chuckling as she quickly devoured the small, chocolaty cake within seconds; leaving a slight mark on her lower lips before licking it up when Hitomi pointed it out.

"Wow. I guess you'll have to teach me your skills sometime,Marikawa-sensei." Saeko lightly chuckled as she then licked the crumbs from her fingers before grinning at Takashi when she noticed him gazing in her direction.

"Oh, I can teach you so much more than that. You girls just be sure to ask me some time." Shizuka responded in quite the suggestive tone before winking at the young swordswoman, inadvertently causing Marcus to once again turn red as a beet; even more so when he noticed Hitomi listening to the nurse's suggestion intently before giving him a flirtatious wink of her own.

 _'Lucky.'_ Marcus thought to himself as he then noticed Frasier silently getting up to leave the room with a hand on his side.

"How do you feel?" Marcus asked after following Frasier into the kitchen.

"I'm fine. I just needed some water." Frasier replied dismissively before filling up a glass and downing it within seconds. Marcus however didn't seem to be satisfied with the answer he got.

"I'm not talking about your stitches. I'm talking about...you know...HER." Marcus said in an attempt to correct himself before hesitating near the end as he paused briefly, knowing how short tempered his brother could be about when it came to something this personal.

"I told you I'm FINE. Saeko-san is no longer my concern. She's just a close friend and that's all she ever will be to me." Frasier replied in a low growl as he slowly pushed himself back up to stand before Marcus; looking straight down into his green eyes as they just glared right back into his blue ones.

"Oh yeah? Sure doesn't sound like it. I don't think even YOU believe that hogwash. Just tell her how you feel before it really IS too late!" Marcus suggested as he just shook his head as if to call out Frasier on his own feelings.

"It IS already too late, Marcus! Whatever chance I did have with her is long gone, and I couldn't be happier for it. She no longer distracts me with idiotic thoughts of having another life outside of what father intended for me! Even if I did want her, she's with someone else now, and she seems more than happy to me. Now just let it go!" Frasier said with a barely restrained hush as he had to fight himself to keep from screaming in Marcus' face. As he continued, tears began to form in the corners of his eyes as Marcus could clearly see the conflict burning inside of him.

"Deny it all you want, Frasier. Try and convince me all you like to think otherwise. Hey, maybe you'll actually succeed in doing just that one day, but you'll never be able to convince yourself that she's just a friend. I've seen the way you look at her: like she's the most important thing going for you. Maybe even more than Noah and I, and I'll be damned if I'm just going to stand back and watch you throw that kind of thing away." Marcus replied as he had to restrain some tears himself. Before he could storm away to tell Saeko for him, he suddenly felt his wrist being pulled back.

"Maybe in another life, another time, I could've been with her. Perhaps I would have picked her over the life that was selected for me. But this isn't that life, and it sadly isn't the time. Please, Marcus, just let it go." Frasier said with a grieving sigh before he let go of his wrist; Marcus slowly stepping back as he could see genuine sadness in his brother's eyes.

"Please send in Marikawa-sensei. The pain from the stitches is starting to flare up more than I'd like to admit." Frasier then requested, to which Marcus just nodded in response before Shizuka quickly took his place with some diazepam in hand.

Marcus then looked over at Saeko, who was now cozied up against Takashi. He knew he was a nice guy and had been there for all of them, but a part of Marcus could only feel this unexplained anger; like his brother was hurting all because of him getting in the way. Hitomi immediately noticed Marcus' quick glance turning into a glare. She reached out only to see him snap back into reality from her gentle touch.

"It looks like you have something to say. Let's go to bed and you can tell me there." Hitomi suggested as Marcus nodded slowly; feeling her hand tighten around his before he helped hoist her upright onto her feet.

"Yeah, we really should. Just let me figure out who wants to volunteer to be on watch for tonight." Marcus responded softly before approaching the others to discuss the matter at hand.

It was only moments later that the group was all fast asleep in their nice warm beds. After such a calm and event-filled day,they felt like their life of fighting for survival was slowly but surely turning to one they could withstand now that they were safe at the hotel with good people; that they'd be able to survive the night without having to worry about being snuck up on by the walking dead or any other kind of threat.

Unable to keep his eyes open for much longer, Frasier collapsed into bed shortly after Shizuka had helped him. His wound felt relieved from the pain, but his muscles were now numb and quickly became increasingly harder to control. A large sigh escaped his lips as he could finally have a moment to himself; placing a scrunched up photo beside the lamp on his nightstand. A faint smile formed across his lips before he closed his eyes, finally able to rest without any worry lingering in the back of his mind.

Meanwhile, Johann and Rei had been selected to take up watch for the night. They sat side by side on a couple of the chairs from the lobby as the stars seemed to be looming overhead; their bright appearance giving the night a cloak like appearance, like peering through the fibers of a dark cloth to see the light on the other side.

"It's so quiet when thinking about the things you'd hear just a few days ago. You'd almost think there's nothing out there." Rei expressed as she spoke in a soft whisper. As nice as it was to just listen to the silence, that lingering knowledge of what was really out there couldn't help but make it feel incredibly eerie nonetheless.

"I know what you mean. It feels so peaceful, yet you can't stop being reminded of what you know is out there. You know…I think Frasier might have a point; about us having to prepare to survive this thing for longer than just a month, I mean." Johann acknowledged as he was looking out in the distance for any signs of life.

"And how will we do that? If the military can't handle this, how can we? We're just a bunch of teenagers with a nurse, a little girl, a puppy, two former cops, and to top it off, we're barely holding on as it is. Sure, we've had our good moments like today, but how long will we hold out when one of us isn't so lucky? How will we handle our closest friends and loved ones dying?" Rei questioned as her eyes began to show that even despite her momentary times of optimism, her overall faith had been drained to the point she couldn't hide the fears she'd been feeling due to all her experiences in the past week.

"We just have to keep fighting, Rei. No matter how bad it gets out there, we just need to stick together and see this nightmare to the very end. Just like you said, we're in this together, and I really feel we could make it through this as long as we stick together." Johann said in an attempt to help restore her spirits. While it would be no easy task, a part of him just knew deep down they could do it if they just kept fighting back every challenge that bore down on them together.

"You know…it's hard to believe you sometimes. You're still a stranger to me, yet everything you say just helps make me feel better about the situation we're in. I…I'm really glad we have you here, Johann." Rei admitted as she seemed to be speaking in a bit more of a relieved tone, not even noticing her cheeks slightly turn pink as she finished.

Johann didn't know how to respond to that. Instead he just kept staring out into the dark void; hoping deep down he'd see some kind of sign of either Toshimi or Joe. It pained him to think about what could be happening to her without him there; but he trusted Joe, and he knew that if they made it to the cabin he'd mentioned, she'd have a much better chance than he did at the hotel.

"We'll find her, Johann. Just you wait and see." Rei then said once she saw the conflicted look in his eyes; eager to help raise his spirits just as he'd done for her. She couldn't bear to see someone like him look so worried, and she knew that with her renewed faith in the world around them, with enough hard work and determination, they'd find Toshimi, even if it meant combing all of northern Tokonosu. Her inspiring words had caused Johann to smile widely before he turned away to keep watch on the streets below.

The young German then looked down in surprise when Rei suddenly pulled up a blanket she must've grabbed from one of the rooms; draping it around them both. The plaid blanket was soft and cool to the touch at first, but the warmth inside of it soon became one of the most comfortable sensations they could imagine at this moment. They both smiled to themselves as the night that concealed all kinds of unspeakable monstrosities lying in wait now seemed to be more beautiful and gave off a rather tranquil feeling.

Just a few miles away on one of the many abandoned highways leading north of Tokonosu, a small white van with a blue star on the side was slowly driving along the lonely stretch of road; brushing by the cars long abandoned by their owners as it began to move inside of the city.


	9. Chapter 9: Cabin

**Tokonosu, Japan**

 **Z-Day+8**

The sunrise once more stretched its golden glow across the virtually lifeless Tokonosu cityscape. Bathed in its radiant and comforting warmth, Saeko and Noah stood atop the hotel roof, occasionally pacing about and stretching to keep themselves limber and alert. For the most part, it was quite uneventful, which for Noah was a very welcome change of pace.

The youngest Lawson however couldn't help but feel nervous in Saeko's presence. Those piercing blue eyes of hers continually struck him to the core, as if he felt she was measuring him up to see how he could do in a fight. A part of him managed to rationalize his nervous tension; knowing for a fact that she could be trusted, and she was always really friendly to him whenever they spoke. But at the same time, just knowing how easily she was able to get under the skin of someone like Frasier made Noah extremely wary of her hidden potential.

"How many of 'Them' have you killed, Noah-kun?" Saeko suddenly asked so unexpectedly that it caused Noah to almost flinch out of reaction after letting himself get absorbed in the calming silence.

"Me? W-well, I killed quite a few once in this massive battle against what must've been hundreds of 'Them', a-and several more with a knife before that. So I want to say...thirty nine? I wasn't really expecting to keep track, but it all feels like it just happened yesterday now that you've got me thinking about it." Noah answered nervously as he couldn't help but go into full detail, only to stop when he felt an uneasy twisting in his gut when he saw she was actually smiling in response.

"Not bad for someone so young and inexperienced. Tell me...how did it feel when you killed your first one?" Saeko replied, as if genuinely impressed that the nervous and weakest of the three Lawson brothers was capable of such a thing; but her curiosity clearly wasn't satiated just yet as she pressured him to go on.

"The first one I killed…i-it felt like a person, it bled like a person, it collapsed like a person. But somehow I just knew it wasn't alive, not like that. It was just a husk, devoid of any feeling or attachment to the life it once had. I like to think that I could kill thousands of 'Them' now without any hesitation." Noah answered honestly, admitting to her how he felt bad at first yet now felt confident in what he was capable of.

"That's very good though. You shouldn't feel anything when killing those creatures. Show any remorse or mercy towards 'Them', and it could be over in a heartbeat for you." Saeko lectured as she seemed relatively pleased to hear that Noah wasn't going to be holding back.

"And what about the living? Would you be as quick to take another living person's life? To watch them bleed? To see the light fade from their eyes right in front of you?" Noah questioned nervously in retort; earning a raised eyebrow from Saeko as he'd suddenly managed to turn the tables on her and put her on the spot this time around.

"If it means defending myself or anyone else in this group, then absolutely. I won't hesitate to protect you, Noah-kun. I offered to protect you when we first met at the academy, and I meant it; so I fully intend to do just that." Saeko replied with absolutely zero hesitation in her words, that signature ice cold glare she wielded now focusing upon Noah; who believed it down to the core.

"I see. T-Thank you, Saeko-san." Noah nervously thanked in response as he could feel his whole body slightly trembling; feeling uneasy by how it sounded like she reveled in the carnage.

For the next several moments they looked at each other, neither of them could think of anything else to say, as if there was now a much more firm sense of understanding between the two of them on how each other worked. However, Noah suddenly noticed a falter in Saeko's gaze, almost as though something troubling had just crossed her mind.

"Noah-kun…you don't think I'm bad, do you?" Saeko suddenly asked much more calmly, now sounding sad more than anything else.

"What? No! Why would I ever think that?" Noah responded as he tried to remain calm and understand what was going through her head to even ask him such a thing.

"I don't know...your expression and the way you carry yourself around me both seem to be very tense, like you're expecting me to lash out at you. Honestly, it makes me wonder what the others sometimes think of me when I show my more...aggressive side; when I really get excited from the thrill of a fight." Saeko answered as she folded her arms and began to look down; feeling somewhat ashamed of letting out her true nature despite how good it felt deep down.

"But that's just your way of coping with everything we've had to deal with recently. I wouldn't feel ashamed over something like that so long as none of us are hurt by it." Noah offered his best advice as he placed his hand on her shoulder to help comfort her, only to suddenly jerk away when she looked straight into his eyes. She now had unmistakable tears of both sadness and anger welling in her gaze.

"You don't understand! I've always been like this though! Long before 'They' ever took over-" Saeko began to express angrily before Noah threw up both hands for his own protection. Before another syllable could escape Saeko's mouth; the conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of several distant gunshots echoing out from nearby.

Without a moment to spare, Noah pulled up his binoculars to look in the direction the shots were coming from. At the last second, he caught a glimpse of a man running through the streets with several of 'Them' in pursuit. His jaw dropped as he realized it was none other than Johann's neighbor, Joe Berlemann; fleeing for his life on foot before taking off in the very white van with the blue star painted on the side that they'd been waiting for all this time.

"Oh my God...oh my GOD! Frasier! Marcus!" Noah started to mumble at first; pausing to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him before shouting to get his brother's attention; Saeko immediately running after him, very confused as to why he'd reacted so strongly to whatever it was that he'd seen. Part of her was somewhat shocked to see just how fast Noah could run; even able to stay ahead of her before coming to a stop when he burst into Marcus' room.

The middle Lawson could be seen sitting in bed stretching out only to then hop out of bed in just his under garments, clearly having only just woken up.

"Noah? What's with all the bloody yelling?" Marcus asked in irritation, clearly not liking having to listen to Noah's shouting first thing in the morning.

"It's Joe! Johann's neighbor! I actually saw him!" Noah exclaimed as he was almost completely out of breath, now learning on a cabinet as he looked at the shocked expression forming on Marcus' face.

"I'll go get Johann. He needs to know right now!" Marcus said as he sprung up and was instantly on full alert; quickly brushing past Noah to pass on the unexpected news to their German counterpart.

"Right, I'll go tell Frasier then." Noah added as he managed to recover some stamina only to then immediately start sprinting at full speed again as the others began to notice the commotion he'd been making; resulting looks of great concern being shared among all of them as they all knew there was a good number of reasons that could have the young Brit running like the devil was on his heels; and none of them could've been good.

Noah had looked frantically up and down the hotel floors in hope of finding his eldest brother soon. Eventually his determination had paid off when he located Frasier in the armory, inspecting the weapons and cleaning out any he deemed to be getting dirty. When Noah approached, he turned to see who had entered and saw his youngest brother was breathing like he'd just run a quick marathon.

"You alright, Noah? You seem like you've just seen a ghost." Frasier asked as he continued to run a white cleaning wipe through the barrel of one of the M4 shotguns.

"You'll never guess who I just spotted a few miles away...I saw Johann's neighbor, Joe, making a quick getaway from some of 'Them' and driving upwards to the northeast. Don't you understand what this means? They're still alive! Him, Toshimi, his kids, all of them!" Noah explained in a quick succession of words between every desperate gasp for air he made; Frasier almost dropping the shotgun in response to such a claim.

Frasier simply stared at Noah as if he had lost his damn mind. Before words could make it past his lips, he saw Johann rushing in as if he planned on telling him the exact same thing. The eldest Lawson then looked back to Noah with a dead serious expression painted on his face. Not one of irritation and the desire to reprimand, but of determination.

"Very well, let's go get them." Frasier responded; and within minutes, they'd all armed themselves with weapons and a small amount of food to ration, just in case they needed more than a day to find the cabin Joe had previously spoken of. All the while, the rest of the group could only look on in confusion as to why the Lawson's and Johann were gearing up so suddenly.

"What's going on, guys? Trouble?" Takashi finally asked as the four young men stepped out of the armory one after the other; each with their own clear looks of determination on their faces.

"No, no trouble. We just found something we've been keeping an eye out for these last few days." Frasier replied bluntly as the rest of the group couldn't help but follow after the four down to the lobby; now all too curious to hear more details.

"We shouldn't be gone for too long hopefully, so you guys don't need to worry about us." Marcus chimed in when he noticed the concerned look in Hitomi's eyes to realize he intended on leaving without her to watch his back.

"Well can you at least fill us in on what you guys are actually doing? If we're going to have any hope of making this whole setup work, we shouldn't feel like we have to keep secret agendas from each other." Saya finally asked in an undeniably demanding tone as the four young men finally stopped; none of them eager to keep wasting daylight with pointless chit-chat.

"We're going out to find and bring back someone very important who's been missing for quite a while." Noah finally replied; and out of everyone, Rei was the one who had the most noticeable reaction to these words; especially when she finally saw the clear look of both anxiety and eagerness burning fiercely in Johann's eyes, as if he were just waiting for the word to be given so he could go out and begin the search.

In spite of having absolutely no stake in this personal rescue mission, Rei couldn't help but feel an immense swelling of hopefulness inside as she knew just how much Johann had desired to finally go out and bring his beloved Toshimi back to safety, and now the time had finally come. Unable to find the words to say, she could only give him a warm smile of the utmost support as she genuinely wished them all the best of luck.

"Komuro-san, I'm leaving it up to you to watch over this place until we return. Whatever happens, you need to stand your ground. Let nobody else in, no matter what the others might say. We can't risk letting in potential trouble with several of us gone and unable to back you up." Frasier announced to Takashi as he could be seen with only Mark's handgun holstered at his hip, along with just a knife in the other holster.

"You can count on me. Are you sure you don't want to bring more guns, though? What if you run into more of 'Them'?" Takashi vowed as he then looked over to see Marcus, Noah, and Johann mounting the SDF truck, only equipped with melee weapons.

"We will try to avoid as much contact as possible. Bringing guns won't help. Plus, I want to travel as light as possible. Part of me also wants to keep you armed, just in case any more of those filthy inmate fucks find this place. You'll need every last firearm at your disposal." Frasier explained before getting up into the driver's seat; quickly taking off as Takashi and the others watched the truck pulling out, only to vanish into the city; every last one of them hoping silently that their long-awaited rescue mission would be a success.

 _(One Hour Later)_

The SDF truck came to a slow halt as the four boys got out to inspect the scene before them. On the small stretch of road leading out of northern Tokonosu, hundreds of tightly packed cars could be seen resting abandoned along the left side leading to the highway out of town, while the right side was completely empty. Most of the car doors hung wide open while others seemed forcibly pried open, accompanied by several blood stains splattered across the asphalt and the car interiors. The remains of the chaos were just like everywhere else they'd been to thus far. Marcus began to sniff somewhat loudly as the lingering scent of burnt rubber filled the air around them. Frasier knelt down to see several wide tire marks scorched into the right side of the road; running his fingertips along them for extra measure to see how really fresh they were. The only thing outstanding about the buildings in this area was a small clinic that they'd already attempted to scavenge just a few days prior.

"This must be how he got in and out of the city so smoothly. He took the opposite lane to bypass the cars clogging up the road." Noah observed as they began to momentarily walk down the road to see how it could potentially lead them to the outskirts.

"Looks like we've found a trail, then. Let's get going, guys!" Johann announced as he was the first to hop back into the SDF truck; his hands impatiently tapping against his thighs in anticipation of their next clue.

With nothing else noteworthy or of any real use in sight, the Lawson's followed after him, and soon the truck was driving all the way up the empty lane; all the while Frasier hoping that Noah's hunch was more than accurate and that they would be able to find something a little more concrete in terms of evidence. The entire way Johann was staring intently out the window; his gaze distant, as though he were mentally a million miles away from everything. Toshimi was so close, he could practically see her now, and every second that passed where they didn't find her felt like unbearably long hours.

The buildings they drove by soon grew considerably shorter and more spread out the further they went up north and outside the city limits. The urban sprawl steadily shifted into a more suburban layout, only to then lead to a massive mountainous forest in the distance. Frasier carefully navigated down from the highway towards an opening path that would take them there. He carefully parked the truck at a nearby gas station, twisting the keys and silencing the engine before they all disembarked once more.

"Why are we stopping here? The gas tank is nearly full." Johann questioned as he watched Frasier walking towards the gas station with the typical purposeful stride in his step.

"We'll need a map of the area if you want my help. I'm not about to go into a forest blind." Frasier retorted in an irritated growl; not even bothering to grace Johann with eye contact. As far as he was concerned, even despite promising that he'd help look for Toshimi, this was all a colossal waste of time and effort for him.

The young Brit carefully pulled the door wide open; looking deep into the heavy shadows inside, broken only by the thin rays of sunlight that got through the gaps in the wooden boards that barricaded the windows. Steeling himself for whatever might come out, he let out a low whistle while motioning the others to stay where they were. Within seconds, he was greeted with the slowly approaching sound of a very familiar low growling and grotesque gurgling.

Everyone kept their distance from the door as the sound of dragging footsteps could be heard coming from a pocket of shadows the light through the doorway couldn't reach. Within seconds, a man wearing a bloody green convenience store apron shuffled outside. His rotting flesh was covered in hundreds of flies as his bloody tongue dangled from the grotesque mess where his lower jaw had been brutally torn off. His milky grey eyes bobbled around before another of his chilling groans resonated from the gory hole in his throat.

Without hesitation, the four young men quickly surrounded the undead clerk on all sides. Frasier whistled again to lure it in his direction as the others quickly rushed in as if on cue. Johann swiftly swung a two handed sledgehammer right against the back of the knees, effectively toppling the monster over. Marcus then planted his foot on the back to keep it pinned down before Noah quickly rushed in and stabbed his knife right into the back of its skull.

"Proper job, lads. Let's see what he's got for us inside." Frasier said with genuine admiration at how quick the others had adapted to the situation and his way of strategizing; Marcus and Noah forming rather proud smiles to each other while Johann wasted no time to head inside and start looking for a map.

Inside the convenience store, they could see most of the food had already been eaten if the numerous empty boxes and wrappers littering the floor were any indication. A dark blue sleeping bag lay unzipped behind the checkout counter. A rancid odor seeped from the bathroom; the four boys doing their best to ignore the godawful stench and press on with what they came here for.

Marcus opened up several candy bars previously left untouched, passing them along to everyone else before devouring his all too eagerly; Noah somewhat chuckling at how fast his older brother could consume anything loaded with sugar. Frasier rolled his eyes before taking a chunk out of his own, watching Johann scavenge several drawers before he suddenly appeared to be pleased by what the last one contained.

Johann held up what appeared to be the exact map Frasier had been hoping to find; unfolding it across the counter as they began to observe the nearby trails people would've used in the past for nature hikes and such. The Lawson's soon nodded to each other before Marcus quickly ran a marker along the path he noticed was closest to where they currently were so they'd know where to go first. Without any further delay, they were soon back on the road.

"So what's the plan? Should we take the truck and go down the nearby roads that curve into the forest? Or should we take a footpath and see where that takes us?" Marcus asked as they soon pulled up to the outskirts of the forest. Tall pine trees towered before them as the sound of birds whistling in the background could be heard.

"We take the dirt roads and find a riverbed or some body of water. If what Joe said about this cabin is true, then this friend of his will be living off the grid; so we use the map to pinpoint some potential areas the cabin might be located by trekking along a stream or two. It only makes sense it would be situated near a reliable water source. We have plenty of time to search, but I don't want to spend a full day here. When the sun starts to set, we head back to the truck and wait until morning should we be unable to locate the cabin today." Frasier answered thoroughly as the others could only nod in agreement as he seemed entirely confident about this plan.

The four of them began to slowly step onto a dirt path leading into the thick of the woods, the fresh pine-scented air a much needed change from the lingering smoke and rotting meat stench they were forced to tolerate for the last nine days. This forest would've easily been a tranquil and calming experience had they not come here with a purpose.

"Don't worry, Johann. We'll find her in no time." Noah said encouragingly when he noticed just how visibly tensed up Johann appeared to be; his body barely trembling as his eyes scanned back and forth over every last detail he could find in the forest.

The large trees beyond the dirt footpath seemed almost ancient, as if they had been here for hundreds of years now. The thick and gnarled roots would twist and weave into the ground; the leaves painting a canopy of lush green colors. Every now and then, they'd all jump at the sound of bark being scratched, only to realize it was just some of the local wildlife.

Soon, they found themselves wandering along a curved path that took them to an expansive overlook. A metal railing was setup along the edge as the man-made path they had followed soon vanished. Upon reaching the edge, they quickly located what had to be a river just at the bottom of the slope.

"Well, only one way now. I suggest we follow the river upstream and see where that takes us." Marcus advised as they all carefully began to make their way over the metal barrier and straight down the hill; almost wishing that they'd taken some hiking boots with them back when they were scavenging the mall the other day.

The current was quite strong as the water rushed past several large rocks peeking out from the surface. Aside from the sound of the rushing river, it was almost too quiet for the four boys. The silence slowly put them on edge, as if they were expecting to be ambushed by 'Them' at any second. Several minutes went by before Marcus could no longer take the lingering silence.

"So if we find this place, do you think we should move everyone out here instead?" Marcus asked as Noah could only shrug his shoulders in response while Johann and Frasier remained silent.

"Depends how big it is, and if they'll even accept the others. Sure, it's hidden from most, and its solar panels should be providing energy, but I can't imagine it would be an easy place to defend should the need arise." Noah estimated as he tried to debate the pros and cons of relocating everyone to the cabin. As much as he liked the setup they had at the hotel, he couldn't deny the perks of living removed from the city; but he also couldn't deny the difficulties living out in the wilderness would provide them.

"We'll check it out and see how the place holds up, if we can find it that is." Frasier advised before making it clear to anyone who would listen that his patience was starting to wear very thin when they couldn't find any obvious signs of the cabin being nearby.

"Steady on, Frasier. We just need to focus our efforts, and with any luck, we'll be there in no time." Noah expressed optimistically as he began to walk up ahead; moving faster with every minute until he was starting to go further ahead than Frasier was comfortable with.

"Noah, pull back and stay with us. I don't want to be looking for you too if you get lost." Frasier called out only to get no response.

"Noah? You hear me?" Frasier called out louder; a rush of concern taking over as he ran over a bend in the tree line only to find the youngest Lawson frozen in place.

"What's gotten into you?" Frasier reprimanded his brother swiftly, only to then see what had caused his brother to suddenly freeze in place like he did.

Before the four of them was a middle-aged man pinned against a tree. A crossbow bolt had pierced his skull up against the trunk of the tree the same way a needle would stick out of a pincushion. Several flies buzzed around the corpse, but what really caught their attention was how the body didn't have any signs of having been bitten like all the others did.

"Poor bastard might've been mistaken as one of 'Them'." Marcus commented as he could only guess whoever did this was simply unable to tell the difference.

"Or maybe not." Frasier retorted sharply; convinced this man was murdered in cold blood. The group cautiously remained silent while the river beside them continued to flow.

With nothing else to really say or look at, the group pressed on north along the river. They continued on their way for two hours; having to be stalled several times when packs of 'Them' were spotted within the trees or could be heard wandering nearby. With only one gun between the four of them, the only option they knew wouldn't get them killed was to play it safe and avoid fighting as much as possible. They'd sneak and outflank 'Them' whenever they could; occasionally having to dispatch one or two of whenever 'They' strayed too far from a passing pack. When the coast finally seemed all clear, Frasier stopped the group again, bringing them to a complete halt, which only served to make Johann more and more anxious.

"What's the matter? Why are we stopping now?" Johann questioned impatiently as he clearly did not want to keep stalling when for all he knew, the cabin could be just around the bend.

"This is taking way too long, and did you not see those packs back there? The damn things must've gotten lost while hunting some of the other survivors when they fled north." Frasier asked in a dead serious yet rhetorical hiss; making it quite clear that this was not working out. At this rate, they'd need to find a spot to rest at night that wouldn't potentially cross paths with any more of 'Them'.

"If you don't like it then you can just go back. I've been waiting too long for this, and I won't turn back just because you're afraid." Johann growled back angrily. At this point, he would be damned if he was going to let ANYTHING stop him from finding Toshimi, and if he even had to knock Frasier out cold to do it, he'd do so gladly.

"I'm not afraid, Johann. I'm being tactical and using common sense. You're the one acting like a sodding fool by letting your emotions get the better of you." Frasier grumbled as the two intensely glared at one another; both breathing intensely as Noah and Marcus just watched them, waiting for one of them to back down.

 ***slam***

All four boys instantly looked around, certain that they had all heard the same noise that was unmistakably a door being closed. Without further hesitation, Johann took off in a sprint that prompted the others to quickly follow in pursuit, knowing it would be a death sentence if he'd managed to get lost out here. With a newfound surge of adrenaline burning through all of them, they quickly climbed over a sudden slope that gave them a clear view over what looked like a small hidden grove.

"Son of a bitch, it really does exist." Marcus softly mumbled loud enough for the others to hear as they gazed upon a two story wooden cabin with a small solar grid standing not too far away to give it power. While it wasn't directly next to a stream as Frasier had predicted, there was no earthly way it could've been anything but Joe's cabin.

A dirt path trailed from the front door a few hundred yards to the side to revealed what looked like a large dugout similar to a bunker. Moments later, a skinny male with short blonde hair walked out from the dugout; revealing none other than Joe Berlemann. Ecstatic that his neighbor was still alive, Johann wasted no time heading down the slope into the grove, making a beeline for the middle-aged man.

"Mr. Berlemann! MR. BERLEMANN!" Johann called out at the top of his lungs as the man below nearly jumped out of his skin before realizing who was running to him from the bushes.

"I swear that idiot's going to bring the whole bloody horde down on us if he doesn't shut his fucking mouth." Frasier groaned loud enough for his brothers to look at him in silent disapproval before ignoring his point; knowing that Johann couldn't contain himself now that Toshimi was finally so close.

"Holy shit, you're actually alive...I didn't think I'd be seeing you boys again anytime soon. Sure took you long enough." Joe said in astonishment before composing himself at the end upon seeing who all had arrived.

"Yeah, it wasn't easy after that EMP went off." Noah explained as he was certain Joe didn't know this stunning revelation.

"EMP, huh? Well, that definitely explains why nothing in the city was working the first time I came back. Luckily that dugout we have over there is made of concrete with a strong lead layer built within. I guess that must've been enough to keep the blast from affecting the van." Joe pondered as he seemed to instantly make sense of everything.

"Mr. Berlemann, I'm sorry for rushing you, but can you please tell me where Toshimi is? I've been worried sick about her for days, and I've literally had nothing but a hunch to tide me over. Please tell me she's okay." Johann interrupted; his knees trembling as the anticipation was finally starting to take its toll on him, his heart practically hammering against his ribs.

"Your girlfriend? Don't worry, she's doing just fine. She was here just an hour ago, but at the moment she should be with my friend gathering water from the river just a bit up north. You should come inside and get something to drink while we wait for them. You all look like you're about to keel over from thirst." Joe expressed reassuringly; causing Johann to practically shed tears of relief knowing that his love was still alive and well.

"Yeah…it's probably best that we take this time to recover. Thank you, Mr. Berlemann." Johann gratefully replied as he could barely stand from the overwhelmingly good news.

"Don't mention it. So I take it you boys are all that made it, then? What happened to that police girl I saw you two with the last time?" Joe said with a grin before looking over to Noah and Marcus, who also were clearly glad to hear Toshimi was unharmed.

"She's still alive and well, along with numerous other survivors we managed to bring in just a few days ago." Marcus answered before mentioning Takashi's group; instantly earning a visible reaction of surprise from Joe.

"That's damn good to hear. I was starting to fear we were the only ones who made it. Well, hopefully we'll be able to accommodate them and we can all have a happy ending once this whole thing blows over." Joe said with a relieved sigh before suggesting that they could all manage to live here. The five survivors wasted no time finally stepping into the cabin itself.

Upon entering, they were instantly met with a strong disinfectant smell, almost like it was trying to cover a bad stain or wretched smell that might've occurred not too long ago. As strange as it was, the four boys chose not to dwell on it as they looked on in astonishment at the setup of the cabin. They began to spread out, wandering inside the living room to see several framed photos all around. On the walls, several shotguns and hunting rifles were mounted; the kind that were without a doubt illegal in this country.

"Feel free to take a seat, boys. I can't imagine what you must've had to go through to get here." Joe offered as he stepped into the kitchen to grab four cups before filling them up with water while the four boys took their seats at the nearby dining room table, still looking amazed at how comforting yet secure this place looked.

"Not bad, huh? We have everything one could possibly need to survive here for months on end: food, weapons, power, shelter, you name it. So tell me about these other survivors you found. What are they like?" Joe explained in a rather confident manner as he began to hand out the glass cups to each one of them.

"Does it really matter? You'll see them soon enough if this place is as good as you say it is." Frasier said in a confronting grunt before taking only a slight sip; setting his glass down before folding his arms over his chest.

"Hey, relax. I'm just asking so I can assess how useful they might be around here. Everybody needs to be able to pull their weight, I'm sure you'd agree." Joe said in an effort to explain himself before Marcus nudged Frasier in the ribs out of disapproval of his behavior.

"Be nice, Frasier. I wouldn't want to be kicked out after seeing this sweet setup. Did you not see how many kickass guns they had hung up in the other room?" Marcus said in an effort to get his brother to play nice; proceeding to guzzle down the rest of his water eagerly after being out in the humid springtime heat for hours.

"You think those were impressive? Wait till you see the shit my buddy has stored back in that dugout of his. There's shit in there even the States wouldn't be too approving of." Joe said as Marcus smiled at what they had locked up just a few hundred yards away; somewhat hoping he could take a look later on and inspect the private arsenal with Frasier.

"You boys don't have to worry about what's out there anymore. I can only imagine you must've gone through sheer hell to get here." Joe continued in a much more sympathetic tone as he focused his attention on Johann's heavily bandaged hand; spurring Johann, Marcus and Noah to bow their heads in regret while Frasier remained unresponsive.

"It's unbelievable what some people out there have already reduced themselves to doing just to survive out there in the world. Hopefully we can be able to sit it all out peacefully here. All of us." Joe went on as they all couldn't help but feel a strange sense of hope that what he was saying could potentially be true.

"So what about your daughters, Mr. Berlemann? Where have they gone off to?" Johann finally asked after several moments of heavy silence as he set his cup down on the dining table; suddenly recalling that Joe had two little girls of his own they hadn't even seen since arriving here.

"They're upstairs sleeping. I'm gonna have to ask you boys to stay downstairs so you don't disturb them. Those two have been having nightmares every night since this whole mess started. Honestly we're lucky they're even sleeping right now as it is." Joe answered as his voice seemed to trail off near the end as though he were suddenly lost in deep thought.

"So why exactly did you go into the city, Joe? It seems like you have everything you could possibly need right here." Frasier suddenly inquired as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity; the others now also wondering why the American would have any need to come back to a city he knew to be a death trap.

"I thought I'd go in and grab some extra medical supplies just in case we ran out. Our stockpile was looking a bit sparse last we checked, and I figured those freaks wouldn't need it anytime soon." Joe confidently responded as he made stern eye contact with Frasier, who still seemed unsatisfied.

"Wait...you said you had everything one would need to survive out here. What kind of survivalist doesn't include medical supplies for a long term situation?" Noah then brought up as he realized that Joe couldn't possibly need more something so obvious, especially given the trouble he would've had to go through in order to get it.

"Exactly my point; it's one of the first things even the most inexperienced individual would think of when setting up a bugout shelter. I'll ask again, Joe. Why did you go into the city?" Frasier questioned as if he was now fully interrogating Joe. At first the spindly man seemed to be taken aback, as if afraid of the barrage of questions being asked. Frasier then stood from his chair and made a beeline for the fridge door and began to pull it open, only for Joe to suddenly slam it closed; shooting the eldest Lawson a rather stern glare of anger as the two stood before one another.

"What in the hell is your problem, son?! I haven't done a damn thing to you, and you start giving ME the third degree?! You've got a hell of a lot of nerve to be treating the people who help you this way!" Joe spat angrily as he stood his ground to the towering young Brit as he felt every fiber in his being tense up with the desire to throw the American out of his way so he could see what was inside and see if his sudden suspicions were indeed founded.

 ***thud***

Suddenly, Noah's head crashed onto the table, causing Frasier to spin around and see his youngest brother's head planted face first with both eyes closed. Marcus and Johann soon followed as Joe began to chuckle under his breath. Frasier then turned back to see Joe with his head bowed down and his shoulders shaking as he began to laugh more and more. Realizing they must've been drugged, Frasier took a step forward only to feel his own muscles loosening up as his eyes became heavy. The room started to spin as Joe's image split up into four separate ones; all laughing at the sight before him.

"I can't believe those fucking idiots actually bought all that bullshit! I'm shocked you all trusted me THIS long." Joe taunted as he watched Frasier keel over onto just one knee; his face twisting in pain as he fought against the drug trying to shut down his system by the second.

Both of Frasier's fists clenched tight before releasing as the eldest Lawson suddenly opened his mouth and desperately reached several fingers back into his throat; his eyes wincing instantly before he let out a rough, painful gagging noise. Before Joe could react, Frasier was self-induced vomiting on the floor to expel whatever he'd been tricked into swallowing.

Before he could get back up, Joe rushed over and kicked him hard across the jaw. Frasier rolled back against a chair, clenching his jaw before shaking his head in an attempt to ignore the throbbing pain shooting through it. Blood trickled down his nose before he made a fist with sheer adrenaline burning through his whole body. As he looked back up, Joe was stepping up to him with a large kitchen knife in hand, smiling as the young Brit seemed like he was taken out of the fight.

Not wasting any more time with words, he brought the knife downwards with the swiftness of a viper, only for it to be caught in the wooden chair Frasier quickly pulled out between them. With a solid yank, the knife was pried from Joe's hand, only for Frasier to swing the chair right back at him like a club. The chair shattered on impact; sending Joe reeling back into the counter before Frasier tossed aside the fragments he had clenched in his palms.

"I knew I couldn't trust you! You're going to wish you'd just poisoned me right before I break your scrawny fucking neck!" Frasier growled furiously as he cracked both his knuckles, only for Joe to immediately come at him with another knife.

Their arms locked together as the thin American and the young Brit stared into each other's' eyes with a fiery rage the likes of which one couldn't hope to imagine. Joe put both hands on the handle as the tip of the knife was just centimeters from Frasier's chest. However, he just grinned before twisting Joe's arms around, only to then squeeze as hard as he could. Joe began to let out grunts and shouts of distress as it felt like the bones in his wrists were about to snap.

 ***clang***

The knife dropped to the floor as Joe was then punched back into the counter again, only for Frasier to practically leap across the room for him and immediately wrap his hands around Joe's neck; both his thumbs heavily pressing against Joe's trachea while his small hands desperately tried to pry Frasier off of him. Joe's entire face soon turned purple as it felt like any second he was going to pass out.

 ***smash***

Another chair suddenly exploded across Frasier's back; sending the young Brit collapsing to the floor like a pile of bricks, his head spinning in a daze. A much taller figure towered over his body before stomping a heavy boot on his arm. Frasier let out a growl of pain as he desperately tried to pull away like a wild animal caught in a trap. When looking up, he saw the new man wore black suspenders over a burgundy long sleeved shirt. His face was rugged-looking as his strong jawline was thick with facial hair. Two cold hazel eyes stared down at him intensely as Frasier tried desperately to regain the upper hand for a second time.

"You didn't think to tell me we would be having guests?" the brute of a man said to Joe before kneeling down and grasping Frasier's jaw tightly; managing to keep his mouth open now despite Frasier continuously trying to pull away.

"Wasn't...expecting them, so...I had to improvise." Joe replied between heavy gasps for air as he quickly forced a small handful of pills into Frasier's mouth before his friend helped ease them in. Both men watched as Frasier soon went completely unconscious like the others.

"Sweet dreams…asshole." Joe said with a satisfied grin as he then spit on Frasier's face. Both shared a mutual smile at their close victory; dragging the four unconscious bodies one by one to God knew where.

 _(Several Hours Later)_

Noah was the last of the four to awaken, his vision blurry and his head throbbing in immense pain. His breaths were short and rapid as he had no earthly idea where he was. The moment he attempted to stand back up, he was met with instant resistance. He looked down to see his hands and feet were bound the chair he was sitting in. Panic began to flare inside his chest as he could feel his blood beginning to rush with sheer fear-induced adrenaline.

When his vision finally cleared up, he stopped to look around to find himself in what could only have been the basement beneath the cabin. He could feel a chilling sweat begin to form once he noticed that to his left was Marcus and to his right Johann, both tied up and bound to chairs as well.

"Guys…guys?! What's going on...?" Noah whispered in a worried hush, trying to keep from screaming out in panic when they didn't answer at first, lest whoever had bound them up would hear him.

"We've been had, Noah. Joe and his fucking friend have gone completely looney. The scrawny cunt put something in the water while we weren't looking, and we up and took it like a bunch of ponces." Marcus explained in an understandably pissed off groan as he shook his head furiously to get rid of the last remnants of drowsiness he was feeling.

"Shit….w-why is he doing this? Why?!" Noah muttered in defeat before finally asking what had no doubt been racing through all their minds; his voice trembling with raw terror while Johann remained dead silent the entire time. He suddenly then realized Frasier was nowhere to be seen.

"Frasier…what about Frasier? Did he make it out?" Noah then asked as he tried to look around again; his mind racing desperately for something to remain hopeful for.

"Not exactly." Frasier answered from behind all three captives. Noah had to really twist his head back to catch a glimpse of his brother hanging from the wall with both wrists cuffed along a secured metal bar.

Before they could say anything else, the door leading upstairs could be heard slowly creaking open. The dreadful creak was soon followed by several heavy footsteps, only to reveal both Joe and his giant friend approaching; genuine delight on their faces to see all four boys were awake again. Noah looked up at them, noticing right away that Joe had several bandages placed along his face along with what looked like red marks around his neck.

"Well, it's about time you all woke up. I was almost worried I gave you boys too much of the good stuff. I bet you all must have so many questions right now. Let's start with the youngest one first. Go on, ask me anything you want." Joe announced as though he were addressing simple house guests as he was silently taking in the mixed expressions of fear, betrayal, and rage evident on all their faces.

At first, Noah was silent as the two just stared at one another. Only a few unbearable seconds went by before Joe cracked a smirk only to then start laughing to himself.

"Maybe I should reiterate myself; give you kids some much needed clarity. When I say talk: YOU FUCKING TALK!" Joe chuckled gently to himself before catching them all off guard with a genuinely terrifying roar of animalistic rage; making the final point by pulling out his buck knife and stabbing it into the chair just a mere centimeter from Noah's cheek.

"I want you all to know right now, I'm being very generous by letting you know what's coming to each and every one of you. All the others, I just left it to their own imagination what was waiting for them." Joe began to explain to them as Noah winced in pain as the blade just barely cut into his cheek. The knife protruding from his chair now had the smallest amount of his blood dripping down onto his collar.

"I'll say it again much more slowly this time around, just in case there's still some confusion here. Ask. Me. Anything. You. Want." Joe finally finished as he grasped Noah by the chin and forced the terrified boy to look right up at him; pressing his thumb hard against the fresh wound, causing Noah to nearly tear up from the horrible stinging sensation in his cheek.

"W-why…why are you doing this to us?" Noah timidly asked as Joe then shoved his face back, causing the chair to rock back and forth before it balanced itself out. Noah was trembling all over by this point.

"Boy, isn't that the million dollar question? You know, funny thing is, when you've been doing what I have for as long as I have, the memories all start to run together. I would tell you why I've been doing this, but you'd all need a little context, I believe, and it's there where I don't even know where to start. Was it that greedy little whore in Michigan with the scissors in her throat? Or was it that pretty little blonde college girl in Oregon with her face all smashed in? Or was it that sweet little old lady in Utah who got turned into a human Pez dispenser?

"That waitress in Wyoming, that nurse in Illinois, that priest in Arizona, those stupid little hitchhikers in California; the list goes on and on. That many people, you've gotta be wondering how the hell I'm standing here instead of rotting in a cell in Leavenworth, right? Well it's amazing how easy one can slip past the cops when he tries hard enough. I've been holing up here for two whole years and not one person even came snooping around to try and find me. It'd be hilarious if it wasn't so pathetic.

"The one thing I CAN say without a doubt is the last person I killed was those two little angels' mother. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised I was able to resist the urge for this long. But man, this whole end times scenario couldn't have come at a better time. No more having to hide for this cowboy, no sir. You wouldn't believe how trusting those two brats were of me from the first time their mommy brought me into their house. I might as well have been there from the day they were born. And when I dumped that bitch's corpse in the desert, they bought that she was in a car accident like it was the honest truth. They never questioned anything I said even to this day.

"I'll admit I was worried what I would do if I ever let my inhibitions go out of control in a place like this, but turns out my buddy Buck here is a kindred spirit. Built this place to prepare for the end with his own hands, and thankfully had the access to all the hardware you saw earlier. It's fucking amazing what a few of the right international connections can help you get into the country.

"And with that all being said, we've got the perfect little setup here to watch the rest of the world burn. You boys aren't the first suckers I've managed to get to come here so we could have our fun with them…and you're definitely gonna be far from the last, especially if what you said about these friends of yours in the city is true." Joe finally finished his long-winded story; every single word sending a horrible feeling of ice cold despair deep into the pits of the stomachs of all four boys. After everything they'd gone through, after finally finding a ray of hope, THIS was how it was going to end for them?

"You're a monster…a fucking monster!" Marcus suddenly cried out in sheer panic, causing Joe and Buck to actually laugh.

"Oh, on the contrary. I'm the most human person here when you really think about it. You see, man was made for two things: killing and fucking. We try to convince ourselves we're more than animals, but that's all we really are at the core when you get right down to it. I simply embraced the most primal thing that drives us to survive every single day, just like everyone else still alive these days. Only I was years ahead of the curb. Don't you dare judge me for being human." Joe went on to explain as if it were the most basic knowledge in the world. The way he spoke about it sounded like he might as well have been talking about the weather.

"Great…so what happens to us now? Are you gonna sweet talk us then stab us in the back? Oh, wait, you already did that!" Marcus asked only to instantly spit out the most biting tone of spiteful sarcasm he could; instantly being met with a vicious backhand across his face.

"Of course the mouthy one had to survive." Joe mumbled in irritation before he pulled the knife from Noah's chair and gently held to tip right up to Marcus' lips; making him feel just how cold to the touch the blade really was.

"I think when I kill you, I'm gonna reach in there and cut the tongue from out your mouth first. Maybe I'll pry the nails from your fingers afterwards. We'll see how mouthy you are then. So you still want to keep name-calling and being a little smart ass?" Joe threatened in a low deathly growl as Marcus' eyes widened in primal fear as all he could do was slowly nod while trying to avoid pushing Joe's buttons any further.

Joe smiled at his silent compliance before turning away and placing his foot against the edge of Johann's chair. The psychotic killer seemed especially glad to be talking to him now. Johann remained dead silent as if out of both defiance and fear of provoking him.

"Oh…I'll bet you'd LOVE to know where SHE is right about now. I can only imagine the relief and joy you must've felt when you found this place; how you thought it would end on a happy note for you two. Go ahead, Johann. Ask me where she is." Joe said in a soft, twisted whisper as Johann's eyes widened in sheer terror at the infinite possibilities of what this sick bastard had done. The way he sounded so proud of himself while mocking him just made the deepest pit in his stomach twist in disgust.

"Actually…no. I've got a better idea. You just stay put and I'll give you a really good hint." Joe suddenly suggested as he took off back up the stairs before the door slammed closed behind him. Johann could only look all around in confusion as he couldn't even begin to fathom what Joe was up to now.

All four captives sat there in a deep silence as Buck looked up with a wicked grin of anticipation on his face. At first there was nothing. Then suddenly, four loud stomping sounds could be heard echoing from up above. As if it were a signal, Buck quickly strode across the room to a thin metal pipe extending from the ceiling. He unhinged the lid from the end of the pipe facing out into the basement.

"Hello, sweet thing. I know it hasn't been long since the last time, but this is a very special occasion. You see, we have some unexpected guests listening in tonight; one of whom is someone VERY important to you especially. So what do you say we make this one that none of us will ever be able to forget, okay?" was what could be heard echoing through the pipe for them all to hear. While Marcus and Noah squirmed desperately in their chairs while Buck watched them from the corner in amusement; Johann's face went deathly pale as he could only silently pray that what he was hearing and what he was imagining was going to happen was nothing more than a delusion.

A cold chill passed through the basement before a strange noise could suddenly be heard through the first two floors. What could only be the squeaking sound a spring supported mattress would make began to fill their ears through the pipe.

Unable to deny what was happening above them, Noah and Marcus simultaneously felt their hearts sink and shatter as Johann closed his eyes tight; trembling uncontrollably as he desperately tried to mentally block out the nearly deafening sound of the ceaselessly squeaking springs. He shook his head furiously as the springs grew louder and louder in his head, like nails being run on a chalkboard. Rough, violent, angry grunts from Joe began to echo through the pipe over and over again, as if he was now trying to make it as obvious as possible to them what he was doing just to fuck with them. Johann couldn't even bring himself to weep as all he could think to do was scream, only for no sound to come. His teeth grit tightly against each another as he clutched the arms of his chair with unimaginable rage. He could practically feel the last remnants of his sanity cracking as he was forced to keep hearing Joe's grunts and the squeaking of the springs echoing through his head like torturous firecrackers bursting in his skull.

"No...no, no, no, no, no, NO! WHY?! WHY IS HE DOING THIS?!" Noah cried out in despair, unable to comprehend the cruelty of what they were being forced to listen to.

"Because he can, kid. We're going back to the times where the strongest do whatever they damn well please. Survival of the absolute fittest. I know it sucks for you four being on the bottom of the food chain, but at least you won't have to worry about it for too much longer. Once Joe's done having his fun, I'll be sure to go next. I'd say it'll be quick and painless for you, but I just can't bring myself to lie to a pretty face like yours. I can't wait to break you before the end." Buck answered in a disgustingly calming manner before slowly running his large hand along Noah's tear soaked face before running his fingers through his hair; roughly pulling at it as he enjoyed the sight of the young boy completely defenseless and at his mercy.

Suddenly, the very faintest sound of muttering could be heard coming from Johann as he had his head bowed down low. His attention now fully focused on the young German, Buck stepped over to his chair, roughly pulling his head back up by the hair before calmly situating his knife against Johann's throat as if ready to cut his neck wide open any second.

"What was that?" Buck asked rhetorically with that same sickening smirk, as if straight up daring Johann to open his mouth again.

"…I'm going to kill you…both of you. You'll both die here bleeding and screaming like animals. I can't wait to see how many pieces 'They' can tear you into." Johann replied in a low, chillingly hostile growl before Buck slowly pulled the knife back, only to sock him across the jaw.

The young German landed hard against the cold concrete floor before Buck pulled the chair upright to hit him again. The others could only watch helplessly before they could hear the chair starting to creak and groan more and more with each crash. Johann grimaced in furious effort when one of the arms came loose enough for one of his hands to break free from the rope.

Johann swiftly caught Buck off guard by suddenly yanking out a loose chunk of the arm, driving it with all his might into Buck's lower side, directly into one of his kidneys. The man let out a savage roar of agonizing pain as Johann desperately freed himself from what remained of his chair. A gut wrenching look of pain was written all over Buck's face as he pried the chunk of wood out of his side.

Johann instantly bolted up the stairs without hesitation as Buck tried to reach out and stop him, only for Noah and Marcus to suddenly launch themselves into him with their own chairs; their combined weight barely enough to throw him off balance before they tried to slam into him again to hopefully shatter the chairs and regain control of their hands.

 ***smash***

 **[Hostile Groove - Fly Routine]**

Both chairs fell to pieces as the two Lawson brothers quickly fought against their ropes until they were finally free from their restraints. Buck quickly recovered as he rushed towards them like a raging bull. The two Lawson's barely jumped aside in time to avoid being nailed by their attacker and his incredibly strong fists. Buck quickly swerved around and managed to backhand Noah to the floor, only for Marcus to retaliate by landing a solid hit against the maniac's jaw. The giant of a man just glared menacingly at Marcus with unbridled rage boiling in his eyes; prompting Marcus to get back on the defensive; unfortunately unable to tell just what Buck would do next.

Buck was relentlessly chasing him around the room, throwing punch after punch that Marcus could only hope to dodge. Every hit he couldn't block or deflect sent him staggering across the room with flaring pain, as if he'd taken full impact from a folding chair. His senses were all on fire as Buck could see that the young teen clearly couldn't keep this up much longer.

However, Buck was so focused on grabbing Marcus, he was unable to react when he jumped aside only for Buck to run straight into Frasier, who was simply waiting for him to get close enough. Frasier launched his curled up legs straight out into Buck's nose; sending the massive man reeling back with a broken nose profusely bleeding down his face.

"Hurry! Get him down!" Marcus called out as he quickly tossed a nearby hacksaw on a work bench to Noah.

Noah caught it just in time before he began to desperately slice his way through the metal handcuffs that kept Frasier restrained; both brothers trying to focus on breaking loose while Marcus began to wail on Buck with one of the broken chair legs. However, the hulking brute just shrugged it off and formed a tight fist.

Unable to dodge, Marcus held his hands out before his body was launched back into the wall hard. His body slowly slumped over to the floor; recoiling from the heavy damage he'd just absorbed from such an impact as he struggled to regain his breath.

"One down." Buck muttered to himself as he spat out a thick glob of saliva, blood, and a chipped tooth onto the floor; turning his sights to Noah, who had his back turned to him while still trying to cut Frasier free.

"Noah, watch out!" Frasier called out, only to watch his little brother suddenly being pulled back by his hair before Buck proceeded to sweep his feet, sending Noah nearly face first into the ground. The twisted psychopath barely kept his head up before pressing it against the cold concrete floor.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to a pretty face like that…not at all." Buck said in an eerily soft tone before he began to run his free hand down Noah's back; the young boy tearing up in horror as he was completely powerless to fight back against the massive brute.

"I told you I'd break you, kid…and where's the fun in waiting?" Buck whispered into Noah's ear as his hand began to pull Noah's jeans down; only for Frasier to suddenly come in at the last second and drop kick Buck in the face; sending him sprawling to the ground. Buck quickly got back up; his whole face going deep red as he realized what had just hit him.

Noah weakly looked up to see Frasier had managed to break the chain connecting his cuffs. Both of his wrists were deeply cut from his constant struggling; bleeding heavily onto the floor. Buck was quick to recover as he began to swing wildly at the eldest Lawson, who likewise responded with quick jabs and elbows in between the small windows of opportunities his deadly foe left for him in the midst of his savage assault. Noah was nothing less than astonished that his brother was actually able to go toe to toe with such a huge opponent that virtually dwarfed the oldest Lawson.

Buck and Frasier were suddenly clashing head on; each one throwing a fist, only for the other to catch it in the opposite hand. Both bloodthirsty opponents began to push back and forth, as if exerting their dominance over the other and testing who had the superior strength. At first it seemed like Frasier had the edge, but his fatigue and injuries quickly caught up to him as he folded slightly. Capitalizing on this weakness, Buck suddenly wrestled Frasier to the ground, both of them breaking off for a split second only to roll away from each other across the floor.

"I'm going to personally enjoy watching the rottters eat you. Can you feel it yet? Like thousands of teeth pulling you apart piece by piece?" Buck chuckled as he grasped Frasier's bandages and mercilessly pressed a thumb against his fresh stitches. Frasier groaned from the flaring pain before forming a fist and decking Buck back.

"What, that's fucking it? Pathetic!" Buck taunted as he towered over Frasier only to bring the heel of his boot hard against his chest. Over and over he'd kick and stomp down, causing Frasier to cough blood up from the extensive injuries he'd endured from this fight alone. Frasier grasped his foot at one point in a last ditch effort to counterattack, only to then be punched between the eyes; causing him to let go; completely at the mercy of the relentless Buck.

Before Buck could completely crush Frasier's ribs, Noah suddenly jumped onto his back; driving a wooden fragment with all his might into his spine, causing the vicious psychopath to let out a blood-curdling howl of pain and shock before he pried Noah off. The young teen was unable to react as Buck suddenly grabbed him an immense bear hug.

Noah instantly felt his arms, back and chest being crushed with every passing second. He couldn't help but cry out in agony as it felt like his bones would break like twigs any second now. Tears ran down his twisting face as his squirming and thrashing about was useless against Buck's brute strength.

"What're you gonna do now, kid? Huh? Nothing! That's fucking what!" Buck cruelly taunted, chuckling to himself as he squeezed even harder, as if to snap Noah's spine in half.

Unable to muster up the strength to scream anymore, Noah could only think back to his training; remembering Arthur putting him through this very exact exercise for when a significantly stronger opponent would put Noah in this position. The young Brit felt everything around him going dark as his mouth opened wide. Buck grinned softly as if expecting one final shout of pain from his young victim.

However, instead of a shout of agony or pain, Noah suddenly swung his neck forward until his teeth sank deep into Buck's neck. The sickening taste of blood poured into his mouth as he only bit down harder and harder. Buck's eyes shot wide open as he immediately let go of Noah and stumbled back with his hand grasping tightly at the gaping hole in his throat.

A terrified look filled his eyes to see his own blood oozing out from between his fingers as Noah just stared at him with his flesh still in his mouth before spitting it out in disgust. At first it seemed like Buck was about to go for something to stab Noah with, only for Marcus to suddenly rush in at the very last second.

 **[]**

 ***squelch***

Noah and Frasier watched in awe as Marcus wedged a large wooden splinter into Buck's ear until it was left sticking out. Both those sick, twisted, unforgiving hazel eyes remained fixed on the ceiling before Buck's body finally gave in and crumpled to the floor like a massive oak. Marcus stood there breathing slowly as he kept clenching his fists in and out; his entire body trembling as watched the blood pooling in Buck's ear and running down his face from his dull, fixated eyes. Marcus nearly felt the urge to puke right then and there as he felt the cold realization that he'd just killed a living person for the first time ever.

However, this was not enough for Noah. Not after the five minutes of living hell that monster had just put them through; and especially not after what he'd almost done to Noah himself. The youngest teen pulled out the chunk of sharpened wood from Buck's ear; grasping it tight in his hands until his knuckles turned white, only to instantly bring it straight down into Buck's chest. Over and over he would stab, tears running freely down his face as he couldn't stop himself from driving it deeper into their attacker's chest cavity; not even feeling the warmth of the blood as it splashed back against his face every single time he reared back for another swing; screaming out louder and louder with rage and terror with every impact.

"Noah...Noah! That's enough! It's over! C'mere!" Marcus suddenly shouted as he couldn't bear to see Noah so legitimately terrified like a small child.

His arms wrapped around Noah as he could feel his heartbeat throbbing throughout his body as he was trembling uncontrollably. Both of them began to gently sob as Frasier slowly pulled himself back up. They then looked over to him, as if expecting him to know what to do next. Before Frasier could say anything, they could hear the sound of someone bursting into the house.

"C'mon, we have to take care of that other looney if Johann hasn't already!" Frasier suddenly ordered as he motioned then to leave Buck's corpse and follow him up the stairs.

 _(Five Minutes Earlier)_

Minutes earlier, Johann had just reached the top of the stairs and back up to the first floor. Just as he was about to charge up the stairs to get the jump on Joe, he suddenly came face to face with his crazed captor, who instantly pinned him against the wall with a hard slam. Several of the framed photos came crashing to the floor at the sudden impact as Johann ignored the pain as pure rage-fueled adrenaline coursed through his body.

Johann quickly punched downwards across Joe's cheek, only for the scrawny man to retaliate by kneeing him in the side. Both were only seeing red as their eyes blazed with raw hatred and the desire to kill the other. Both were practically equal in strength, but the burning adrenaline and hatred made them even more vicious as they tried to get the upper hand over each other.

Joe suddenly swung his body around and sent Johann stumbling across the room, watching as he lost his balance and tripped over the couch; landing with a hard thud as the psychotic American moved in to finish him off.

However, Johann quickly recovered and looked up at Joe while he was just on one knee. The madman kicked one of his legs out right for Johann's nose, but the young man fortunately managed to anticipate and react by narrowly tilting his head out of the way before grasping Joe's entire leg. Johann quickly got back on his feet, causing Joe to tilt back and rock off balance before the enraged teen managed to pull him in. One punch clocked Joe across the jaw, a second one railed against his eye; a third hit caused Joe's head to recoil from the strong uppercut that broke several of his teeth.

When Johann tried to land a fourth hit, Joe caught it in in an act of desperation and countered by jumping upwards to let his weight break Johann's hold on his leg; sending them both collapsing to the floor. The crazed killer ended up falling hard on his back as Johann tried to get on top of him, only to be kicked in the chest, nearly launching him off his feet as he staggered back into the wall; desperately trying to regain the wind knocked from his lungs. Taking advantage of this window of opportunity, Joe lunged forward close enough to start kicked at Johann's shins and kneecaps.

The young German let out a painful shout as one of the kicks caused his right knee to buckle and send him toppling to the hard wood floor. Joe spared no time getting on top of his injured foe, his fingers wrapping around Johann's neck. His green eyes shot wide open as he could feel his throat slowly being crushed. Both of Johann's hands desperately tried to break Joe's hold on his neck, but the crazed bastard's grip was far too tight, as if this was what he was the most skilled at doing.

Johann's face began to turn a dark blue as every passing second without oxygen was starting to make him black out. Everything began to feel cold as his vision began to fade to black as he could only hear the dull beating of his own heart thundering in his head.

"After I'm done with you fucks, I'm going to pay a little visit to your friends at that hotel. Tell them you four are still alright and waiting for them here. They'll never even see it com-" Joe began to whisper in a malicious growl as Johann was mere seconds from passing out. However, his threat was cut short when Johann suddenly reached up and managed to dig a finger into Joe's left eye.

Joe's hands instantly reeled back screaming as he instinctively covered his bleeding eye. Johann instantly used what strength he had left to kick Joe off of him and put some distance between them. He desperately got onto his knees as he struggled to try and breathe; trying to regain his senses only to notice Joe had unexpectedly slipped away from the room.

Just as Johann stepped into the living room, he heard the sudden sound of a bolt being pulled back. Certain Joe had grabbed a rifle; he sprinted for the door and made a mad dash into the forest, all the while hoping Joe would follow him instead of just going downstairs to help Buck deal with the Lawson's.

 ***Krak***

The bark from a nearby tree suddenly burst from a bullet's impact as Johann ducked down and crept further into the forest; trying his best not to leave a trail as he could hear Joe jogging over to the edge of the brush. The sound of a single round being loaded into could be heard as a soft chuckle could be heard.

"Oh, Johann! Come out; come out, wherever you are! I promise this won't hurt a bit!" Joe taunted as he began to slowly pace back and forth; looking around as if expecting to find Johann simply cowering in the bushes.

 ***snap***

Joe instantly spun around at the sound of a twig being stepped on. At first he was surprised to see it was just one of 'Them' that had been passing through. He then smirked and took quick aim.

 ***Krak***

The undead man recoiled back as half its head was blown clean off by the powerful .30-06 round. Thick, brown blood painted a nearby tree as the body crumpled to the ground. The gunshot echoed and rang in Johann's ears as he tried to remain deathly still in his hiding spot. His heart was beating fast as cold sweat beaded across his brow. He quickly kept his hands over his mouth in the hopes of hiding the sound of his breathing as he could hear every one of Joe's footsteps.

Joe began to nervously look around as he tried to peek around several trees and bushes he was sure Johann was using; certain that he hadn't taken off further into the forest.

 ***Krak* *Krak***

Two more rifle shots suddenly broke the silence. Another undead body hit the ground just a few feet from Johann with two large holes in it; one in the leg and a clean headshot.

"C'mon, Johann! Stop being a pussy and show yourself!" Joe roared out impatiently. Another one of 'Them' soon wandered right past Johann and towards Joe, only for the undead woman to be gunned down like the rest.

 ***Krak***

"You know, it's funny seeing some of these undead bastards out here. It kinda reminds me of the first day this all started; more specifically YOUR place." Joe suddenly called out as Johann felt himself tightly clenching his fists together out of anticipation, certain that if Joe kept walking forward, he could get the jump on him.

"You should've seen the looks on your aunt and uncle's faces when I found them. What a couple of idiots, thinking I was going to save them just in time from those undead fucks once they busted in." Joe continued as that statement alone instantly tempted Johann to break cover and dart straight for him. However, he just remained hidden behind the tree as Joe could be heard wandering the slightest bit closer.

"There were too many to fight, so we ended up retreating upstairs to their room. Once 'They' started breaking down the door, your precious little family didn't even know what hit them when I drove my knife into your aunt's throat! The look on your uncle's face was priceless, especially when I stabbed him in the gut. Once that was over, I just sat back in the closet and watched them get torn to pieces without even putting up a fight." Joe went on with the most satisfied grin on his face, almost as if thinking back on it was getting his rocks off. Johann meanwhile was fighting every burning instinct in his body to charge out there and rip Joe's head right off his fucking shoulders.

"I think the best part though, was the moment where they thought it might've been you that came to the rescue. Had you been there...I like to think it would've made all the difference." Joe finished mocking before he let out a genuine laugh; all while Johann could only look down and cover his mouth even tighter, silently sobbing to himself. It became increasingly harder for him to breathe as Joe was still lurking close by.

"Then there's your sweet little girlfriend, Toshimi...oh, all the times she tried to hold onto even the tiniest ounce of hope; always going on about how any day now you'd come to the rescue and everything would be alright again. Sure, she fought back at first; but that just made it all the more worthwhile as I got to see the hope fade from her eyes with each day you didn't show up; watching her silently accept that you just left her to this hellish fate. She didn't even bother to fight back after that. I got to make her my personal little plaything, and it was all because you were fucking stupid enough to trust me with her life." Joe finally finished with a cruel, chilling, mocking laugh that finally pushed Johann beyond any restraint he once had. Deep down he knew this was exactly what Joe wanted and that this was probably going to get him killed; but none of that mattered anymore, not after a red steak snapped through his mind that caused him to get up and charge.

 **[John Willams - Final Duel]**

Johann let out a savage cry of unyielding rage as he charged the blonde American with every intention of tearing him apart with his bare hands. Nothing mattered more to him now as his feet felt a thousand pounds heavier as he was charging blind with the sole intention to slaughter the man in front of him. Joe smiled victoriously as he lifted the rifle up and aimed straight at Johann as he kept charging straight for him like a lamb into the hungry jaws of a wolf.

 ***Krak***

The rifle bounced up in response to the recoil as the .30-06 round tore through the air; the loud rifle letting out its devastating crackle for miles. Joe's eyes widened as the shot unexpectedly completely missed Johann and instead struck a nearby tree; the bark instantly shattering from the impact as he hurriedly pulled the bolt back to take a second shot. Johann was now at point blank range, there was no possible way he could miss now with the barrel practically up against his chest.

 ***click***

Joe's eyes widened even further at the realization that he spent so much time taunting Johann that he'd forgotten to reload the rifle. He watched helplessly as Johann grasped the barrel of the gun and shoved it aside, only for his fist to suddenly pound straight into Joe's other eye with bone-breaking force. The cowardly killer let out a shriek of pain as his other eye practically exploded on impact; all while he could feel that part of his skull cracking as he tumbled to the ground. However, Johann was far from finished. Knowing the man beneath him was completely blind and unable to fight back, Johann proceeded to mercilessly give Joe everything he had.

He began to take wild swing after wild swing, punching Joe's face repeatedly; ignoring the blood splashing across his face as he watched Joe's face bleed and crack more and more as he couldn't even hope to try and fight back. Johann couldn't even feel the stinging of blood in his eyes as his body was running on autopilot and burning with physical exhaustion and bloodthirsty rage.

In a split second of pause, Johann grabbed Joe by the collar, lifting him up only to hammer his skull into the ground. With the sound of breaking bones ringing through his head, Johann continued his relentless onslaught; hammering his fists into Joe's face until his own hands could no longer form a fist, almost as though he'd break his own hands if he threw one more punch. Knowing this wasn't anywhere near enough when he could see Joe's bruised, bloodied and battered face still showing signs of life; Johann grabbed a nearby rock and raised it over his head. Joe's hand weakly reached up, as if he was about to try begging for mercy.

Smashing the jagged rock down repeatedly, blood flew everywhere almost instantly as Johann continued to smash Joe's face in, like he couldn't stop until he'd smashed every last square inch of Joe's face into an unrecognizable mush. Bloody gargles were all that could be heard before Joe finally fell silent, and only the sound of bone being crushed and brains being splattered remained. The blood-caked rock falling from his hand, Johann just looked down to see he was covered in a gory mess of blood and brain matter; staring at the chunks of skull he didn't smash in mixed with a gruesome mush of brains and smashed eyeballs and shattered teeth and mangled flesh that all used to be Joe's head. Johann couldn't help but look at his own reflection in the crimson pool of blood spreading from the gruesome pile.

The emotionally destroyed youth threw himself back, screaming madly to the sky at the fact he was victorious; kneeling over the headless corpse of a living person, the same man who destroyed everything he once had. As his pulse finally began to slow down, his mind immediately came back to Toshimi, knowing that he had to see her now more than ever if everything Joe had said to torment him was true.

 **[]**

Johann however knew he couldn't dwell on this though, knowing he still had to save Toshimi should Buck still be alive. He couldn't bring himself to accept the idea he was too late. Johann ignored the searing pain coursing through his body as he sprinted back into the cabin.

Just as he burst in through the front door, he looked to see the Lawson's just now escaping from the basement. This being the one sign he needed to know Buck was dead, Johann nodded to them before he rushed up the stairs with the three Brits on his heels. With each step, he could feel his body growing heavier with raw emotion and desperate hope, almost as if it felt like he'd just reached the finish line to a race he'd been running nonstop for nine days now.

Now that it was finally over, the four boys reached the top of the stairs only to see there were only two rooms to search on opposite ends of the short hall. Johann practically kicked the door on the right wide open only to reveal a simple bedroom. Noah then opened the door to their left, letting out a horrified gasp as he stepped back from the sight before him.

The others were quick to respond to his reaction as they went into the room, all completely unprepared for what they were about to find. Johann's lips trembled, his entire body going cold as ice and his heart catching in his throat as he slowly came forward. His knees buckled from beneath him as he collapsed to his hands and knees; his scalp burning and his heart pounding to escape as he struggled to comprehend what he was seeing. His throat became bone dry once more as his eyes began to sting with tears, his hands forming tight fists as he just kept shaking his head in denial, feeling like was about to die from sheer maddening grief.

Both Noah and Marcus looked upon the sight with nothing less than absolute shock and terror. Frasier however just remained as stone cold and unresponsive as ever, as if this was nothing different than what he'd seen any other day; just letting out a soft sigh as he kept his distance.

 **[Joel Nielsen - Black Mesa Theme Remix]**

Johann tried to speak, but no sound could make it past his lips as he slowly crawled to the bed. Laid out for all to see was Toshimi's body handcuffed to the bed. Large medical wraps were tied around the bloody stumps where her legs should've been. Half her face was wrapped in bandages, with a blooming red mark over where her left eye should've been; a thought that sent sickening chills through all three boys gazing upon her. She had bruises and cuts all over her body; each one no doubt able to tell all kinds of tales of the unimaginable cruelties Joe had put her through. Her body was dangerously thin and seemingly hollow, like she had only been nourished just enough to stay alive, and barely at that.

"Oh…oh…ooh god, god, god…oh god, Toshimi...oh, what has he been doing to you? Why would anyone do this? WHY?!" Johann mumbled before finally screaming in agony, literally gazing upon his worst nightmare made undeniable reality.

He quickly unfastened her restraints, watching both her arms fall limp and lifelessly at her sides. Toshimi made no sound aside from the occasional gasp for air. Johann just knelt at her bedside, his mind racing a million thoughts a second for anything he could do. This was beyond even his darkest fears. A part of him could only vainly hope this was all just some terrible nightmare, no matter how much he knew this was all real and there was nothing he could do to change any of it; only able to continue sobbing in despair.

Frasier slowly walked over; his cold blue eyes scanning over everything in the room. He was quick to notice there was an IV tube connecting her arm to a plastic bag on a nearby nightstand that looked to be containing some liquid substance to help keep her sustained.

"I think I know why Joe came back to the city now. He must've looted a pharmacy or hospital for this so he could keep her alive." Frasier commented like a cold, calculating machine as he gazed down at her mangled form without any trace of sympathy or sadness.

"Oh Jesus Christ…I-I can't do this. I'm gonna be sick." Marcus announced in a sickened groan before he ran down the stairs to throw up in private.

Noah was about to follow right behind him, but he suddenly felt Frasier holding him back to stay; turning back to see what he was doing, Noah then felt Frasier turning his head to look back at the bed.

"Look at this, Noah. You see that? This most likely would've been you if we didn't kill those loony bastards. Take it all in." Frasier softly whispered as his youngest brother was shedding tears and felt sick to his stomach having to look at the grizzly scene.

"Stop...please, stop, Frasier, I don't want to look anymore." Noah begged as he felt like he couldn't hold his vomit in much longer. Frasier's grip however remained strong as he kept Noah in place.

"No, you look at her and you remember this day, every single thing about it. You always judge me for being the way I am? Well, THIS is exactly why I'm so damn mean. This is why I don't trust anyone beyond our family. THIS is why I have to be the bad guy, the monster, the heartless brute. I do it so that THIS will never happen to you or Marcus. We live in more harsh times than ever before, Noah, and showing even the slightest hint of weakness will lead to our deaths...or worse in her case. You just remember that from now on." Frasier explained in a chilling whisper into Noah's ear, as if reciting a deep and twisted lullaby that caused Noah to drop to his knees.

Unable to move, he suddenly vomited on the floor as Frasier just stared down at him before looking over to Toshimi. The rough Brit then slowly knelt down and began to rub his brother's back; gently patting it as if out of affection and comfort, realizing that Noah wasn't ever going to be able to trly cope with this brutal new world like he could.

"Frasier, please, I need your help. I'm really banged up…I need you to help me carry Toshimi to the van…in that dugout Joe mentioned." Johann suddenly requested; managing to catch Frasier's attention right away.

"Johann…" Frasier began to say, only for Johann to rest his face into the sheets of Toshimi's bed, his fingers clutching onto them in a death grip, as if he was trying to block out anything the eldest Lawson would have to say.

"We can carry her together, and then we can carefully drive her back to the hotel." Johann said as he seemed to have a plan already laid out he'd gone over a million times; the sense of desperate hope in his voice nothing less than heartbreaking to anyone else who'd listen to him.

"Johann..." Frasier muttered softly as he knew where this was going. His words however just fell on deaf ears as Johann kept talking.

"Shizuka-sensei can help patch her up like she did with us. Then over time, she'll be able to talk and recover from her injuries and then-" Johann continued to explain only for Frasier to suddenly yank him up by the collar and smack him hard across the face several times to snap him from his delusion.

"Have you entirely lost the plot?! Look at her again, man! She's barely breathing and missing both her legs! She won't last long even IF Shizuka-sensei can help keep her sustained. The resources that we'd need would be near impossible to maintain for the recovery time she'd need. I'm sorry, Johann, but you need to make a choice." Frasier suddenly roared in Johann's face to break him from his foolish delusion. Johann could only look furiously into Frasier's gaze, as if the Brit had just stabbed him in the back with what he was suggesting.

"Don't tell me that, Frasier. Don't make me choose anything that doesn't include Toshimi coming with us." Johann replied in denial as he shook his head at even entertaining the idea that Toshimi couldn't come back with them.

"Johann, she's suffering. How long do you want to put her through this hell? Give her the mercy she deserves." Frasier reiterated as he had to restrain from dragging Johann away like a disobedient dog; clearly not looking to waste any more of their time here, all while remaining unwilling to acknowledge the raw emotional despair the young man before him was suffocating from.

"Fuck you! How can you say that to me?! How can you ask me to do such a thing?! What if this was that Saeko girl you're so damn hung up over?!" Johann shouted furiously; having to resist every instinct telling him to knock Frasier flat on his ass for even suggesting something so terrible.

"I'd do it without a second thought if she told me to, as would I expect from all of you should I ever be in a state like that. Johann…do the right thing. If you can't do it, then let me. You don't have to do it yourself; just stand aside and let me pull the trigger. It will be clean, quick, and painless." Frasier answered in a deathly serious tone before he pulled out Mark's handgun.

Johann just stood there, glaring at the handgun before turning back to Toshimi. The more he looked at her, the more he realized she was living in unimaginable agony with each passing second; feeling an unbearable sickening sensation enveloping his entire being as he finally had to acknowledge there was literally nothing else they could hope to do. Trying futilely to fight back the tears that just wouldn't stop coming, he bowed his head before slowly walking over to Toshimi's side once more. Noah and Frasier just watched as Johann slowly knelt down so his head was level with hers.

"I never stopped looking for you, Toshimi. I love you so much; nothing could keep me from finding you again. If you only knew how hard I tried to find you…I'm so sorry, Toshimi. If only I'd gotten here sooner, then this…this…oh god, Toshimi, I'm so, so sorry. I could never be able to say it enough. Toshimi...I love you...I've always loved you…I love you so much... I'm so sorry. Please…please forgive me." Johann said in the softest of voices, tears flowing freely down his face again as he could see Toshimi weakly looking over at him; watching as he poured his heart out to her before bowing his head into the sheets as he proceeded to sob uncontrollably.

Johann could only think to keep letting every last bit of his misery and despair out right there at Toshimi's bedside; only to suddenly feel one of her hands gently touching the side of his face. As he slowly raised his head to look at her again, a faint smile could be seen forming along her lips as a single tear began to form in her eye. Before Johann's eyes, he could see Toshimi's lips moving only the slightest, as if she was struggling to speak. As if driven by instinct, Johann leaned in closer as Toshimi was barely able to lift her head only the slightest so that her lips were right up to his ear.

"…I…never…stopped…b-believing…no matter…what he did…I-I…knew…you would come…so please…don't be sad…it's okay…I…I'll always love you…please…find a way…to be happy…I love you, Johann."

Johann looked into Toshimi's eye, looking deep into the boundless loving warmth that still managed to radiate in her gaze as her lips formed a heartwarming, genuine smile to accompany her final words to him. Johann couldn't find the strength for words, only able to lean in and plant one final kiss on those warm, sweet lips he'd never be able to experience ever again. As he pulled his head back from hers, Toshimi gave him one final smile before finally closing her eye, a look of peaceful contentment on her face, as though she was fully ready for what was to come.

Unable to bear the idea of what was about to happen, Noah helped Johann out of the room and down the stairs, noticing how Johann actually covered his ears, as if to drown out or ignore the inevitable bang of that last yet most terrible gunshot that would tear out the largest piece of his soul once it came. Once he helped Johann sit himself on the sofa, Noah couldn't help but feel the most morbid kind of curiosity creep into his head as he looked to the kitchen; recalling how Joe was so resistant to Frasier seeing what was inside before. Unable to handle the thought of never knowing, Noah carefully approached it; his heart beating like mad as he honestly had no idea what to expect anymore.

The moment he opened the refrigerator, his jaw dropped in disgust and horror-stricken awe. Inside were two large glass jars, each one filled with the severed head of the two little girls Joe had with him. Noah instantly slammed the door shut as he trembled all over in shock; his stomach twisting in knots at the sight of such unimaginable cruelty, such sheer unadulterated EVIL; instantly feeling no remnants of regret for what he did to Buck, and feeling that whatever Johann did to Joe was nowhere remotely close to enough. He stumbled back to Johann's side to ensure that he'd be there for him when Frasier pulled the trigger.

Marcus, who had just finished cleaning himself off after puking outside, heard a sudden gunshot sound out from inside the cabin, prompting him to come sprinting back inside. When he saw Johann on the sofa with his head in his hands, Noah gently patting his back out of comfort, and Frasier descending down the stairs; holstering the smoking gun, he knew exactly what just happened.

"Come on, Marcus. We're checking out the dugout, taking what we can…and then we're burning this God-forsaken place to the ground." Frasier ordered, making a beeline past his brother as he was absolutely sick to death of being in this wretched cabin for a second longer.

 **[]**

 _(Several minutes later)_

 **[Timber Timbre – It Comes Back to Haunt Us]**

Noah and Johann sat silently on the porch of the cabin, watching as Frasier and Marcus went off to scavenge the dugout to see what kind of supplies they could take. Johann was deathly silent and just sat with his knees up to his chest while his eyes were staring off absently into the vast distance, not responding to anything around him. Noah couldn't even begin to think of what he could possibly say, so he simply chose to pat his back out of sympathy, knowing only a mere fraction of how devastated Johann must've felt.

A warm breeze passed by, picking up a pile of leaves only to scatter them all over the grove. The skies were still a soft baby blue with puffy white clouds casting their titanic shadows over the forest. A flock of birds took flight from the trees as two bright yellow butterflies fluttered within arms-reach of the youngest Lawson. It was such a beautiful scene despite the unspeakable horrors they'd witnessed here only a few minutes ago.

He couldn't even begin to imagine what would be in store for them next after a day like today. He still felt his heart racing when thinking back to what would've happened if they didn't escape that hellhole; shuddering as he saw glimpses of Buck being played back in his head; the painful memories and life-changing feeling he felt as he stabbed the crazed survivor's corpse over and over again; that darkness that overcame him as he'd never felt so weak and helpless before, let alone remembering how Marcus and Frasier nearly died as well. Never did he want to experience that horrid feeling so long as he lived.

Meanwhile, the Frasier and Marcus finally managed to pry open the door to the dugout with a crowbar. Thanks to the power supply from the solar panels above, the moment they wandered inside, a motion sensor activated the lights; giving them a perfect view of everything that was now at their fingertips.

First and foremost was the white van with the blue star on the side. The keys dangled from the ignition as if it were ready for bugging out at a seconds notice. The two Lawson's looked around to see all kinds of tools and gadgets that would give them quite the advantage. It was quickly decided between them that they'd leave the van here but siphon the fuel for any number of different uses.

However, the crowning jewel in this place was the wall at the end of the dugout where all types of guns were lined up for the taking. Some of the firearms that Joe mentioned would be illegal to own even in the United States turned out to be more than true when they could even see a number of Kalashnikov variants that were fully automatic. While it was a genuine mystery as to how Buck managed to get all of these weapons into Japan in the first place, it didn't matter anymore as they began to decide what they should take back with them.

Knowing they couldn't bring every last one, they simply took three rifles: A very well maintained AK-103 with a bayonet attachment; a Sig SG550 with a 30-round magazine extension; and an AR-15 with several modifications. Marcus loaded up all the ammo types he knew they'd be needing into several boxes (7.62x39 mm, NATO 5.56x45 mm, and Remington 223) as well as taking spare ammo for the Springfield Super Match M1A1 and the Armalite AR-10 (NATO 7.62x51mm) both Rei and Khota were using.

With the new guns slung along their backs, Frasier spent the next few minutes filling up a jerry can with the van's fuel; carrying it in one hand while taking a crate of munitions in the other. Both brothers remained completely silent walking through the grove as the door to the expansive dugout was left open to the rest of the world. Noah managed to bring Johann along so they could both take a crate themselves to help lighten the load; all before the four finally silently agreed it was time to leave this wretched place.

With their siphoned fuel, crates of ammo, new weapons, and one very bad set of memories to haunt them for the rest of their lives, all four boys began to walk out of the grove as the fire Frasier had set soon after began to consume the entire cabin; engulfing the remnants of the horrors that took place with the orange and yellow flames that tore it all down, the wooden cabin crackling and wailing as the structure couldn't handle it for much longer before it collapsed in on itself in a raging inferno. A tall trail of smoke rose up into the air to be seen for kilometers around. The four survivors watched for a moment to see entire herds of 'Them' wandering into the grove to check out the commotion before the boys turned away and pressed on to vanish within the otherwise beautiful forest.

While they marched through the forest with their newly acquired supplies, they could only try their best to not think about what just took place and move on with their lives. It only took them forty minutes to reach the SDF truck now that they knew where to go. The drive back to the hotel was entirely silent as they each contemplated what they were going to do now; each of them uncertain what they'd be faced with in the future, if there was even a future to be had.

 **[]**

 _(At that time, back in Tokonosu City…)_

At the time the four boys had awakened in that cabin; back in the city, it was decided amongst Takashi's group that they'd take this time to finally check on Tadashi's evacuation setup at the elementary school just a couple kilometers from their location. Just in case it was too dangerous to bring an entire group with them that would stand out like a sore thumb; only Rei, Kiriko, and Takashi went to scout the area out. Despite how certain they felt of it still standing on the way, they could only feel an overwhelming sense of despair when they finally arrived.

"No...No, no, no, this can't be!" Rei muttered softly as she shook her head in disbelief; taking off ahead of the other two as she stopped abruptly before running into a chain linked fence.

Her fingers grasped desperately onto the fence as she looked on to see the elementary school was completely abandoned. Not a single sign of movement, be it human or 'Them', could be seen. It was as if everyone who had set up here had completely packed up and left without a trace they were even here. Tears began to fill Rei's red-brown eyes as she tried her best to fight the urge to scream; her lips quivering as she bowed her head in defeat. They had been so close to finding her father, and now all that hope had been snatched away just like that.

'Mom...' Takashi thought to himself as he couldn't help but feel a cold, twisting sensation of deep concern in his chest at the thought of his mother, a teacher at this very school, and whether she was able to make it out unharmed or not; all the while trying to remain strong as he could only scowl at the abandoned school.

"Oh, Rei…honey, I'm so sorry." Kiriko began to express as she put her hand on her daughter's back only for Rei to pull away out of anger.

"For what? Convincing me that there was hope? That there was still a chance dad was still alive and not one of those things?!" Rei began to question in a low growl as she clenched both fists tight, engulfed in an unbearable wave of both despair and anger at everything this new world had thrown at her.

"Rei...we had to pull back, or else we never would've survived the night. The trip was far too dangerous and we had no ammunition. I would've been suicide to keep going." Kiriko tried to explain in an effort to calm her daughter down; knowing it was all her fault that they missed whatever happened here.

"He's still alive." Takashi suddenly announced, catching both their attention straight away at how he could still manage to be that optimistic in spite of the evidence, or lack thereof that was there for them to see.

"How do you know that?" Rei scoffed in disbelief as she felt like it was just another trick to make her believe Tadashi was still alive, as if he was just treating her like a small child.

"Look at this place! There's no bullet casings, smoke, fire or even blood. There's no signs of a fight happening here whatsoever! There's no way he could have evacuated either, because I know for a fact your father, your husband, would never go without knowing your fate!" Takashi exclaimed to both of them as he spoke in a sharp tone to get his point across. Rei and Kiriko looked at each other before realizing the solid ground to Takashi's theory.

"You're...you're right. That has to be it…it just has to be. He must be looking for us then if they did evacuate...thank you, Takashi. Thank you." Rei finally said in realization and relief before gratefully hugging him tight with the brightest smile he'd seen on her in quite some time. Kiriko couldn't help but smile as she shot him a nod of approval.

"Don't worry, Rei. We WILL find him. When, I can't say, but if we stay vigilant, we might find another clue he left behind. But let's head back for now. I don't like standing out in the open like this." Takashi vowed to her as they then proceeded to head back to the hotel; arriving an hour prior to the return of their rescue party of four.

When the SDF truck rolled in, everyone was both delighted and relieved to see the return of their fellow survivors fully intact. They all rushed out to see the newest member of their group as had been promised; only to quickly form looks of confusion when the four boys closed the doors and instead just started unloading weapons and munitions instead; their faces all stone cold as they remained dead silent, sending an uneasy chill down everyone's backs when it finally hit them that it must've gone terribly wrong.

"Johann...?" Rei softly called out in deep concern, watching as Johann brushed by without even making any eye contact with her; his eyes red from what must've been untold amounts of weeping.

"Boys...what happened?" Shizuka asked as they all four remained quiet; Noah looking like he was about to cry himself as Marcus just looked pissed off. At the same time, Frasier had the most ominous reaction of all where he just looked even more cold and emotionless than usual.

Their faces conveyed nothing. Nothing but the looks soldiers returning from a fierce battle that took the lives of many men would have. The front doors to the hotel slowly closed behind them as the others stood there by the SDF truck completely shell-shocked by what they'd just seen in those boys. Knowing there was no point in standing around looking at one another awkwardly; they soon went back inside the hotel to prepare dinner and hopefully get their minds off of whatever had happened to their friends.

Later that night, the returning survivors remained completely distant and didn't even come down to eat. Nobody knew how to respond, so they simply explained that dinner was ready should they want anything, only to then eat without them; completely perplexed by what tragic event they had to endure to make them act in such a worrying manner.

As Johann remained secluded in his room with the door locked, and Frasier took watch alone with nobody to keep him company, Hitomi walked into Noah's room to check up on him. He was fast asleep with a pillow over the back of his head. The entire sheet near his face was drenched in his tears. Beside him sat Marcus with a small bottle of sake in hand, taking a light sip from it only to then notice Hitomi was looking at them from the door.

"Marcus-kun...please, tell me everything." Hitomi requested in softly as her eyes showed nothing but concern for them all; slowly walking up to him and taking the bottle away from him with little resistance.

"We just got reminded that 'They' aren't the only thing to watch out for anymore…that there are still things much, much, MUCH worse than death out there. I-I-I don't want to talk about this. I just need to forget this ever happened." Marcus answered as he had a hard time keeping his voice down. His voice had a low, soft, somber ring to it that caused Hitomi to then bring herself around him as he softly began to cry in her arms.


	10. Chapter 10: A New Day

**Z-Day+13**

'Journal Entry #4: It's been two weeks since the world was ravaged by some unknown infection that's turning anyone killed by it into what is beyond question the walking dead, or 'Them' as we've taken to referring to 'Them' as. 'They' now wander aimlessly, seeking to devour the first living person 'They' can find, and anyone who gets eaten or even bitten eventually turns into one of 'Them'.

'I know I've mentioned this in my last three entries, but I feel it helps refresh my sense of purpose every time I write something down in this journal. Since we've all pretty much come to accept that this situation isn't going to be ending anytime soon, I figured it would be wise to catalog and record everything that I encounter in this journal. You know, for the future historians and any other survivors that might come across this one day; so that they can learn of our trials and hardships in this new, bloody chapter of human history.

'Things seem to have finally calmed down after the death of Johann's girlfriend, Toshimi. However, the poor bloke is still in shock and has been silent ever since we came back from that godawful place. I know both me and Marcus wish there was something we could've done, but I think we've now come to peace with the fact that all we can do is make sure this never happens again to anyone. Frasier, on the other hand, deeply concerns me; what with his relapsing into this paranoid drive where he has to fortify every last inch of this hotel from a potential attack. It really makes me worry what he might do if we ever run into any other potential survivors from now on, regardless of whether or not they're friendly. Fortunately, he hasn't been squabbling with Hitomi-san lately, so I guess we can only take what we can get from the situation…for now anyway.

'On the bright side, we actually have a legitimate energy source that allows us to channel electricity to certain rooms of the hotel. With the help and guidance of Saya-san (she insists I refer to her as 'Takagi-san', but what she doesn't know I write down here won't hurt her), we were able to hook up generators all around the place. So long as we have gasoline, this place can easily sustain our low energy demands. Thank God for all those abandoned cars all over the place.

'Food and fresh water is plentiful thanks to proper rationing,along with several very fruitful scavenging trips that have left us with just enough to last a couple months, given how large our group has grown. 

Our armaments have given us a major edge against everything currently lurking the streets, be it living or otherwise. But best of all, we're pretty much like a family now, and I even went to the liberty of giving everyone a distinct codename last night, though I'm currently at a loss as to when we would ever actually need to use them:

Noah (that's me) – Tesla (since Edison is way too overrated)

Marcus – Funny Man

Frasier - Patton

Kohta – NRA (of course he was the only one who got it right away)

Shizuka – Bones (damn my love for Star Trek!)

Takashi – Semi-Patton (I couldn't come up with any better names)

Rei – Lancer (I couldn't come up with anything spear-related here either)

Johann - Mozart

Saya - Einstein 

Alice - Purity

Saeko - Ronin 

Hitomi - Bronze

Kiriko – Mother Hen

Zeke - The Dog (points for originality)

'My only regrets so far are that I couldn't save Toshimi or Uncle Mark. But Frasier is right; I have to be stronger for them. I have to be able to move on and protect those I can now. Hopefully we can all start relaxing and just wait this out with our abundance of resources and manpower. I think it would really do everyone some good to get to know one another. This is Noah Lawson, signing off.'

Setting the book closed, Noah softly smiled to himself before shutting off the lamp at his side; not even realizing he'd pretty much kept himself awake all night as the wall-mounted clock showed it was just barely past six in the morning. He then glanced over at Marcus' figure lying one bed over; fast asleep and occasionally snoring, causing Noah to let out a chuckle of amusement. Placing his personal journal under his pillow, the youngest Lawson soon drifted off into a relatively pleasant sleep.

Just outside his room, Rei had just finished dressing up for the chilly morning air outside. Takashi and Kohta had just finished their late night watch and were ready for some much needed rest. Rei perked her head up when she could see them both walking down the hall, half-awake now as sleep was just within their grasp now.

"See anything interesting out there?" Rei asked curiously as they passed her by.

"Nothing aside from the occasional distant gunshot. It might've been more of those convicts or another survivor, but it's hard to tell. Luckily it was far away, so it shouldn't be any concern of ours." Kohta answered as he could recall how those shots came from the south, putting him and Takashi on full alert just hours ago when it happened.

"For now anyway. If you hear any more and it sounds like itscoming closer, don't hesitate to wake the rest of us up." Takashi instructed as he looked back to Rei; earning a gentle nod of acknowledgment before he faintly smiled at her and proceeded to enter the room he'd been sharing with Saeko; eager to crawl back into bed and feel her warmth and affection take him over again.

As the doors to their respective rooms closed behind her, Rei began to softly hum to herself; casually making her way to the rooftop to take watch with her mother before finding herself coming to a complete halt in front of Johann's room. A chilling feeling crept into her body as she looked concernedly to the door; an indescribable feeling that somehow, some way, something here was very wrong; and not just because of Johann's recent reclusive behavior. Ever since the events that took place a few days ago, the rest of the group was still entirely in the dark about what had occurred back at the cabin the search party had gone to. Out of respect, they'd not bothered to push the four survivors for details regarding that horrible event, but it still pained her greatly whenever she'd look upon their faces, seeing how they were clearly trying to hide their true feelings and bury whatever they could mentally. Whatever had happened though, there was no question that Johann had received the worst of it.

Overcome with worry for Johann and eager to see he was alright, Rei slowly pushed the door open and poked her head inside; all the while hoping that he'd be fast asleep and safe in his bed. At first it was pitch black, but Rei slowly felt up the wall until she could feel the knob to the dimmer switch and gave it a light turn, causing the lights to slowly fade on and illuminate the room.

After adjusting to the light, Rei instantly noticed both beds were completely empty. She could feel her heart sink as she moved in to confirm Johann hadn't simply rolled out of bed or went to the bathroom when she looked to see that the door was wide open. Without hesitation, she bolted down the stairs and rushed into the kitchen in the hopes that Johann had simply gotten hungry and was currently breaking the food rule Frasier had established when they had first arrived at the hotel.

Upon finding the kitchen completely empty, all Rei could do now was slap the counter out of disappointment and overwhelming worry. She began to walk back to her room to think further on the matter, only to nearly jump when she came face to face with Frasier, who had most likely followed her after she ran down the stairs, inadvertently waking him up in the process.

"Oh...i-it's just you, Frasier-san. Y-You're up very early." Rei softly stammered as she looked up to see him staring straight down at her without uttering a word.

"Y-You must be wondering what I'm doing down here. Well, you see, it's because I..." Rei attempted to explain before her voice slowly trailed off as his intense, soul-crushing glare caused her to emotionally fold and fall silent before he then took a deep breath, as if ready to compose his words aloud to her now.

"You were supposed to be on watch several minutes ago, and here you are in the kitchen grabbing a snack. This is something I expected from Hirano-san, not you Rei-san." Frasier said in a very firm and irritated groan before pinching the bridge of his nose the same way he would whenever Marcus would say or do something embarrassing to the Lawson name.

"I know that! I wanted to check in on Johann before I began my watch, but he's not in his room, so I came down here to find him. Believe it or not, I was just about to come tell you." Rei stated with little patience for the accusation, but much more importantly being fueled by the worry-induced adrenaline coursing through her now that she knew for a fact Johann wasn't in the hotel anymore.

"Hmm, that is...most discerning of you. I might have an idea where he is if he isn't here." Frasier said with a pause, realizing Rei was actually doing the right thing here, now prompting him to think of where their German friend could possibly be if he'd managed to leave without anyone else noticing.

Without another word, he motioned Rei to follow him back up the stairs until they stood at the exit that would lead to the roof where Kiriko was most likely already waiting for Rei to join her.

"Stay here while I fill her in on what's going on." Frasier instructed before leaving Rei at the top of the stairs as he stepped through the door onto the roof.

The young Brit shrugged off the chilling morning breeze as he turned his focus towards Kiriko, who was already walking towards him with the AR-15 in hand; a curious gaze on her soft face as she clearly wasn't expecting him to be up here at this shift.

"You're taking over for Rei, I assume?" Kiriko wasted no time asking as her fingers lightly tapped against the side of the firearm; all the while pacing back and forth while never taking her eyes off Frasier.

"No. Rei actually brought something of a situation to my attention I thought you should know about. She believes Johann has gone missing. If he's left, then he obviously did it in the middle of the night where none of us keeping watch would notice him. I'm heading out to find out what he's up to, and something tells me Rei won't let me do this alone." Frasier proceeded to explain as Kiriko looked at him intently, silently appreciating that he was being direct and getting straight to the point.

"Alright, Frasier-san, I see where this is going. I'm sorry, but I just can't let Rei go out there with you, especially while it's still dark. Johann-kun must've had his reasons for going outside. If he needed help, surely he would've asked. Just wait till morning breaks so you can take someone else. Rei is staying here where it's safe." Kiriko announced in a firm tone with no hesitation as she didn't want to even hazard the thought of something happening to her daughter out there.

"I know-" Frasier began to reply, only for Kiriko to suddenly step even closer to him; cutting him off and leaving him mildly confused what she was about to do or say next.

"Frasier-san, it's like me asking you to trust a stranger with Noah-kun or Marcus-kun's lives out there! Please, just try and process that for me will you?" Kiriko denied as her example caused Frasier's eyes to widen at first at just the thought before he formed a scowl; finally understanding just how vital it was that Rei was left behind where it would be safe.

"As you wish. Please continue to keep an eye on the place, and let the others know I'll be back soon if I've yet to return by the time they wake up. This really shouldn't take too long though." Frasier responded before he began to head off to equip himself; knowing that he didn't have the time nor patience to try and convince Kiriko to let Rei tag along.

"Well? What did she say? Can I go with you?" Rei asked nervously as she watched Frasier approaching her, unable to bear having to wait for an answer for a second longer. She knew all too well how dangerous it was out there, and more than anything in this moment, she hated the idea of having to wait here while Johann was potentially in harm's way.

"I'm going after Johann by myself. Your mother wants you to remain here where it's safe, and I can't help but agree. Don't worry, Rei-san. I'll find him one way or another." Frasier answered in his typical cold manner as he brushed past her; not even noticing how visibly dismayed she was to know she was being forced onto the sidelines.

Unwilling and unable to accept this decision; Rei immediately rushed up the stairs to confront her mother. Kiriko watched as Rei approached her with that familiar look of burning determination in her eyes; a look she could only recall Rei having before whenever the topic of finding her father came up. Kiriko let out a weary sigh as she braced herself for what Rei no doubt had to say about being forced to stay behind.

"Mom, Johann is out there all alone, and for all we know, he might be hurt. I need to be there and make sure he's alright. I know it's not easy to let me go out there without you to keep me safe, but this is really important to me." Rei began to explain as her mother folded her arms and simply stood there as if waiting for her daughter to say what she had to before giving her the same answer she just gave Frasier.

"Just answer me this one thing, Rei: Would you be so willing and able to go back out there if it were one of the others? Would you truly feel the same way you do now?" Kiriko questioned seriously as she could see Rei was visibly upset by such a question.

"What are you talking about? Of course I would! I'd do this for anyone in our group! How can you even ask me such a thing?!" Rei answered, completely in shock that her mother was actually bringing her character into question; especially when it came to her feelings towards her friends.

"Really? Are you sure it isn't because Johann-kun is one of the only things keeping you distracted from what occurred between you and Takashi-kun? I know it hurts, but you can't just risk yourself like this. Just wait and I'm sure he'll turn up in one piece." Kiriko replied firmly, clearly not wanting to make a debate out of something this serious; even despite how clearly hurt Rei was from having her feelings called into question.

"You mean aside from finding dad!? Mom, this isn't about me! Johann is my friend, and I can't just stay here while he might be hurt! And I'm not doing this just because it's him, okay? I'd go even if it was Saeko-san out there! Please, mom…just let me do this on my own. I'm not your baby girl anymore. I can hold my own just fine out there." Rei began to explain before Kiriko suddenly pulled her close and tightly held onto her affectionately. Rei could practically feel a chill of emotion rush through her as she could feel her mother was actually shaking. The stress and thought of Rei being in danger clearly didn't settle well with her in even the slightest.

"Not to me! You'll always be my baby no matter how old you get, Rei. Listen, I still truly think its best that you stay here…but if he really means THAT much to you…I won't force you." Kiriko whispered into Rei's ear; her voice actually trembling, as she tried to remain calm and composed despite how hard it was for her to accept Rei showing such eagerness to trek into danger for someone she barely even knew.

"Don't worry, mom. I'll be back with Johann in no time! Just you watch!" Rei vowed proudly and confidently before holding out her pinky finger with a soft yet grateful smile on her face.

"Oh, I'll be watching alright! Before you go though, could you please send Frasier-san up so I can have a word with him? I need to establish something with him." Kiriko said in a softer, understanding tone as her pinky wrapped and curved around Rei's. A warm smile formed between them as her daughter nodded only to quickly head back inside.

The moment Frasier returned to the roof with Rei, Kiriko approached him only to suddenly grab him with her right hand tightly grasping the collar of his shirt. Both Rei and Frasier were shocked at first, not expecting her to be suddenly using physical force against someone far beyond her weight class and height so fearlessly.

"You take care of her. Keep my baby safe…or so help me, you'll be hanging by the tendons in your ankles faster than you can blink. Got it?" Kiriko unexpectedly said in such a calm, motherly tone before unexpectedly shifting into a low growl that even Frasier found himself being quite wary of upon seeing the sheer fire in her eyes. Her gaze locked into his as her facial expression made it very clear that he'd immensely regret it if anything actually did happen to Rei.

"Mom..." Rei softly grumbled out of embarrassment as she couldn't help but blush; not even catching the last part her mother threatened Frasier with, nor even seeing such a rare sight as Frasier looking genuinely intimidated by her mother's potential wrath.

"Certainly; I'm the best suited for surviving all of this, so no need to give me a speech. Also...don't ever threaten me…EVER." Frasier said in complete understanding before he suddenly grasped her wrist and squeezed to reinforce his point; both of them breaking off as he then took off to go load up for the search.

Rei couldn't help but look on perplexed at whatever could've been exchanged so quietly between her mother and Frasier as the brute himself passed her by. Kiriko's eyes locked on his back; the piercing glare in her eyes making it all too clear what she was willing to do to keep her daughter safe in their new world. She gave her mother a soft grateful smile, still amazed that she was letting her go, before she jogged down the steps to accompany Frasier to the armory.

Frasier handed the loaded Springfield Super Match M1A1 with attached bayonet to Rei, along with a spare magazine to carry on her just in case. He then equipped himself with the Armalite AR-10 Kohta had been using, holstering the carrying strap along his shoulder as he continued to fill the pockets of his sage green jacket with spare magazines as well as his personal combat knife, which now had several tally marks he'd been carving into the handle; as if indicating how many of 'Them' he'd personally put down with that knife alone.

"Should I take this?" Rei questioned as she held up a flashlight, playfully shaking it back and forth as Frasier turned back to look at her with a barely amused smirk.

"Sure. As much as I don't like giving my position away, it'll be far too dangerous for us to go into the forest without any proper light." Frasier hesitantly agreed as they closed the armory back up and began to head down to the front exit to take the SDF truck. The instant he mentioned a forest, Rei couldn't help but take a mental step back to make sure she'd heard him correctly, especially when a certain distressing thought came to mind the instant afterward.

"What? You don't mean we're going to that hideout you guys went to before, right?" Rei asked hesitantly her heart instantly felt uneasy at the very thought of going there. None of them had ever spoken a word of what they experienced at that place; but everyone else in the group could tell that if their reluctance to speak and Johann's virtually comatose state was any indication, something unspeakable must have happened.

"Yes. I'll take the road this time around since the area might still be filled with 'Them'. Hopefully for ours and Johann's sake,those rotting bastards have moved elsewhere since then." Frasier answered, locking the twin doors behind him and walking Rei over to the SDF truck parked just a few meters away.

Rei wasted no time climbing inside as Frasier followed suit getting into the drivers' seat. Despite her green sweater and blue jeans giving her enough warmth from the morning air, her fingerless gloves didn't do much for her fingers as a result. Putting the cold aside, Rei peeked out the passenger window before briefly waving up to the roof, unsure if her mother could actually see her.

The truck's engine quickly revved up and let out what sounded like a low growl before the wheels started rolling. Kiriko watched as the taillights to the SDF vehicle instantly caught her attention. Those two small red tail lights quickly vanished and faded into obscurity as she could only hope that Rei wouldn't need her and that they would indeed find Johann unharmed. She then noticed a popping sound resonating from the south that sounded like someone was firing off several guns. Her eyes narrowed as she could only imagine who was behind the trigger and what they were possibly fighting.

 _Ten Minutes Later_

"So, I have a question." Rei suddenly announced once she could no longer handle the awkward silence between her and Frasier. While the early morning mist covering the beautiful forest was something to truly behold after being trapped in a city fully of walking corpses trying to eat her, the lack of social interaction couldn't help but seriously get on her nerves.

"I don't suppose I can opt to skip from answering it?" Frasier instantly asked as Rei glared at him in annoyance at how quick he was to avoid even making simple conversation.

"Well, unless you want to just keep driving in awkward silence,I suppose you can." Rei replied with heavy sarcasm in her tone as she rolled her eyes at him; watching as Frasier just smirked and went on for a few moments without showing any intention to talk back to her now.

"That's not funny, Frasier-san. Anyway, I just wanted to know…what it felt like for you when you killed your first." Rei announced in an annoyed grumble before she proceeded to ask her question anyway, clearly not wanting to put aside what had been on her mind the most frequently in regards to the eldest Lawson any longer.

"My first undead kill? Not much aside from an adrenaline rush." Frasier replied without any hint of concern or remorse.

"No, I mean...what was it like when you killed your first survivor? Like that convict we encountered before you shot him." Rei corrected as she was more concernedly curious about how he personally felt inside after killing what he knew to be a living breathing human being with a soul.

"Recoil." Frasier bluntly replied in a dead serious grunt, completely ignoring the shocked look on Rei's face at such a cold answer. She was momentarily speechless and unable to comprehend how he could be so callous and uncaring towards erasing a human being's very existence.

"Oh...well, what about before this all started? Did you ever kill someone before the outbreaks?" Rei muttered out of uncertainty, refusing to let this discussion end on such a morbid note. Frasier however remained dead quiet this time as he just gripped the steering wheel, never once averting his gaze from the road.

"Frasier-san? C'mon, answer me!" Rei prodded in concern, gently shaking his shoulder while still having no idea how he would possibly answer her next.

 ***Screech***

His foot suddenly came down upon the brake pedal; causing the SDF truck to stop right at a long stretch of road that seemed to just keep going while covered by the foggy mist. Rei was barely able to react in time as her hands braced against the dashboard. Her whole body was slightly trembling as she turned to see him completely unfazed by the suddenly halt.

"My story is my own, Rei-san. There's nothing in it for you or anyone else who might be curious about it. Now c'mon, let's go find Johann while there's still a chance we won't find him as 'Their' next meal." Frasier slowly and quietly retorted as he slowly turned his head to look her straight in the eye before turning off the engine and making his exit from the vehicle.

 _'Fine. You can shut me out, you can shut the rest of the group out, but one day you'll realize you need to let us in. I just hope you understand we only want to help you.'_ Rei thought to herself as she knew it would be wise to avoid putting any more pressure on the matter; all the while hoping that maybe someday Frasier could open up to them and stop going out of his way to isolate himself.

The sun was still less than an hour away from rising, but it thankfully wasn't pitch black anymore. The skies were an odd blend of grey and very dark blue. The wind was especially aggressive and nipping at their exposed skin, but they shrugged it off and pushed on through the dense forest. While Frasier could care less about the beauty this place had to offer, Rei on the other hand was enthralled by nature, completely absorbed in how calming it felt to not be surrounded by concrete and metal for the first time in two weeks; to actually hear the morning songs and chirps of the birds nested above.

When things seemed to go nowhere after a little while, Rei stopped when Frasier suddenly held up a fist. At first she was uncertain why, but she soon realized when the all-too familiar stench of rotting flesh quickly emanated from not too far away. She looked around nervously as Frasier's eyes followed several footprints heading in the same direction they had to go in order to find Joe's cabin.

Just as they stepped over a log that was covered with blood, the two stopped just in time before tripping over four motionless corpses lying in wait for anyone to discover. Rei looked away in disgust as Frasier observed the remnants of the bloody carnage to see that each one suffered a series of heavy blunt strikes; reducing all 'Their' skulls to sickening mush.

"Hmm, this must be Johann's doing. What an interesting turn of events." Frasier remarked softly as he could see a single set of bloody footprints trailing off to the cabin site.

"What do you mean? If 'They' jumped Johann, it's only natural he'd fight back." Rei commented in mild confusion to Frasier's statement as he already got up and headed off without even waiting for her.

"Exactly. This shows that Johann is actually fighting back and trying to stay alive. His motive must be something entirely different from what I had originally anticipated." Frasier muttered as he slowed down so that Rei could keep up with him while still not even bothering to give her eye contact while speaking to her.

"What, as opposed to just letting himself be killed just like that? That's what you were expecting? Why on Earth would you think that?" Rei continued to question as she couldn't put together what Frasier was getting at. The more she dwelt on what Frasier could've possibly meant, the more she felt an unsettling cold sensation build up in her chest; especially when Frasier suddenly stopped in his tracks and gave her that chilling glare he would give right before saying something truly cold and heartless.

"Because I expected him to kill himself, Rei-san. After what happened at that cabin, he was broken beyond recognition. You've seen how he hardly eats and never speaks nowadays. I figured it was only a matter of time before he ended the pain by his own hand." Frasier explained in a soft yet brutally cold whisper as Rei trembled in disbelief at how he had been keeping this unspeakable thought to himself and still showed absolutely no concern for Johann.

"Hold on, you mean you KNEW this might happen, and you didn't even think to warn any of us?! What if he actually DID kill himself? Then what would you do?" Rei said in a low infuriated growl as she clenched her fists; completely in shock and yet also disgusted at how uncaring Frasier was to actually keep such a horrible thought from the rest of them, simply leaving their most damaged member to his own destructive devices.

"We can either discuss something you already know the answer to, or we can keep moving and find him while he still has some semblance of a will to live." Frasier offered as Rei continued to glare angrily at him before letting out a huff of defeat. In that instant, her resolve to find Johann and keep him out of harm's way had virtually skyrocketed.

Moments later, they broke through a tree line and paused when they came across the large yet all-too familiar clearing. Frasier took a deep breath as Rei stared at the smoldering wreckage that was once the two-story cabin from hell. A black husk of its former self was all that remained. Rei nervously watched as Frasier drew the rifle and began to survey the open clearing.

"It's clear, for now anyway. Let's go in for a better look and see if he's left any more clues." Frasier softly whispered as Rei nodded in agreement. Both calmly walked down the dirt slope, never ceasing to scan every inch of the tree line for either any sign of Johann or any more of 'Them'.

As they approached the charred remains of the cabin, they took a moment to look around and see if anything had survived the unforgiving flames. Aside from the charred skeletal remains of the cabin's structure, only the embers, piles of ash; and Frasier, Noah, Marcus and Johann's horrid memories were all that remained. With nothing worth mentioning to see, the two searchers began to further inspect the area until Frasier softly whistled for Rei to rally over to his side.

"See that? Just over those bushes?" Frasier gently whispered as he pointed to the tree line while Rei tried to spot anything out of the ordinary. Just when it seemed like it was only a bundle of bushes, she noticed slight movement through a small gap between them.

"You think that's him? I can barely tell if that's even a person..." Rei whispered before Frasier stood up and looked through the scope, only to determine that it was indeed Johann's figure slumped over on his knees.

"It's him alright. It doesn't look like he's hurt, so that's some good news. But..." Frasier confirmed only to then trail off; causing Rei to look back at him concernedly. Somehow she could tell she was going to regret asking where Frasier was about to go with his thinking.

"But what? If it's him and he's not hurt, then let's go talk to him!" Rei stated eagerly before getting up to approach Johann, not wanting to waste a second more now that he was right in front of them, only for Frasier to suddenly pull her back.

"Hold on! He might be human still, but we have no idea how stable he might be now. There's no telling just what's going through his head at this point. Perhaps its best we let him figure this out for himself for now; and if he comes back to us, we'll take him back then." Frasier announced in a low hiss as he watched Rei look back at him with an infuriated glare in her eyes.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! For someone who's meant to protect those who can't protect themselves, you sure seem quick to cut out any sign of weakness in the group. Is this how you soldiers handle things?" Rei scorned as Frasier just glared right back at her, frustrated that she still didn't understand the potential danger here; both standing off as they simply couldn't accept what the other was trying to tell them.

"It's how people who have common sense handle things. You didn't seem to have any issue with me taking care of that convict when you first encountered my group. Where was that outspoken anger then?" Frasier replied before forcing Rei to think back to that chilling moment they watched Frasier execute a living man like it was nothing.

"That was different!" Rei growled as she shook her head, as though to forcefully convince herself that that somehow had to be justified.

"Was it now? To me, it was simply a means to keep a potentially dangerous threat away from everyone else in the group. Strong people like me have to get our hands dirty all the time, while weak people like you do nothing but judge us for making the hard choices in life while offering no realistic alternatives to the problem. Johann is just a stranger to you; Hitomi is just a stranger to Marcus. Why you two are so eager to trust someone you barely know in a crisis like this simply baffles me!" Frasier scorned as he shook his head while his voice began to sharply rise in anger.

"Excuse me? Maybe if you stopped focusing on everyone else and let us help you every now and then, things would be easier on you and you wouldn't be so quick to judge us for our feeling the way we do!" Rei scoffed in angry disbelief as she pointed a single finger up against his chest. His sharp blue eyes instantly focused on her finger the way a dog would hone in on a tennis ball.

"Yeah? Well if what I've come to understand from your group is correct; maybe if you were stronger, your boyfriend Hisashi would still be alive. Maybe if Johann was stronger, his precious Toshimi would still be alive. Maybe if I had been stronger, my own uncle would still be here!" Frasier growled painfully as Rei looked at him in disbelieving shock by the choice of words coming from his mouth.

 ***Wram***

A rough impact sound rang out as Rei's fist swiftly planted into Frasier's cheek. His head slightly tilted over from the display of unexpected force she managed to put into that punch. A single one of his eyes stared at her as she scowled back at first before realizing that she actually just struck the strongest member in their group. Frasier's head slowly straightened back as he looked down at Rei before licking his lips slowly, as if tasting for blood.

"Are you done yet?" Frasier asked in an emotionless whisper as he wiped his wet cheek off, only to then form a smirk. Almost like her aggression and momentary loss of control brought partial joy to him.

Rei looked entirely shocked as she was certain he'd feel some ounce of pain from that direct blow to his face. She then slowly nodded her head, never once breaking eye contact with him as she could feel her entire body trembling; pumping full of adrenaline; silently praying deep down that he didn't have any urge to retaliate, given how one of his hits could easily be a devastating blow to her.

"Good. Don't do that again. If you really feel confident enough to help him, then go right ahead. Just know this: if Johann shows any sign of aggression towards you, I'm putting one in him." Frasier said calmly before giving Rei the opportunity she desired; watching as she gently nodded in hesitant acknowledgement before carefully tip toeing over to speak to their broken comrade. While not saying a word more, she silently couldn't believe what Frasier was saying. If she couldn't get through to Johann, she'd have to watch him get put down like a rabid dog. All at once, every instinct and fiber of her being screamed that she needed to do everything in her power to reach out to Johann and bring him back. He was too important to her and the rest of their group, and she would be damned if she was going to let them lose another.

Rei nervously swallowed her nervousness and steadily approached Johann's slumped over, motionless form. His body was hunched over as his shoulders would occasionally tremble, as though he were weeping silently. The sound of heavy ragged breathing became more and more prominent with each step she took towards him. She occasionally would look at her own feet to make sure she wasn't about to step on a twig or piles of leaves; the very last thing she wanted to do was startle Johann and inadvertently get him shot by the cold-hearted Brit positioned just several yards behind her.

As she was within arm's reach and seemed to be completely undetected by Johann; she suddenly froze, not knowing how to address him properly without risk of spooking him. Instead, she carefully knelt beside him, instantly noticing how his eyes just looked straight on before one slowly shifted to address her unexpected presence.

"Hello, Rei." Johann suddenly said in a dull, yet very soft voice that completely caught her off guard to what she was expecting. He hadn't spoken in so long; she hadn't been expecting him to suddenly be willing to speak to her at all at this moment.

"Hello, Johann...do you mind if I ask what you're doing all the way out here?" Rei greeted him gently before approaching this no doubt delicate matter with as much tenderness as possible. She then caught a glimpse of what looked like several rocks piled up in a circle over a dug up mound of dirt. On the top, nailed to a small stick protruding from it, was a small photo of Johann and who she could only assume was Toshimi, when they were both no older than twelve-years old. She could feel an emotional spark in her chest as she saw how completely happy the two of them looked when playing in what had to be a park.

"I had to come back and say goodbye to her. You just wouldn't understand, Rei." Johann began to explain hesitantly, clearly not wanting to risk seeing Rei looking at him no doubt like he'd completely lost it. But what he didn't see was that she was actually looking at him with what anyone could recognize as unparalleled sympathy and sadness.

"Maybe not...but maybe you could explain it to me. Help me to understand. I don't know if you've noticed recently, but we've all been worried about you these last few days, Johann. I…I've been really worried about you especially." Rei softly suggested as she gently laid a supportive hand on his shoulder in the hopes of silently communicating to him her sole desire to be here for him and listen to everything he could possibly have to say.

"The man looking after her…he was my neighbor. I trusted him, Rei. I really did. I was so caught up in trying to convince myself that everything would be alright for us in the end; that no matter what happened, Toshimi would be alright." Johann began to explain as Rei could already feel herself fighting the urge to cry. The faint trace of hope that barely registered into his words felt weak, like a slowly dying fire relentlessly being hit by sharp, cold winds.

"He did…such unspeakable things to her...forcing himself onto her over and over and over again; mutilating her, breaking her spirit piece by piece; all of that while barely keeping her alive…just so she could suffer by his hand for one more day. The bruises, the cuts, the very look in her eye…when I saw what that animal had done to her, I felt a piece of me crumble apart and die. There's no telling how many people have suffered because of that man and his friend, but the only positive thing to come from all this as that they're both dead and rotting." Johann continued; his face twisting with barely restrained rage and sorrow as Rei felt her blood go cold to hear the horrible things these monsters had done to the girl he loved.

She felt the cold sensation of sorrow and fear grasp her heart as she felt her throat becoming dry, just trying to remain silent and hear everything he had to say. Stinging tears trailed down her face as she couldn't bear to think of anyone suffering in such ways, especially someone who had sounded so pure and sweet like Johann had described. The young German on the other hand struggled to remain strong and continued to tell her every last relevant detail just so he could finally get the horrible words and memories out in the open.

"Johann...please, stop. You don't need to say anymore. I can't begin to imagine how hard this must be for you right now." Rei sniffled slightly before she brushed her own tears away, knowing she couldn't let him see her like this when he needed someone to be strong for him now more than ever.

"I do though! You need to hear everything so you can truly understand this Hell I'm stuck in!" Johann suddenly snapped as she slightly recoiled back, all while Frasier took notice and adjusted his sights, just waiting for another sign for him to pull the trigger.

"I'm sorry…you're right... please continue, Johann." Rei apologized as she scooted closer to his side before placing her gentle hand on his shoulder again to hear what else Johann had to say about his inner turmoil.

"Do you know what the worst part about all this is? I couldn't even bring myself to accept that she wasn't going to make it. I was willing to bring her back to the hotel just so I could feed my idiotic delusion that she would pull through. When Frasier finally made me see the truth; finally made me look at what this world had done to her…I…I-I couldn't even pull the trigger! Frasier had to do it for me! She was the most wonderful person in the world to me; she was waiting for me to be by her side again, and I couldn't even be strong enough to help end her suffering! Oh God! I promised I would be there to protect her…a-and I failed her! I failed her in every possible way!" Johann continued, his voice cracking more and more until finally, he broke down into full blown sobs, unable to form any more words as he bowed his head and proceeded to let his tears rain onto the dirt; Rei unable to keep from letting a few of her own fall as she saw the poor boy's spirit completely break right before her eyes. All she could think to do now was to simply be here at his side, to let him let all his sorrow out and hopefully realize that he didn't have to go through this alone anymore; not if she had anything to say about it. All she knew at this moment was that she couldn't bear to see him in such despair, not after all the times before where he'd managed to help restore her faith and optimism for no gain of his own.

After several minutes, the whites of Johann's eyes were now completely bloodshot as he had finally expended the last of his tears, at least for now. Instead he could only express his tragic loss through heavy rasping breaths. A painful look of pure regret painted his face as he bowed his head low, unable to utter another word now. He then slowly turned his head to face Rei with a look of silent desperation.

"Rei...do you forgive me? Please…please tell me that you forgive me..." Johann softly asked in a low mumble as his lips began to quiver again; all as Rei looked deep into his green eyes,only to then lean forward and gently wrap her warm, comforting arms around him.

"Oh, Johann, of course I do. We all do. This wasn't your fault. None of it was." Rei softly whispered into his ear as she felt him slowly holding onto her the way a lost child would hold onto its mother when finally reunited. His breathing was understandably ragged and heavy as he trembled all over. His eyes shut tight as he could feel her soft, gentle hand tenderly rubbing the back of his head in a nurturing manner.

"I can never forget her, that look in her eye. She waited for me, Rei. Toshimi expected me to be there for her…and I failed." Johann sobbed into her shoulder as the raw emotion kept washing over him just when he thought he'd finally managed to put it aside for even a moment.

"You shouldn't have to forget her, Johann. You can keep her memory alive within you always, but that doesn't mean you have to carry this pain with you as well. I know how painful this is for you, but there is something to be taken from this tragedy. Like I said, none of this is your fault. You had no more idea this would happen than anyone else. The only thing you can do wrong now is not learn from what's happened. The best thing you can do now is to take what happened here and do everything you can to make sure it never happens to anyone you love again. You have to let the pain go and move on so it doesn't consume you." Rei explained sincerely as she gently cradled him in her arms.

"No...I can't go back. I deserve this...Toshimi would-" Johann denied as he began to pull away; trying to speak out again, only for Rei's finger to suddenly press up against his lips before she gently made the softest hushing sound; just as the first rays of the dawning sun broke over the horizon across the forest, allowing Johann to see the pure sympathetic emotion and affection in her shimmering reddish-brown eyes.

"Toshimi wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. She'd want you to move on and be happy. Don't you think she'd be sad to see you being so hard on yourself? Please, come back to us, Johann. It's never too late to change." Rei explained as she could see a faint light forming in Johann's eyes as her words clearly hit him hard.

Johann paused for just a moment in deep contemplation; remembering the last words Toshimi had whispered to him,before finally nodding as Rei proceeded to stand up, brushing the dirt off from her knees while he looked up at her in silent and appreciative acknowledgment. Giving him a warm and grateful smile of her own, she offered him her hand before helping him back to his feet. Johann then turned to look back at the small memorial he'd dug out; at the nostalgic photo of such infinitely happier times. A low sigh escaped his lips before he shifted his attention back to Rei.

"Alright…I'm ready." Johann finally announced as Rei gave him an appreciative nod and affectionate smile before gently taking his hand in her own and proceeding to guide him back towards Frasier's position.

The eldest Lawson adjusted his close-fitting cap before standing back up to reveal himself to Johann. The young German greeted him with the faintest smile as Rei continued to walk loyally by his side hand in hand.

"We should go before any of 'Them' arrive. No doubt this forest will have a few stragglers left." Frasier advised without even acknowledging Johann's presence; far more concerned about the situation at hand. Rei scowled at his lack of sympathy for their German compatriot, but at the same time she decided to ignore it and still be immensely grateful to whatever powers that be that she had managed to bring Johann back.

"Actually, let's grab some more weapons and ammo from the dugout. Might as well since we're here." Frasier suddenly brought up while they crossed the empty clearing; the winds becoming slighter stronger as they soon entered the bunker-like structure.

At first it was pitch black, but once they got out of the sunlight and adjusted to the dark, they came to see a most unexpected sight. Frasier's lower jaw slowly dropped as he was met with nothing but an empty wall staring right back at him. All the guns, ammunition, and even the van were no longer there.

"Where are these supposed guns meant to be now?" Rei suddenly asked as both she and Johann looked curiously around the dugout to see if perhaps there was anything in even the slightest they could've missed, even down to any stray bullets lying around.

"Here! There was an entire arsenal that was meant to be...right...here!" Frasier attempted to explain as he motioned towards the wall filled with nothing but empty racks. The young Brit was completely baffled at the fact the entire place had been entirely cleaned out.

"You don't suppose someone else might've stumbled onto this place and took these weapons for themselves?" Johann suggested as Frasier looked down in confusion and defeat, only to slam his fist down on the nearby wooden counter before he turned to leave the dugout now that there was nothing left for them.

"I suppose that's what happened. I don't see it being any other way. Well, not unless 'They' have acquired a new taste for collecting guns." Frasier said in a low grumble as he knelt down at the entrance to discover several tire tracks he'd failed to noticed that could be seen leading both in and out of the area; trailing off all the way back into the forest.

"That's not funny." Rei said as she crossed her arms, nearly shuddering at the very thought of the undead becoming advanced enough to start wielding weapons.

Frasier slightly smirked to himself at the reaction she gave before he motioned for them to move on; knowing that there was no point in staying at this wretched sight any longer. They were all left with an uneasy feeling though, now that there was the possibility of a group somewhere out there equipped with an arsenal large enough to outfit a small militia.

 _Meanwhile, back at the hotel…_

Kiriko paced back and forth across the rooftop of the hotel in anticipation. A part of her couldn't help but regret allowing Rei to venture outside with Frasier to find and bring back Johann. Somehow she knew deep down it would be alright; that any minute now that truck would come driving down the road and relieve her of this burden. But she just couldn't shake off the worrying feeling that anything that could go wrong would go wrong.

Her otherwise deep concentration was suddenly interrupted when the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching from behind. Kiriko looked back over her shoulder to catch Hitomi's welcoming smile as the young officer approached. She wore what looked like the grey hoodie Marcus had been seen using for the last few days.

"Morning; shouldn't there be another lookout up here with you? Or are they using the restroom?" Hitomi calmly announced in a friendly tone before realizing that it was just the two of them on the rooftop.

Kiriko was silent at first, uncertain whether or not she should just be upfront with Hitomi over their three comrades' whereabouts; but she then realized it would no doubt be best that she be upfront and remain honest to avoid dissolving the trust and respect the two shared for one another.

"Frasier-san and my daughter have ventured out to find Johann-kun, wherever he may be right now. It would seem he's wandered off on his own, and Rei has proven more than determined to bring him back safe." Kiriko confessed as she proceeded to not hold back anything from her fellow officer. Hitomi practically went pale and wide-eyed the instant Kiriko finished.

"Oh my God, I can't believe I didn't even anticipate Johann-kun running off in his condition...wait, you let her go out there…with Frasier? Don't you know how risky that is!?" Hitomi lamented in regret at how serious Johann's depression had proven itself to be; only to just as suddenly completely lose her calm at the mention of Rei being all alone with Frasier of all people.

"She was so determined to go find him; there was nothing I could've said to dissuade her that wouldn't result in her sneaking off later to find him on her own. So I figured I might as well let her tag along with our strongest member. Trust me; I've learned the hard way with telling her she can't do something before. It's like she takes it as a personal challenge or something." Kiriko explained more firmly as she made it quite clear she knew from experience what she was doing.

"I see…" Hitomi murmured at a loss for further words; looking out over the horizon of buildings, unable to shake off the worsening feeling of worry for Rei and Johann's safety. There wasn't one thing about what they could possibly have been facing that set well with her: surrounded by the dead; hostile survivors; and stuck side by side with her least favorite person on the planet to top it all off.

"You really distrust Frasier-san that much? Is there some kind of history between you two we should know about?" Kiriko suddenly asked; instantly snapping Hitomi back to reality.

"Not exactly; I only met him and his brothers on the day this all started. But Frasier has been constantly questioning my it's because I'm a woman or just because I'm smaller than him is still to be determined. What really gets under my skin about him though is the fact that he'd gladly sacrifice anyone that showed even the smallest sign of weakness if it meant staying alive. That and the combination of his strength and his very short temper could easily result in one, if not all, of us getting hurt…or much worse." Hitomi explained; leaving Kiriko a cautionary warning of the behavioral patterns she'd become all too familiar with for Frasier.

"You're afraid of him and presume the worst of him. Hitomi-san, I understand that he can be very crass and rough at not the best of times, but lately you two seem to have been getting along just fine. Does that not count for something?" Kiriko somewhat lectured as she couldn't help but feel that Hitomi wasn't going to listen to reason.

"That's just it though! He has been quiet…TOO quiet for my liking. He's not the kind of person to keep his thoughts, ideas and opinions to himself. What if he's up to something and...Oh my God... I must sound like a paranoid wreck to you, huh?" Hitomi exclaimed in a nervous rant, her words slowing down enough to realize the expression on Kiriko's face said it all: she was truly letting Frasier get under her skin to the point she was instinctively making the worst out of every little thing he did.

"It's alright, Hitomi-san. Things have been tough for everybody emotionally after whatever it is those boys went through. None of them have said one word about it, and it's left quite a lot to the imagination for most of us, considering another was supposed to return with them." Kiriko said sympathetically as Hitomi recalled how when she asked Marcus what happened that very night, he broke into tears in her lap like a small child and downright refused to talk about it.

"Yeah...aside from Johann-kun being nearly comatose and mute, Marcus-kun and Noah-kun have also been completely silent about it. I still have no idea what may have happened, but hopefully one of them will be able to talk about it soon." Hitomi mentioned before looking down, a part of her feeling a strange guilt that surfaced within her for not being there to protect them from whatever dangers they'd faced out there.

"Speaking of Marcus-kun...I wanted to ask you about that. Just what do you think you're doing, Officer Hitomi?" Kiriko spoke softly before suddenly catching Hitomi off guard with such a deeply personal accusation.

"Er...nothing that should be of any concern to you. H-He's just...stop looking at me like that! What do you want me to say? I find him attractive, and our personalities just click! How can I NOT like someone who can make me smile despite everything we've all gone through?" Hitomi attempted to explain through her initial stuttering before suddenly going on the defensive.

"It's just…he's a bit young, don't you think?" Kiriko asked with a raised eyebrow as she noticed just how nervous and on guard Hitomi was from what should've just been a simple question.

"I think he's proven to be mature enough to be considered a man...besides, in his culture, sixteen is when they become it's not like I'm old enough to be his mother; I'm only 19." Hitomi said as she tried desperately to justify how she felt for Marcus; hating to have to be put on the spot about something so personal now of all times.

"Perhaps that's true in his society, but not in ours. I know the age of consent here is thirteen, but in the grand scheme of things, you really should be more focused on survival than a relationship with someone you relatively only just met." Kiriko finally finished, hating the look of immense hurt on Hitomi's face as the weight of her words sank in all at once.

"Maybe you should focus on yourself instead of me..." Hitomi grumbled quietly as she turned away with her fists threatening to clench tight. Where the hell did that woman get off telling her how she should live her life and who she should or shouldn't be attracted to?

"Hey! I'm focusing on what's best for the rest of us here! I know it must hurt like hell to hear this, but you're going to be a major distraction for Marcus-kun eventually. At least…just think it over for a bit, okay?" Kiriko snapped as she made it quite clear she wouldn't take that kind of tone, even if it was from a fellow officer; trying to keep her emotions under control as she calmed herself so that Hitomi would hopefully take her words into consideration. She never wanted to destroy the loving relationship between two people, but right now all she wanted was to just ensure some stability among the members of their group.

Before anything else could be said, the sound of footsteps could be heard from the stairwell. Both women turned to see Noah stepping out to no doubt begin his watch.

"Oh, Kiriko-sensei, you're still up here? I…hope I'm not interrupting anything." Noah said out of surprise as he casually approached the two women who both simply stared at him, hoping that he didn't hear anything from their conversation. Luckily, he seemed to be completely unaware as far as they could tell.

"Not at all, Noah-kun, I was just waiting for you. I'll see you in a few hours with breakfast ready." Kiriko said in a nonchalant tone as she passed him by with purposeful strides in her step, leaving the young Brit alone with Hitomi; who stood there feeling unbearably awkward now that her relationship with Marcus had been forced out into the open, even if it was only between the two of them. Just a moment later, the SDF truck had finally returned as Noah looked down from the roof at its unexpected return. Surely if Frasier had any reason to use it, he would've no doubt informed his brothers first thing so they wouldn't have woken up wondering where he was.

"Hmm, wonder what they were up to?" Noah wondered aloud as Hitomi shrugged her shoulders, deciding to keep that knowledge to herself for the time being; watching as the three returning group members made their way to the entrance.

 _In the Lobby…_

"Do you think anyone else knows we were gone?" Rei asked Frasier as they entered the lobby, whispering to him as if expecting the rest of the group to be just around the corner waiting for them.

"Unlikely. Although some lights were on when I pulled in, so there's no telling who's been up and what they know. Anyway, does it really matter now? Johann is back, and hopefully he'll stay put this time. Right?" Frasier muttered before putting on a more annoyed tone as he shot a quick glance to Johann, who was either too tired to notice the condescending way he was being spoken to, or simply chose to ignore it.

Rei lightly nudged Frasier's side a bit harder than she'd intended to show her disapproval of his attitude before the eldest Lawson shrugged it off and made for the stairs, no doubt wanting to return to his bed and catch up on his lost rest. Johann followed suit to sleep off the whole emotional experience before he suddenly felt Rei's hand gently grab his own, stopping him briefly and prompting him to look back at her. After how she'd pretty much poured her heart out to him to bring him back around in his darkest hour, he couldn't begin to fathom what could have possibly been on her mind to share with him now.

"Hold on, Johann. I-I don't think you should go back there." Rei suggested as she looked deep into his eyes, her own eyes glistening with an unspoken yet powerful emotion, almost as if she were pleading him not to leave.

"What are you talking about?" Johann asked confusedly, not having the slightest clue what that was even supposed to mean.

"I mean to your room. It's just you up there, right? Well…I was thinking after everything you've been through…maybe someone should be there to keep an eye on you and make sure everything is alright." Rei began to explain as her eyes slowly shifted to the floor nervously the more she said; uncertain how he'd react to practically being babysat.

"Really? I mean, it's very kind of you to offer, but I couldn't possibly ask you or anyone else to go out of their way for me like that. Honestly, I'm still kind of amazed both you and Frasier went out looking for me." Johann said in gratefully as he still was struggling to comprehend how they both had gone to such dangerous lengths to find him and bring him home.

 _'Yeah...both of us...'_ Rei thought to herself as she still couldn't believe how cold and unsympathetic Frasier was, even with delicate moments like today. It constantly made Rei reluctantly wonder just what the hell his life must've been like before to make him so cruel towards even his own friends, if he'd even consider any of them to be such a thing.

"Well, I'm going to talk about it with my mom and see what she thinks. I hope you'll think about it too, Johann. We should be eating breakfast soon. I hope you'll join us." Rei said invitingly, hoping he would accept. It brought warmth to her heart to see his spirit even partially restored, and she didn't want to risk him potentially slipping back to how he had been before.

"I think I'd rather just be alone for now. I've…I've still got a lot of things to process. Maybe later I'll join you guys for dinner." Johann said in a soft murmur, somewhat hesitant to being around the rest of the group, before finally attempting trying to cooperate with Rei. He knew just what a tremendous amount of effort she was really putting toward being here for him, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her think he didn't appreciate everything she did.

"Oh…well, I understand. I hope you'll join us later on though. We really do all care about you, Johann." Rei said shyly as she watched Johann form the faintest smile for a moment before he proceeded to head back upstairs.

Rei stood there alone in the lobby, pondering to herself as she looked outside to see several of 'Them' moving down the road. Within not even five seconds, she watched as all three suddenly dropped dead in a quick succession of shots. Remembering her mother was on watch when she'd left, she dashed for the stairs only to abruptly stop when Kiriko herself was descending them.

"Aah! I didn't see you there, mom. I'm sorry it took so long...I take it we're no longer on watch?" Rei exclaimed in a very surprised yelp before proceeding to apologize for what must've felt like an eternity for her mother of waiting for her return. Kiriko just stood there, staring down at her daughter with both arms folded the way she always did when she was considerably upset about something.

"Hitomi-san and Noah-kun are taking the next watch shift. It sounds like they already took care of whatever it was that they spotted though. So, do you care to tell me what on Earth happened, or do you intend to keep me guessing some more; waiting and worrying about whether or not you're safe or in serious danger yet again?" Kiriko answered in a firm, no-nonsense tone as she glared down at Rei like she was about to be grounded. Clearly she was deeply concerned for her daughter's safety, but it was quite clear now that she wouldn't accept beingkept in the dark for a second longer.

Before Rei could give an honest answer, the two of them could hear footsteps slowly descending from above; the others most likely awakened from the gunshots moments ago, signaling that it was time for yet another "wonderful" day in the zombie apocalypse.

"Mom, I promise I'll tell you every last detail you could ever want to know, but when we're alone, alright?" Rei said as she held out her pinky finger to her mother, who just rolled her eyes before regrettably wrapping her own pinky finger around Rei's; turning just in time to see Saeko was the first to be downstairs.

"Good morning, you two. Watch went well, I assume?" Saeko said in a rather pleasant tone as Rei nervously rubbed the back of her head whilst Kiriko just sighed and nodded slowly in response.

"Excellent. Hopefully once I learn to shoot I can be allowed to take watch as well." Saeko said calmly before once more expressing her desire to be more helpful in protecting the group at all times; recalling that Frasier did agree to teach her how to use that handgun Kohta gave her a while back.

 _Two Hours Later…_

Breakfast had been unusually quiet for everyone who wasn't either sleeping or busy keeping watch. Alice had expressed the desire for pancakes, and whilst their sweet taste was something of a temporary solace from the stresses of the world for everyone at the dining table, they still were all visibly troubled by their constant imagining of what horrors had affected Frasier, his brothers and Johann so immensely. Of course, now that Rei knew, she couldn't help but feel a twisting sensation of guilt in her stomach. She hated the idea of keeping this a secret from everyone, but she detested the idea of making the rest of the day unimaginably depressing for them all by sharing the horrid details even more. And even then, that was only one thing that had been on everyone's minds. As well off as they were in this hotel, there were still always creeping doubts about how prepared they all were individually for whatever threat could come for them at any given moment.

Once breakfast had been finished and Rei and Kiriko had offered to take care of the dishes, Kohta began to head back up the stairs to go through his daily ritual of inspecting all the guns in the armory to make sure they were in peak working condition.

"Hirano, wait right there." The all-too familiar reprimanding tone of Saya Takagi caused the timid gun otaku to freeze in his tracks as the sounds of her approaching footsteps came closer and closer from behind before he suddenly felt her fingers pinching his ear and forcibly turning him to face her. As biting as her words towards him typically were, Kohta still had the utmost respect for the group's self-proclaimed genius, and didn't dare ask what she wanted in fear of evoking what further wrath someone like her could be capable of.

"Do you have any real plans for today, or do you just plan on checking all our guns again like you always do?" Saya unexpectedly asked as Kohta struggled to find the words to answer her with before nervously shaking his head in the negative. To his surprise, Saya let go of his ear and placed her hands on her hips; standing tall like one with a serious proposition in mind.

"Alright then. I want you to train me, Hirano." Saya finally stated in such a blunt and to-the-point manner, it nearly caused Kohta to topple over from how suddenly this had come.

"I-I'm sorry, Takagi-san…what?" Kohta asked in a trembling whimper as Saya's brow instantly twitched before she immediately strode over to him and pinched his chubby cheek with more force than needed.

"Open your idiot ears and listen, you chubby otaku! I want you to teach me how to shoot more properly. I'm tired of being virtually useless whenever we're in a bind, and you're the only one I can ask this of who would actually take it seriously." Saya explained, trying her best to not start flat out yelling at him for making her repeat herself.

"What are you guys doing?" Takashi's voice suddenly interrupted; causing Saya's grip on Kohta's face to momentarily tighten even more before she let go and composed herself, shooting their confused leader her signature irritated glare as Kohta rubbed the red spot on his face.

"I want Hirano to teach me how to shoot more properly. There's no telling what might come our way in the future, and I want to be fully prepared when it happens." Saya replied as Kohta dutifully approached her while Takashi looked to be in fairly deep contemplation as to her reasoning.

"You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. You wouldn't mind if I join, would you?" Takashi suddenly suggested; causing both of his friends to look at him with confusion of their own.

"Marcus-san and Saeko-chan are currently keeping watch, and everyone else is off doing their own thing, so I figure this is as good a chance to get some practice in as any. And besides, I still haven't really gotten the hang of that shotgun, and I really wanna know what I'm doing just in case what you're saying does end up happening, Takagi-san." Takashi elaborated as Kohta and Saya momentarily glanced to each other as if to confirm whether they both thought it was really a good idea to bring their leader out into the open with them. Eventually, they both slightly nodded as Kohta motioned for them both to follow him to the armory.

"I spotted a nearby park the last time I was on watch. It looked like some kind of SDF outpost had been set up there back in the beginning and got overrun. Luckily there weren't too many of 'Them' around, and I've managed to figure out how we can get there on foot, so we can use that spot as our practice range." Kohta explained as they filed into the armory; the gun enthusiast wasting no time grabbing his Armalite AR-10 before handing Takashi his Bennelli M4 Super 90 and grabbing one of the spare MP5SFK's, slinging it over his back. All the while Saya grabbed for her Luger PO8 only to recall that it had been traded to Isao just a few days ago, leaving her standing around to wait impatiently for the other two; her rigid and visibly impatient body language clearly showing how nervous she was about what they were about to do. But damn if that was going to stop Saya Takagi from learning how to make herself more combat dependable. It was pretty much the same as any other instance where she wanted to improve at something: nothing was going to get in her way of doing what she sought to do.

Once everyone was geared up, they began to make their way back down to the lobby, only to suddenly run into Rei and Kiriko as they made their way from the kitchen; both of them looking very intently at the mini arsenal the three were now carrying.

"What are you guys doing?" Rei asked hesitantly; knowing she wasn't going to like the answer.

"Kohta-san's gonna take us to a nearby park for shooting practice." Takashi explained, prompting Rei to start making her way for the stairs, no doubt the armory, as well before Kiriko suddenly grabbed her by the wrist.

"Mom, let go! If they're going outside, I need to be able to watch their backs!" Rei protested while Kiriko stood her ground, refusing to budge or even loosen her grip.

"No, if you think I'm going to let you go out there without me to look after you twice in one day, then you've got another thing coming, young lady!" Kiriko reprimanded before Takashi suddenly placed his hands on both their shoulders, effectively silencing them both.

"No, you guys need to stay here. We may already have people on watch, but if something happens while we're gone, we need as many people available to protect this place as possible. Besides, Kohta-san already confirmed there aren't too many of 'Them' around that area, so even if we do make any noise, we should still be able to make it back okay. Besides, with Kohta-san keeping watch, there's no way any of 'Them' would be able to get the drop on us." Takashi attempted to reassure the two as Kohta and Saya were both growing increasingly impatient as time was wasting.

At first it seemed as though Rei was about to further argue for him to let her come with, but after several seconds of struggling to find the words, she unexpectedly relented and reluctantly nodded her head in understanding, prompting Takashi and Kiriko to let go of her as Takashi rejoined his little trio.

"Please, Takashi, just promise me you'll be careful." Rei softly pleaded as Takashi gave a slight yet clearly grateful smile as he held up his pinky.

"I promise. And, Rei…if Saeko-chan or Frasier-san ask where we are, don't feel the need to lie for us." Takashi asked in return, and while being asked to even talk with Saeko if the need arose gave a brief sharp painful sensation in Rei's gut, she still nodded in understanding of his request nonetheless.

"Alright. Thank you. We shouldn't be gone for more than an hour, two at the most. We'll be back okay, Rei, so don't worry." Takashi reassured her once again before he, Saya and Kohta finally made their way out the entrance, effectively leaving Rei and Kiriko alone in the lobby.

"Rei, would you mind telling me what the hell that was?" Kiriko suddenly asked in that signature serious tone that Rei always dreaded; the kind that told her that Kiriko wouldn't let her go until she got a satisfying answer.

"W-what do you mean?" Rei asked nervously, only for Kiriko to grab her by the shoulder and turn her around so they'd be looking each other in the eye; Rei instantly recognizing the piercing and burning glare in her mothers' eyes. She was not in the mood for anything but the truth plain and simple.

"You know exactly what, Rei. The instant Takashi-chan mentions they're going out; you're all fired up and ready to go out there to watch his back! I try to stop you, and you even go so far as to demand I let you go. I know you well enough to know you'd never talk to me like that in any other scenario, so what changed? And don't even think about telling me that this is about your feelings for him. Those may not have changed, but I know you're smart enough not to needlessly put your life at risk for him over something this simple. We both know how capable Hirano-kun is when it comes to keeping watch and shooting, and with the overall lack of 'Them' that have been roaming around these parts, they shouldn't be in any overwhelming danger this time around. So tell me, what's suddenly got you so desperate to go out there when you know you don't need to?"

Every one of Kiriko's words stabbed at Rei's heart like a knife. She'd completely cast aside any kind of excuse she could've come up with to justify her actions, and now here she was, being stared down by her own mother and finding herself with no other option but to tell her the hard truth, no matter how much it was already hurting her to even consider telling her such a truth as this.

"Because there's still no telling what they could run into out there, whether it be 'Them', more of those convicts or even someone somehow worse than that! We act like we're completely safe here and that 'They' are the only thing we have to worry about out there, but there are still so many things that are so much worse out there!" Rei finally relented, letting out the remainders of her swelling emotions from when she'd listened to Johann recount the experience at that cabin. Upon receiving her answer, Kiriko let her daughter go and gently guided her to one of the chairs before setting her down softly and sitting beside her; the once burning look of serious intent in her eyes now officially died out and replaced with her natural motherly concern.

"Rei, you've never expressed worries like this before. Ever since we got here, you always seemed like we'd finally found a place to call home, if even just temporarily. Tell me, where did this all suddenly come from?" Kiriko asked softly as she gently rubbed Rei's shoulder as she could see her daughter was trying to fight back tears now that the she knew she couldn't keep the facts hidden any longer.

"Earlier, when Frasier-san and I went looking for Johann…" Rei began, already struggling to form the words as the memories of just how broken Johann was when he'd finally told her came rushing back to her all at once. Kiriko could see just how hard it was for her daughter to share this, so she laid a supportive hand on her shoulder for reassurance.

"Take your time, Rei. I know this must be hard." Kiriko spoke soothingly as Rei tried to wipe away her tears as all she could think about now was all the horrible things Johann had shared with her and how she could possibly be able to tell her mother such things.

"W-when we found him…he…he'd gone to that cabin…to say goodbye to his girlfriend…he'd told me about her long before…s-she was the one who was supposed to have come back with them that day." Rei reluctantly continued, not seeing how Kiriko's expression already began to slowly sink at the very thought of that cabin. The rest of the group pretty much knew the very idea of it was almost taboo after how they'd seen how it affected their four search party members; and Kiriko could already feel chills as she wasn't sure she really wanted to hear the long-hidden details of what had happened in that horrible place.

"Johann had made a memorial for her…that's why he left…oh, mom…he was so broken, like every last bit of hope he still had withered and died. I-I couldn't bear to see him like that, so I asked him to tell me what happened. Nobody should have to go through such misery like that by themselves! And especially not after all the times I had doubts about us lasting out here only for him to give that hope right back! I wanted to be there for him more than anything…and the things he told me…" Rei continued, trying so hard to keep from breaking out into sobs as she could almost feel that unspeakable pain Johann had been experiencing consuming her insides at this very moment.

"Please, Rei, don't hold anything back. I understand completely, you wanted to be there for him; now let me be here for you. Let it all out, sweetie." Kiriko spoke in a comforting whisper as Rei rested her head in her mother's lap, burying her face in her hands as she couldn't bear to keep the emotions in for a second longer.

"The men in that cabin watching after her…Johann said one of them was his neighbor, someone he trusted…and those men…the things he said they did to her, what they forced him and the others to listen to them do…" Rei struggled to continue, all while Kiriko felt her blood practically freeze as she couldn't bear to ask specifics. Just the fact that someone even Johann felt was trustworthy could do something to someone else that could traumatize their friends so immensely left her speechless.

"Oh my God…" Kiriko muttered in a nearly breathless sigh as Rei continued to sob into her lap, both for herself and for Johann, now that she no longer needed to hold back and be strong for him now.

"Oh, mom…if you'd seen him, just how devastated he was…there was a time I wasn't sure if I could convince him to come back to us." Rei muttered as she finally willed the strength to get back up and wipe the tears from her eyes as Kiriko handed her a nearby box of tissues for the trails still running down her face.

"I know, Rei. And…I'm glad you went out to find him. You're right; nobody should ever have to suffer that kind of grief alone. I'm sorry for what I said, about you looking after him just to keep yourself distracted. It's clear to me now you really DO care about him, and…and I'm proud of you for doing what you did." Kiriko reassured as Rei looked up at her mother in shock, unable to comprehend that her mother was actually admitting to being wrong and praising her for actions she had just been reprimanding her for only this morning.

"Thank you, mom." Rei expressed with a trembling smile as she hugged her mother warmly, which Kiriko gladly returned as she could feel some strong emotion welling up in her chest as well to realize just how truly grown up her precious daughter had become from all the world had thrown at them.

"Mom…I know this might not be the best time, but there's something serious I want to ask you." Rei suddenly requested once she and her mother separated; immediately catching Kiriko's attention as she honestly couldn't imagine what Rei could possibly have to say next after a moment like this.

"I may have managed to bring Johann back to us, but I know he's still going through a lot of pain right now, and I know he doesn't feel ready to integrate with the rest of the group again, but I really don't want to leave him by himself either. So, I was wondering…" Rei began to ask nervously, clearly choosing her words carefully as she knew all too well just how badly Kiriko could react to what she was about to propose if there was any way to misinterpret it. However, her mother actually smiled before she could even finish.

"I understand, Rei. Johann-kun needs to know that we're there for him, and him being all alone at night could lead to any number of possibilities, none of them good. If you want us to have Johann stay in our room from now on, it's alright by me." Kiriko immediately reassured, and while Rei was still taken aback at how accepting her mother was of the very idea by itself, she was still nervous as to what would happen once she'd actually finish.

"Actually…I know Johann feels really at ease with me especially, and you have sometimes proved to be a bit intimidating to others before, so…I was actually wondering if perhaps…I-I could stay with Johann in his room from now on, just so he isn't alone." Rei finally finished, and just as she'd feared, the welcoming look in Kiriko's eyes dimmed as if someone in her head had flipped a switch.

"You know I can't allow that, Rei. You may have managed to bring him back from whatever abyss he may have been in, but there's still no telling what could happen if you two are alone in the same bedroom at night; and as your mother, I won't allow that." Kiriko immediately stated as if it were automatically engraved in stone.

"But mom, Johann couldn't possibly be like that. I know we've only known each other for a short time, but there's just this feeling I have when I'm around him. He doesn't come off as threatening or having any ulterior motives or desires or anything of the sort, and I like to think I picked up that ability to read people from you and dad. Please, I know it's not easy, but I want you to trust me on this." Rei pleaded, all while Kiriko looked to be going through a complete mental battle in her head between trusting her protective motherly instincts and actually trusting what her daughter was saying if she really felt so confident about being safe with their German counterpart.

After minutes that felt like hours, Kiriko reluctantly let out a heavy sigh, as if she'd completely exhausted herself trying to find some way to deny Rei's request in a way that wouldn't result in her daughter partially hating her; only to come up short.

"Dammit, you really don't make anything easy anymore, Rei. You're just like me when I was your age. Alright…if you really do feel as confident in Johann's character as you say you do; if you really do trust him and feel safe with him…*sigh* then do as you wish. But if anything at all DOES happen, I'll be right across the hall, and you tell me immediately once you get away, alright?" Kiriko finally relented, only to immediately slip back into her overprotective mode as Rei couldn't help but let out the smallest giggle at how her mother was trying so hard to put on a brave face while still exercising her role of authority.

"I promise, mom. I'll bring it up with him once it's time for dinner." Rei promised as she and Kiriko wrapped their pinkies together as they always would before they both got back up and headed upstairs to freshen up finally.

 _Outside, near the park…_

Kohta, Saya and Takashi carefully walked up the street, grateful to see it was entirely clear at first glance. Nothing really moved aside from the trash occasionally being swept up by the wind and a dangling traffic light that would let out a low creak every now and then. Although Kohta himself was a social shut-in and Saya preferred to spend her free time reading and learning anything and everything she could; Takashi on the other hand felt it was quite bizarre to be walking down this road without hearing or seeing the familiar sights he'd previously become so accustomed to. No loud J-Pop music blaring in the air, no bright neon lights, and especially no laughter or even the sound of a couple arguing about something trivial as where to shop next. Apart of him almost missed it now in contrast to the dead silence.

"So what exactly do you have in mind for us to shoot, Hirano?Surely an SDF outpost would have quite a few things left over for us to use as target practice if it was abandoned in a hurry." Saya prodded as she looked around; trying to determine what Kohta was planning to do all the way out here.

"Well, I was thinking anyone can shoot at a bunch of cans or a large, broad target. So instead, we'll be shooting at a small group of 'Them', should we be able to run across any. The last time I scoped the place out was yesterday and there was barely more than a handful roaming around then." Kohta answered; causing both Saya and Takashi to freeze in place at the sudden lesson plan.

"Are you insane?! You want us to not only go looking for 'Them', but pick a fight with 'Them' too?!" Saya almost yelled out; causing both boys to nearly jump back as her voice echoed down the street and through some alleyways. That was the one thing they always disliked about roaming around the outside with Saya in tow; her short temper gave her a tendency to yell at some of the most inopportune times, even though she was the one to discover 'They' hunted by sound to begin with.

"Please relax, Takagi-san; we can fight from a distance, and if 'They' get too close, I should have no problem putting 'Them' down. Besides, I think that fear factor will help prepare you two for when we run into a real fight we can't run from. Remember what happened to us back at that barricade near your house?" Kohta said in an attempt to reassure the tempered genius, who began to slowly calm down when she noticed how he seemed so confident of himself. Preparing them better for a potential scenario that almost got them killed previously also didn't sound like such a bad idea the more they both thought about it.

"Fine, just...just be careful, okay? I don't want to have to eat you if I become one of 'Them' because of this." she grumbled in defeat; unknowingly causing Kohta to shiver at the very idea of her coming back as one of 'Them' just to bite him for his failure. Saya being alive was more than enough for him to contend with as it was.

"Don't worry, Takagi-san; I've got you covered!" Kohta announced rather inspired, shooting her a thumbs up before smiling confidently at Saya; causing her to blush for a moment before quickly returning to her standard annoyed look.

"Will you get on with it already?!" Saya shouted as her voice echoed even further this time, leading to an all too familiar groan that caused them to look up ahead and see several of 'Them' stumbling out of a nearby house: two men and a single woman, most likely a family at one point.

"It's show time!" Kohta said in a low yet excitable hush; handing Saya the MP5SFK carbine he had been carrying along his back, watching as she tried to steady her aim before he motioned her to take a crouched position to help stabilize herself. Takashi meanwhile kept the Bennelli M4 Super 90 close in hand, as if expecting to be jumped from another angle.

As Saya crouched down, she could feel her arms already starting to shake. She'd been so used to them only fighting the dead defensively, and now that they were going on the offensive, she couldn't help but feel her brain going into overdrive, wondering how many more of 'Them' any of the potential gunshots could attract due to their unfortunate lack of silencers. As she cocked her head to the side to aim, she could feel Kohta's hand gently rest on her shoulder as he leaned in close alongside her.

"Alright, Takagi-san, since you don't have a scope, aiming's going to be a little trickier. I don't think 'They' know exactly where we are yet, so we still have plenty of time. What you want to do is align your iron sights: these two little ridges here and the one at the end of the barrel. If you line those up in front of the spot you want to hit, just so long as your aim is steady, you'll be able to hit your target." Kohta instructed her calmly as Saya tried her best to follow what the normally awkward and bumbling otaku was saying. But before she could even start, Kohta suddenly grabbed the stock of her gun and her right arm that was holding the carbine steady.

"Your crouching posture is a little too rigid; you're just fighting yourself. You want to be able to keep your aim steady but also loosen your body up enough so as to absorb the recoil. It's especially important with any of our bigger guns. If you try firing those as rigid as you're being right now, you could really hurt your shoulder." Kohta went on further as he leveled the butt of the gun a little higher against her shoulder while helping her other arms raise the gun straight. As much as Saya felt the burning instinctual need to tell him off for both talking down to her like an idiot and touching her, the pink-haired girl was determined to get better, so she simply absorbed everything her impromptu trainer said as she finally leveled her eye with her iron sights on the first of 'Them' as it steadily made its way toward her.

"Okay, Takagi-san, just pick your target, remember to breathe calmly, and breathe in before you pull the trigger." Kohta whispered calmly, making sure not to lose his cool despite the short distance that was left between them and the undead. Saya could feel her heart racing, but at the same time, she didn't feel that typical sensation of panic take her over. She settled her sight on the male in the lead, centered on its head, breathed in just as she placed her finger over the trigger and…

 ***BLAM!***

The carbine letting out a deafening burst as Saya felt her gun kick upwards from the unexpected force. Just as she regained her senses, she was shocked to see the kickback had completely thrown her aim off and the bullet barely grazed the undead man's scalp. All at once, her burning temper and flaring sense of panic kicked back in as she leveled her gun again, getting back onto her feet and stepping back before aiming down the sights to his head again.

Not even bothering to breathe in this time, Saya immediately pulled the trigger and nearly fell over onto her back as she accidentally let out a burst of several rounds that tore the man's head apart; sending him collapsing to the ground as his two undead counterparts continued onwards toward the three teens, riled up more than ever.

Before Saya could aim at the next two, two even sharper rifle cracks sounded out as 'Their' heads almost simultaneously exploded, prompting her to look to see Kohta had taken care of them, trying to catch his breath after she'd had such a close call.

"I did exactly what you said and it still didn't work, you chubby idiot!" Saya instantly exploded as Kohta slung his rifle over his shoulder, breathing deep to regain his cool while she had once again slipped back into her typical attitude.

"I'm sorry, Takagi-san. I should've mentioned the recoil will always cause your gun to kick up. I should've told you to aim for the chest area, because the kickback will help you hit 'Their' heads. I'm sorry." Kohta unexpectedly apologized, instantly silencing the fiery-tempered genius as she couldn't find herself able to stay mad at him. Instead, she just let out a heavy sigh before roughly flicking her finger against his forehead.

"Well, just remember to tell me stuff like that before we begin practicing from now on, you stupid otaku." Saya grumbled as she got herself resituated with her gun; all while Takashi now looked fairly nervous, checking all around them.

"I don't like this, you guys. That was way too many shots. Maybe we should move elsewhere." Takashi suggested as though he were just waiting for a sudden mob of 'Them' to come crawling out of the wood work for them.

"No, it's alright, Komuro, we're still in the clear. If any more of 'Them' had heard those shots, we would've seen them by now. Just keep checking for them; but let's not stay out here too much longer." Kohta reassured him as he helped Saya get back into her crouching position.

"Alright, first off let's set this thing to single shot so you don't accidentally let off anymore bursts like that. Then let's see if we can find you a stationary target for you to practice your aim with." Kohta suggested as he flicked the switch on the side of Saya's carbine as she was already scanning the scene in front of them intently for something to test her skills with.

"How about that taxi over there?" Saya suggested as Kohta looked to see a single taxi cab sitting in the middle of the road perfectly centered, as if some outside force had intentionally set it up for them as target practice.

"Alright, that works. How about you aim for the sign on the roof first, since it's bigger." Kohta recommended as Saya was already eagerly getting her gun against her shoulder and aiming down the sights, making sure to line them up perfectly and centered on the taxi's roof sign.

Taking another deep breath, she quickly pulled the trigger, this time aiming the barrel to the edge of the windshield just in time as the recoil kicked her gun up; her ears instantly catching the sign of plastic shattering as she saw this time she'd managed to hit her target, instantly sparking an inspired fire inside her to see she'd succeeded.

"Very good, Takagi-san. But it's all about practice. Let's try going for a smaller target. How about one of the side-view mirrors?" Kohta congratulated the genius as she immediately aimed for one of the side mirrors, trying not to let her excitement get the better of her as she kept her aim focused just below the mirror.

With another quick pull of the trigger, the mirror practically exploded as Saya had to practically fight the urge to cheer at how much better she could already see her shooting was getting. She could practically envision herself being as good as Kohta already as she was already eagerly looking for something to shoot.

"See, it's not so hard at all, Takagi-san. How about we try to find you something a little more far away; best to practice your sharp-shooting while we can." Kohta exclaimed happily as he desperately want to give Saya a congratulatory pat on her back, but was still far too nervous to lest he immediately incur her wrath.

"Uh, guys? I think we may want to start leaving." Takashi suddenly recommended, catching both shooters' attention as they immediately spotted what had Takashi so worried. Shambling out of the bushes of the edge of the park was a couple of 'Them' all dressed in SDF uniforms, outfitted with heavy duty flak jackets, riot helmets and ammunition bandoliers.

"No, not just yet." Saya muttered with an unreadable grin as she quickly turned herself around, proceeding to actually aim at the two undead soldiers, almost as if she didn't even mind how heavily armored 'They' were.

"No, Takagi-san, Komuro's right. We've already pushed our luck far enough out here, so let's get going." Kohta agreed as he tried to get Saya back onto her feet, only for her to pull away from his grip and go through her process of aiming down the sights.

"No, I'm tired of stationary targets. The only way I'll be useful is if I can actually hit a mobile target." Saya protested as she instantly pulled the trigger, not even minding how the bullet ricocheted off the first soldiers' helmet.

"Takagi-san, we can practice again some other time, but we wanna be out of here before any more of 'Them' show up." Kohta tried to reason with the genius as she instantly fired off three more shots; each one either pounding into the flak jackets or bouncing off the helmets. In spite of her excitement, the fact that 'They' were still standing in spite of 'Their' heavy armor sparked that all too familiar burning frustration inside her as her grip on her carbine tightened and she gritted her teeth.

"Not until 'They're' both dead!" Saya argued as she suddenly flicked the switch on the side to fully automatic, proceeding to pull the trigger over and over again, forcing Kohta and Takashi to back away from the constant cracking gunshots as the two of 'Them' kept on getting pushed back from the numerous bullets, but still weren't going down.

'I'm not weak! I can fight! I can protect myself and the others! I can fight! I CAN FIGHT FOR MYSELF!' Saya thought furiously to herself as she kept firing before finally letting the zenith of her frustration and long-pent up anger and desire to prove herself peak; laying her finger down on the trigger and letting out a continuous barrage.

Just a fraction of a second before Saya let out the rest of her ammunition; Kohta was able to make out the unmistakable sight of a couple frag grenades hooked to the bandolier of the undead soldier in the lead. All at once, right as the first sound of the gun firing registered, he felt his whole body go cold as he turned to Saya, pretty much feeling the entire world come to a standstill.

"SAYA, DOOOON'T!" he screamed out right as the first bullet hit one of the grenades, and everything in that instant was devoured in a deafening, earth-shattering blast that sent all three teens flying and blacking out for a moment.

The ringing in Saya's head was unbearable as she opened her eyes to find she was looking through some kind of fading tunnel vision, as though she'd been knocked out cold and was finally regaining her senses. The distant sound of Kohta's voice calling her name brought her to roll onto her back, nearly being blinded by the brightness of the sun as Kohta quickly knelt to her side, shaking her by the shoulders; his face smeared with dirt and his eyes wide and scared behind his thick glasses.

"Saya, oh my God, are you okay?!" Kohta asked her worriedly, his voice trembling as he helped Saya sit back up; the young genius grateful that the ringing in her ears was finally gone.

"I-I think so…oh, Kohta, what happened?" she asked still in somewhat of a daze as she saw a large person-sized crater in the middle of the street; and splayed out next to it was the gruesome upper half of the other undead SDF soldier, with its arms still flailing and clawing at the air and groaning as if nothing had happened.

Before she could even waste another second to think, Kohta suddenly grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eye as the look in his gaze looked evenly divided between anger and relief that she didn't seem to be hurt.

"I told you to stop, Saya! I said we could practice again some other time! Why'd you suddenly get all gung-ho on us?! Why'd you go off like that?! I thought you of all people would know how dangerous it is to go off half-cocked like that!" Kohta proceeded to actually shout, rendering the otherwise hot-headed genius absolutely dead silent as she momentarily couldn't believe this was the same chubby mild-mannered otaku who'd been loyally at her side all this time who almost always flinched whenever she addressed him.

"You're usually so observant, so why couldn't you see one of 'Them' had a bunch of grenades!? Why didn't you just stop when you saw 'They' were wearing helmets? It's not like 'They' would've followed us back to the hotel, we could've just left right then and there! Why did you pop off like that?!" Kohta continued unrelentingly, nearly causing Saya to shrink back as she didn't know how to handle this whole other side of Kohta. As he struggled to catch his breath from the adrenaline and the now subsiding anger and disbelief, Saya barely found the strength to answer him.

"I…I-I'm sorry…" Saya weakly muttered, instantly managing to diffuse Kohta's remaining anger as he couldn't believe what was happening: not that he'd actually screamed at the fiery-tempered genius, but that he'd never seen her reduced to such a timid state before. Something about it felt wrong to the young gun enthusiast. He was always so used to seeing her confident if not brash attitude, and to see her so submissive didn't sit well with him.

"I…it's okay, Takagi-san. I-I didn't mean to yell at you…look, we can talk about this more later if you want, but let's just get out of here first, okay? If all those gunshots somehow didn't attract more of 'Them', then that blast definitely will." Kohta apologized before helping Saya back to her feet; dreading the thought of finding a whole mob of the undead already pouring down the way they came.

"Alright…lead the way, Hira—wait, where's Komuro?" Saya agreed before suddenly realizing she couldn't see their leader among the thick smoke left over from the blast. As Kohta began to look himself, he realized with a fearful chill that he couldn't see Takashi anywhere either.

"*cough* I'm here! I'm over here!" Takashi's voice suddenly called out from a little ways up the street; prompting the two to hurry to his location, both silently thanking their lucky stars he hadn't gotten seriously hurt or worse from the blast. As they made their way through the smoke, they quickly found him leaning against a streetlight pole, trying to catch his breath.

"Oh man, you scared the hell out of me for a second. I was afraid you'd gotten killed in that blast." Kohta exclaimed in relief as Takashi couldn't help but crack another smirk.

"Thankfully not, but maybe let's avoid picking any more fights with 'Them' for a while, yeah? Now what do you say we get the hell out of here before more show up?" Takashi requested as Kohta and Saya both couldn't help but nod and smile at how nonchalant he was still trying to be after such a close call.

"You don't have to tell us twice." Kohta agreed as they began to make their way back, only for Takashi to let out a clearly painful groan as he suddenly collapsed onto his hip, clutching his right leg in pain.

"Komuro? What's wrong? What happened?" Saya asked worriedly as they both rushed to their leaders' side to see a decently sized cut run across his leg. Thankfully it looked like that was the extent of the damage, but it was still clear Takashi couldn't put any weight on that leg in this condition.

"Oh man, looks like some of the shrapnel from those grenades caught you, Komuro. Luckily it doesn't look like it hit any major arteries otherwise you'd be bleeding a lot more profusely." Kohta explained as he observed the wound; neither he nor Takashi noticing the sudden look of devastating realization in Saya's eyes as she kept rewinding those words in her head. Because she had to go and fly off the handle, she got Takashi hurt. She couldn't even find the will for words as she couldn't manage to completely wrap her head around this unbearable feeling of guilt.

"Yeah, lucky me…still hurts, though. Think you can help me up?" Takashi asked through gritted teeth as Kohta brought his leaders' arm over his shoulders and helped him back to his feet, Saya instantly joining and supporting Takashi's other side herself.

"Alright, let's get the hell out of here." Kohta announced as they both helped Takashi limp his way up the street back to the hotel.

 _A half hour later at the hotel…_

Once they finally rounded the last street corner to the hotel, Kohta and Saya continued to help Takashi the rest of the way as though the devil himself were on their heels. They couldn't believe how much they'd lucked out by not running into any large numbers of 'Them' along the way.

Once they'd made it through the door, they nearly had to come to a screeching halt when being greeted by Saeko's towering figure; whose once piercing serious expression instantly changed to one of shock and fear the instant she saw the cut on Takashi's leg.

"What on earth happened?! We heard an explosion, and when Rei-san's mother told me you'd all gone out, I was worried sick!" Saeko demanded as she immediately took Saya's place in helping keep Takashi supported while the shell-shocked genius collapsed into one of the chairs.

"It was an accident…a dumb accident. I was trying to help them learn how to aim better using one of 'Them' as target practice…but I didn't even notice it had a grenade on it until it was too late." Kohta replied, catching Saya off guard that he was actually covering for her, no doubt aware that if Saeko found out Saya's unusual recklessness got Takashi hurt, there would be absolute hell to pay.

"Alright, well it doesn't matter anymore, but swear to me you'll be more careful from now on. There's no telling how much worse things could turn out if you're not careful out there." Saeko reprimanded as she and Kohta proceeded to help their injured leader up the stairs; while Saya was now officially left to her own thoughts and guilt-driven worries.

With Saeko and Kohta bracing his sides, Takashi limped up the stairs and down the second-floor hallway. Eventually they managed to reach the hotel room Shizuka had set up as her new impromptu medical station. Saeko banged on the door several times before checking back to see how Takashi was holding up. His pained expressions were like daggers being shoved into her heart accompanied by hateful self-criticizing words screaming in her head; knowing that she should've been there to protect him and shield him from any and all harm.

"Who is it?" Shizuka called out in a playful chime as she could be heard rummaging around behind the door.

"It's us, Shizuka-sensei! Komuro-kun's been hurt and we need you to look at it!" Saeko called out urgently. Despite seeming like it was just a minor cut as far as laceration wounds went, she didn't want to run the risk of it becoming infected.

"Oh, dear; well let me see it then! Come on in." Shizuka gasped before she unlocked the door and swung it wide open before all three teens poured in to see both her and Frasier staring at them before looking down to see Takashi's bleeding leg.

"What the hell happened to him?!" Frasier nearly shouted as he sat on one of the tables as it looked like Shizuka had been in the middle of checking up on the stitches she'd given him a few days ago. Several used bandage wraps were hung loosely at the side of the makeshift operating table, discarded and drenched in what was now crusty red blood.

"Kohta-san was teaching Takagi-san and I to shoot, and we decided to use some of 'Them' as live target practice. None of us noticed one of them had some grenades strapped onto it, and well…I'm pretty sure you can guess the rest." Takashi barely answered through his teeth as Shizuka applied her special medical gel to the cut on his leg; making it feel like the muscles affected by it were on fire. His leg was twitching hard as she massaged this mysterious substance deeper into the muscle tissue; Saeko putting a hand on his shoulder to reassure him as Kohta did his best to keep Takashi's leg from kicking out at Shizuka from an uncontrollable reflex.

"It was just you three? You should've had backup with you." Frasier scolded as he didn't seem to show any concern towards Takashi's pain from the whole incident.

"I'll be sure to remember that next time. Argh...what the hell is in this crap anyhow? Why...does it...feel so good now?" Takashi grumbled before shifting his attention to Shizuka. The burning sensation in his leg suddenly felt all tingly and warm, causing him to feel fuzzy all over in his lower region.

"Don't worry about what's in it, honey. Just relax and let me clean this up so I can see how bad of a boo-boo you've got here." Shizuka dismissed in a rather affectionate tone before running a damp wash cloth over Takashi's wound; scrubbing the blood away long enough to see the extent of the damage he'd received.

"Well, looks like you were lucky with this one, Komuro-kun. I don't think you'll actually need any stitches for this one; just some time to let it scab over and heal on its own. I will need to check every now and then though to make sure you didn't catch any infections though. If anything seems out of the ordinary you come straight to me." Shizuka said with a deep sigh of relief as she thoroughly examined the injury, proceeding to wrap his upper thigh in light bandages before lightly patting it down.

"That's a great relief to hear. Thank you so much, Marikawa-sensei. I owe you for that one." Saeko said before bowing in respect to the group's nurse; her tone much more calm now as she was visibly pleased to hear that Takashi would be alright in the end.

"Oh, don't you thank me for that! Just be sure to keep him off his feet for a while and avoid stretching that region for a while. So no late night antics, if you know what I mean." Shizuka said in a rather humble tone before making a lewd comment that caused Kohta, Saeko, and Takashi to all blush wildly at the very idea she was insinuating. Frasier on the other hand looked like his face was going to split in two from sheer rage at the very thought of that happening with Saeko. He quickly regained composure though and sealed that horrid thought aside for the time being.

"You two can go now. Coincidentally enough, I actually wanted to ask both our young leaders something very important, and now here they are. You can have them back when I'm through with them." Shizuka suddenly announced to Kohta and Saeko,who both seemed curious about whatever the frisky school nurse intended to speak to Frasier and Takashi about, unable to prepare themselves when the significantly tall nurse escorted them outside before closing the door behind her back.

'Great. Now she's probably going to say something REALLY perverted.' both Takashi and Frasier thought at the exact same time as she seemed to have a rather pleased look on her face to have them in her presence without anyone else around.

"Sorry about all that, but I was thinking about how we've all been going through some very rough times lately. While some of us are natural fighters, the others simply can't go on like this forever. All the dying and fighting is going to eventually get to them in the worst possible way. So I want to propose that every day, I can have one or two of you sit down with me for roughly an hour to discuss how we feel. Think of me not just as a nurse to patch everyone up, but also a therapist to keep everyone smiling and in check! What do you think? Doesn't that sound like a wonderful idea?!" Shizuka began to express rather somberly before proposing her idea; managing to catch the two young men completely off guard; her voice returning to its typical high-pitched squeal of joy as she clearly had been thinking about this for some time now.

"I...yes, that actually DOES sound like a really good idea. Frasier-san, do you have anything to add?" Takashi stumbled at first before finding himself in complete agreement with the insanely voluptuous nurse, who formed the brightest smile she had shown in quite some time.

"Yay! I knew you'd be able to appreciate this idea, Komuro-kun!What about you, Frasier-kun? Please tell me what you think of it!" Shizuka exclaimed in proudly before leaning down and planting a kiss on his cheek, her wet lips leaving a mark on him as he nearly fell off the table. The eager nurse then turned her gaze to see Frasier's reaction to her one-on-one therapy plan.

"Hmm, I do suppose it couldn't hurt the others to give it a go. However, I will not be personally attending this little therapy session of yours, Marikawa-sensei." Frasier answered in agreement, only to then throw her a curveball that completely caught her off guard.

"Aww, but why? Everyone has been though something painful;even you, Frasier-kun! Please, won't you at least consider it for me?" Shizuka whined before gently shaking his arm; hoping he'd perhaps consider changing his mind just for her.

"What's there to consider? This plan of yours is for the weak-minded and those that were unprepared for the horrors of this world. My training has conditioned me both physically and mentally for it. I don't feel fear like you do. I won't let it control me. I will consume it instead." Frasier said in a grumble as both his fists clenched tight. His glare became fiercer by the second as it was quite clear he had zero intentions of going through with it.

"You know, Frasier-kun…you don't have to be strong all the time. Contrary to what you might believe, it's alright to let your guard down around those who care deeply about you. I promise,whatever it is we talk about will be completely confidential." Shizuka said in a somewhat hurt tone before gently resting her hand on his shoulder before he averted his gaze to the other side of the room, almost as if reconsidering his stance on the matter.

"With all due respect, Marikawa-sensei, there's nothing for us to talk about. My story is my own, and that shall never change so long as I breathe." Frasier said with a reluctant sigh before stating his own personal stance once again. Shizuka slowly bowed her head before she then caught both boys off guard a second time by wrapping her arms around Frasier; gently hugging him as he just sat there, entirely perplexed by the unexpected display of affection and motherly concern.

"I know you've had a rough life even before all of this. Marcus-kun and I would sometimes talk about what your father was like back in my office at the academy. How he'd push his military vision upon you three; but you most of all, Frasier-kun. Also,how you never had a mother to comfort you emotionally or even to tell you that she loves you. I can-" Shizuka gently whispered in his ear, sending chills down his back at the fact she knew far more than most did, especially more than he'd ever want anyone outside the family to know about. He quickly placed his palm over her mouth at the end when he'd simply heard enough.

"No! None of you even know the half of it. Don't try to be something you're not for my sake. I've come to terms with what I am because of HIM. What I SHALL become should I survive all of this. And I most certainly know what I can NEVER even hope to obtain in this lifetime. So please, I don't want to talk about myself. There's nothing there that a caring soul such as yourself should ever have to see. Just finish my examination so I can return to my duties." Frasier pleaded in a surprisingly raspy and emotionally drained tone; lowering his head as if he completely forgot that Takashi was sitting there listening in on the entire conversation; currently wishing that he could just get up and limp away back to his bed.

"I'm sorry, Frasier-kun. Should you ever change your mind, you are certainly more than welcome to join in. I promise it will be worth it." Shizuka said in a final offer before giving him a faint smile when he remained silent, almost as if debating with himself mentally on whether or not to accept the kind offer.

Moments later, Shizuka finished patching both leaders up; playfully kissing their fresh bandages as she enjoyed how red in the face she could make both of them with nothing more than a harmless little kiss. It couldn't help but make her sometimes wonder how they might react should she ever lose control of her rather powerful libido and drop all inhibition for just one night. However, she was fortunately able to focus most of the time and keep herself occupied long enough to satiate that hunger for when it was lights out and her roommate was asleep.

"Oi! You done in there yet, ya sour sod?" Marcus' voice suddenly called out through the door, only for him to walk in before Frasier could respond accordingly for his younger brothers' impatience.

"Just about, though you should watch the way you speak to your elders, Marcus. We are in an area where you can be patched up almost right away, so forgive me if I might be inclined to hit you even more than usual." Frasier replied with a flat tone that made it near impossible for anyone to tell if he was joking around or not.

"I'm just kidding, you grouchy bell-end! I do hope your cut looks better, though. Especially considering you got that from saving me and Noah." Marcus said with a nervous chuckle before showing some sympathy near the end as he still seemed to regret being part of the reason Frasier got that injury in the first place.

"Well you won't have to worry about it, Marcus-kun. At the rate he's healing, I'd say he only has another two weeks of this before its all better!" Shizuka said before Frasier pulled his black tank top back on and slowly slid off the table to take his leave.

"Good. Noah's had some ideas lately you might want to hear soon, by the way. The last few days, he's been in that little workshop of his down in the basement area. I swear he just can't stop with the ideas to improve this place…err, not that you haven't made any major contributions yourself." Marcus said rather happily before alerting Frasier about the activity level of their determined little brother.

"Sure. He can tell me once dinner is ready. I hope you like spaghetti, because that's what Alice picked…again." Frasier acknowledged as he warned Marcus of what they'd be having in just a few hours.

"Again? Ugh, who was it that let her pick all the packaged meals now?" Marcus grumbled before trying to recall aloud who made the choice to let the little girl of their group have executive choice in what they'd have for dinner every night.

"That would be you." Takashi answered with a smirk as he, Shizuka, and even Frasier lightly chuckled when the realization hit Marcus that he was in fact the one who promised to Alice that she could make a 'big decision' too, just like the grownups.

"Oh yeah...well, hopefully we'll run out of that one soon. I know there was more than just goddamn spaghetti in those packages. I swear if I ever see another plate of the stuff again, it'll be too soon." Marcus said after a short burst of laughter as he tried to recover from the blowback of his own question.

"Marcus-kun? Do you mind if I talk to you about something?" Hitomi's voice suddenly asked as Takashi, Marcus, Shizuka, and Frasier turned to see her standing in the open doorway with a look of uncertainty in her soft, beautiful eyes. The middle Lawson nodded with a smile as he stepped outside the room only to end up following Hitomi down the hallway so nobody could overhear whatever she was about to lay on him.

"So…I wanted to talk about us..." Hitomi began to say as Marcus knew something wasn't right already just by the way she delivered that line, leaving an uneasy feeling in his gut.

"Oh. I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" Marcus asked curiously as he placed a hand on her shoulder only for Hitomi to shake her head, giving him some reassurance; but not enough to stop worrying about what could've possibly been bothering her.

"I've been thinking about us lately. I really, really like you, and every time you enter the room or crack another joke, there's no use in me hiding a smile. Despite the age difference, there's so much we have in common that makes me want you as…well,more than just a friend." Hitomi began as she couldn't help but speak out in a deeply affectionate tone that made it quite clear Marcus meant a lot to her.

"But...?" Marcus questioned as he knew she wouldn't have dragged him out here just to say all of that.

"But...we've only known each other for two weeks now, and I shouldn't be so quick to jump into a relationship, especially in these hard times." Hitomi continued as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall while looking down somberly. Marcus could easily tell it was killing her to say this.

"I figured this was what you were getting at. Hitomi-chan…is that really what you want? Cause I really like you too..." Marcus said hesitantly before wanting to confirm her decision to slow down.

"Marcus-kun, surely I can't mean that much to you." Hitomi retorted as she couldn't help but be surprised at how hurt he sounded at the fact she was essentially breaking things off with him.

"That's not true! I just...you know...we had that one night together." Marcus awkwardly answered as he lightly kicked at the floor with both hands in his pockets now; struggling to keep his composure and emotions in check.

"I do, but we didn't do anything serious or irreversible. We just got drunk that one night and made out. It was after a long succession of stressful days. I should've been more focused on the matter at hand. I'm really sorry it got this far, and…I'm sorry it had to come to this." Hitomi acknowledged but still chose to remain firm with her decision, no matter how much it pained her inside due to how much she'd come to love everything about him in those two weeks.

"I understand…well, if you ever want to talk, I'll be around. Maybe when things calm down, and we can get evacuated, do you think…you'll still be interested in me?" Marcus suggested as he once again caught Hitomi off guard with his unexpected display of determination for her heart that couldn't help but make her heart both sing and weep at the same time.

"Of course I will be, Marcus-kun! Once we're safe and not surrounded by 'Them', I promise you right now, I'm all yours. But for now, let's just stick to surviving all of this, alright?" Hitomi swore eagerly; watching as he was able to form a faint, but noticeable nonetheless, smile.

"Alright. So long as this is what you want, then so be it. I guess I should go check on something. Somewhere else." Marcus said before taking off and leaving Hitomi to herself in the middle of the hallway, still looking down despite knowing this was for the best.

"Police gir-Hitomi-san; may I have a word with you?" Frasier suddenly announced; spurring Hitomi to turn around to see a part of him leaning out the doorway. Initially she was skeptical of him just like whenever else they talked, but the way he asked it genuinely sounded like he wasn't here to start trouble for once.

"What do you need, Frasier-san? Something tells me you aren't here for idle chit-chat." Hitomi questioned straightforwardly; trying her best to remain neutral in case he had something good to say for a change, all while trying to hide her obvious pain from what she only just finished discussing with Marcus.

"I guess I deserve that after the way I've been treating you, huh? All I wanted was to say I'm sorry for the way I've acted, especially for the way I've been treating you, Hitomi-san." Frasier sighed as he had anticipated Hitomi to still hold a grudge against him. Even so, there was a part of him that was just begging to tell her to stow away the crap long enough to let him finish.

"W-What? I'm sorry; I could've sworn you just said that you, Frasier Lawson, are apologizing for your attitude towards me?" Hitomi asked in bewilderment as she was visibly taken back by the unexpected apology from the last person on Earth she'd expect to be admitting any personal fault.

"Yeah, yeah; I've been a prick, what else is new? If you don't wanna hear it then I won't say it." Frasier grumbled before rolling his eyes in annoyance, feeling especially tempted to storm off and leave Hitomi by herself.

"No, no, it's just...well; to be honest this is truly unexpected, so you'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical at first. You've been on my case ever since we first met, constantly questioning my ability to keep everyone safe. But please, continue." Hitomi said as she tried to explain why she was so reluctant to hear him out.

"Surely you of all people should know that trust isn't something that should be so easily handed over. Granted, I haven't exactly made it easy in your case, but my brothers always have and always will be my top priority when it comes to survival; even if it ends up with me dying for them." Frasier mentioned before trying to help her understand his reasoning; as if trying to put her in his shoes so that she may better understand him.

"I suppose you do have your reasons for being so damn stubborn. I just wish you'd have accepted me by now." Hitomi replied in an undeniably hurt tone; showing him that despite her rough exterior, his words and lack of trust was what had affected her most.

"That's just it, Hitomi-san...I've only now realized the effects of your influence on Marcus. Ever since what happened at that cabin, he's been so reclusive and horrified to even step outside. But...but thanks to you, he's now back to being that smiling goofball that always cracks a stupid joke at the worst times, usually at my expense. I-I just wanted to say…thank you for putting up with my crap and being there for him in ways I simply cannot." Frasier admitted as he spoke of Hitomi like she was a blessing that he'd failed to appreciate until now. Her eyes instantly lit up as she was astonished to see him think so highly of her now.

"Frasier-kun...that's so sweet of you to say. I'm really at a loss for words right now. I know it's only been two weeks since this all started, but you should know that I will do whatever it takes to see our groups evacuated and taken as far away as possible from 'Them'. I'm sorry if I've been giving you a rough time when I should've just taken the high road." Hitomi said sincerely before gently hugging the towering young man, who had no response to the physical touch of the young officer; standing there awkwardly as she made it quite clear to him that his maturity and kind words had just made her day.

"Yeah...well, enough of this feelings bollocks. I said what I needed to say, so just keep up the good work…Officer." Frasier suddenly replied distantly as if he was trying to keep himself from showing too much emotion; detesting the thought of everyone feeling that he had gone soft now by opening up.

"Wait! I know it's been rough for any of you to say anything but...I don't suppose you'd be willing to talk about what happened with...you know?" Hitomi suddenly inquired as she was determined to figure things out once and for all.

At first Frasier paused to think of a reply to such a question. While it didn't bother him personally, he certainly felt if he allowed the rest of the group to know what happened at Joe's cabin, it could result in a panic. However, he also determined that if he wanted to fully gain their trust, he couldn't afford to withhold vital information from them any longer.

"Sure…but not here. After dinner, I'll let everyone know exactly what happened…I promise." Frasier reluctantly answered as he bowed his head, almost certain this would be a mistake in the end despite how a part of him now felt they deserved to know the truth, no matter how badly it might hurt them.

 _A few hours later…_

Johann sat alone his room as the others had no doubt begun to dig in downstairs. He looked out at the cityscape outside his window; silently wondering just how the rest of the world was managing to hold up by now. For all any of them knew, the rest of the world had managed to beat this thing and they simply got unlucky. Then again, who was to say anyone elsewhere in the world was even still alive anymore? The young German couldn't help but feel deep down that perhaps this was how it had to be from now on: every group concerned only for themselves as only the strongest would live another day. Another part of him then wondered how far this group would be willing to go to survive to see the end to this waking nightmare.

Before any more depressing thoughts could burrow into his head, there was a sudden knocking at his door. Johann slowly made his way over to open up; surprised to see Rei standing before him with a serving tray with two bowls on top of it. She had a calmingly pleasant smile to her as she walked inside and set it down on the edge of his bed.

"Do you mind if I join you, Johann?" Rei asked as she sat beside him and offered him his own individual serving of what looked like spaghetti once again, watching him slowly nod before taking it from her; feeling the warmth of the hot meal phasing through the ceramic bowl as he took a fork and began to twirl it around, unable to deny any longer how hungry he really was.

"I hate to sound rude, Rei, but why are you up here with me when you could be downstairs with everyone else?" Johann questioned as he couldn't imagine why she'd prefer his company to the rest of the group.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I had to get away from some of them. Takashi and Saeko-san have really been getting on my nerves lately. It's almost like they feel the need to show everyone they're together, and I just can't stand seeing it anymore. And not only that, but don't even get me started on Frasier-san. I swear someone really needs to teach him some manners." Rei confessed before she was soon unable to keep herself from expressing what seemed to bother her most of all amongst the people she knew she should've considered her second family by now; hating how bitter she felt inside despite thinking not too long ago that she had finally been able to accept her loss of Takashi's heart to the group's swordswoman.

"I'm sorry, Johann; you shouldn't have to hear all of that. After everything you've been through, my problems are so petty in comparison." Rei immediately apologized; worried that Johann would feel extremely awkward having to listen to her ranting on about her own issues.

"Don't be, Rei; you deserve to have someone listen to what bothers you too. Believe me, if I didn't want to hear it, I'd say so." Johann responded sincerely as Rei couldn't help but be surprised to see him willing to hear her out, feeling immensely grateful that she truly did have someone to confide with in him.

"Well there isn't much to say about it now. You already know how I felt about Takashi." Rei sighed as she shook her head to get rid of that image of him dwelling in her head.

Johann just sat there awkwardly, uncertain what to say now. Trying not to let the silence linger, he proceeded to suck up an entire strand of noodles that ended up slapping his cheek from the sudden force; leaving a bit of sauce on his cheek, causing Rei to inadvertently burst out giggling at the sight. Both of them proceeded to start laughing as he then realized how obvious and unsubtle he was when trying to slurp his food down. Rei offered him a small tissue from a whole box of them resting under a lampshade nearby, gently dabbing the spot on his upper left cheek before playfully tossing it at him; earning an amused grin from him before he noticed she'd hardly even started her own bowl.

"You should eat too, Rei. You've hardly touched your serving at all." Johann offered as she smiled in response before proceeding to eagerly chip away at the hearty meal, even if it was the same one for the fifth night in a row.

"Johann, do you think that perhaps one day things will actually return to the way they once were? Do you think we can really forget about the things we've had to do in order to survive?" Rei asked curiously, causing Johann to pause for a moment to think how he could possibly answer such a heavy question.

"To be honest, I have no idea. It's become obvious by this point the government has no means of fighting against 'Them' anymore. For now, I guess 'They' will mainly be found in cities and places with large concentrations of other survivors. But I'm sure in due time 'They' will start spreading out into the countryside to find more food. With any luck, before that happens, those residing in the country sides will have a plan, or at the very least be ready for 'Them'. As for if we can ever bring ourselves to forget the things we've seen and done…I really don't know." Johann said in a weary sigh as he couldn't help but feel that despite humanity being backed into a corner, there were still people who couldn't seem to understand the severity of the situation, and that it was essentially in the hands of whatever god there was what would become of them.

"I know I've asked you this before, but do you really think we can all survive this? How long do you think a group like this canhandle the tension of everything that's been happening?" Rei then asked as she held her knees together, resting her chin on them as she rocked back and forth a little, desperate for any kind of answer to set her worries at ease.

"It's hard to say. One day, we're finding a gold mine worth of supplies; and the next, we're fighting up to our necks in 'Them'. In all honesty, I guess it comes down to how much we're willing to put aside our differences and make use of our strengths." Johann said with a bit of uncertainty, hoping that nobody else would have to die from here on out, despite knowing that was just wishful thinking at this point.

"I'm sorry for all the questions, Johann. I…I just need to hear what others think, and so far your answers seem to be the most realistic, yet they always seem to have some hope behind them." Rei admitted shyly as Johann softly smiled at the sweet sentiment before things fell silent between them again.

"You know…we really miss your violin playing. It was really beautiful the other day when you played it at the mall. Hopefully, if you ever feel up for it, we can hear it again." Rei then commented in an almost dreamy tone of reminiscence; unknowingly causing Johann to suddenly form a rather gloomy expression.

"Perhaps...I don't know if I really can though. Playing such a fine instrument requires a strong emotional drive on my end, and as you can no doubt guess, nothing nice or inspiring would really be coming from me anytime soon. I'm very sorry to get your hopes up, Rei." Johann regretfully expressed, unwilling to see the no-doubt heartbreaking look of disappointment Rei must've had, not knowing that her face expressed nothing but more of her heartfelt sympathy as she understood everything behind his words.

"Please, don't feel like you have to be obliged to play for us. I'm sure you'll know when you're ready again when the time comes. I just want you to know and remember that I'm here for you, Johann; and I always will be. The rest of the group is here for you too, and I like to think even Frasier-san is here for you in an odd sense...even if he doesn't show it nearly as well as the others might." Rei comforted him as she didn't want to come off as selfish when talking about Johann playing the instrument again for them; instead wanting him to know she and their friends would be there whenever he'd need them, no matter what.

"So, Rei, you talked about staying in the same room with me at night from now on earlier? Well, I've been thinking about it, and…I-I think I'd like to give it a try, if you really meant it. I think I really could use the company." Johann suddenly yet hesitantly brought up before finally giving his long-awaited answer. For the first few seconds, Rei was extremely surprised to hear him say that; before a bright, joyful smile spread across her lips at his acceptance; her beautiful reddish-brown eyes practically sparkling.

"Really?! Oh, that's such a relief to hear, Johann! I promise you won't regret it." Rei expressed in great delight and cheer before gently hugging him. A faint smile formed on Johann's face as they just continued to talk on while the others were all finishing up downstairs.

 _Down in the Lobby…_

"Noah, do you mind if you take Zeke outside? It's been a while since he's been to the bathroom, and I don't want to tread in a 'present' again. And Marcus, go get the heater ready for our watch. It looks like it'll be quite chilly tonight." Frasier suddenly requested to his brothers before he began to trail off, still somewhat annoyed that he had to be the one to personally come across a 'landmine' before someone else could notice that Zeke hadn't been taken outside to relieve himself.

Some of the others lightly chuckled as Noah and Marcus nodded in acknowledgment before getting up to take their furry friend outside. Once Frasier was certain that they were alone, he then gazed upon the rest of the group gathered around the dinner table with a deathly serious look on his face.

"Listen, before you all break away for bed or whatever you intend to do tonight…I feel it's time I finally let you all know what occurred at the cabin a few days ago. Takagi-san, may want to cover Alice's ears." Frasier began to announce as the numerous survivors before him all immediately settled down while Saya covered Alice's ears, to which the little girl just pouted from being left out.

"Alright…you see, w-we..." Frasier began to say with great hesitation, knowing that if he told them what happened to Toshimi, it could really derail any morale the group once had. Mixed looks of concern filled their faces, but when he looked at Saeko and Hitomi, both girls simply nodded in encouragement before he cleared his throat in a rough cough.

"When we arrived at the cabin, it was being occupied by someone we felt we could trust: an American neighbor of Johann's named Joe. When we got there, all seemed well. The solar power was there and plentiful, weapons and munitions were in good supply; an isolated cabin large enough for all of us to stay comfortably was at the ready. It looked like a hidden paradise at first glance, like a perfect getaway where we could all wait this nightmare out. However, there was this feeling of suspicion I just couldn't get rid of, and when I tried to open the bloody fridge…that's when Joe showed his true colors. He'd spiked our drinks, and I was the only one still conscious. Had I not been blindsided by his friend, Buck, I surely could've killed him then and there.

"When we'd all woken up, we found ourselves bound in the basement. Those men…they explained how they were serial killers... and rapists. They kept taunting us about how they were going to kill us, and make us suffer dearly before it happened. But it was then that they forced us all to listen to something…unspeakable. Joe went upstairs and...H-he forced us all to listen to him rape Johann's girlfriend, Toshimi. We all had to listen to this inhuman cruelty, but I know that for Johann above anyone else the pain was too great for mere words. All the while those animals laughed at us, taunting us as if they knew we were going to die there.

"Luckily we were able to barely overpower Buck, although he attempted to even sodomize Noah before it was all over. Marcus was the one who killed him. He used a piece of wood from the chair he'd managed to smash and drove it into that fucker's ear.I know that knowledge still haunts him, but I can't even imagine how terrified poor Noah was, knowing what he'd just barely avoided thanks to Marcus. By the time they'd managed to get me free, was when we ran into Johann after he'd made his way upstairs amid all the confusion. He was covered in blood when we saw him. I knew from the second I saw him that Joe had been taken care of as well.

"When things finally seemed to be in our control again, we went upstairs to free Toshimi and Joe's daughters. There were no daughters, and Toshimi was severely crippled. Both her legs had been severed clean; her body beaten and bruised, barely kept alive with medicine and a near broken spirit. As for Johann, the poor bloke wanted to bring her back so badly, convinced himself that we could save her still. When I made him see the reality of it all, I saw his spirit completely and utterly break beyond whispered something to him in the end, I don't know what it was, but I like to think it helped him understand what had to be done a bit better.

"Once Noah had taken Johann out of that room, it was just me and her left. I just gazed down upon her at first. The marks of pain and suffering that painted her body contrasted so sharply with that…strange look of calm and acceptance in her eye, but that didn't deter me from what I had to do, for I was trained to endure shocking situations and react accordingly. Nobody should ever have to suffer like she did…and so I ended it for her. After looting the dugout not too far away, I burned that god-forsaken cabin to the ground, and all the horrors that took place within its walls." Frasier finally finished as he couldn't speak in his typically firm, no-nonsense tone, but instead a rather emotionally driven one that showed genuine grief behind it. Bowing his head as he couldn't even look them in the eyes now.

Takashi's group however was in complete disarray. Kohta seemed visibly shaken by such a horrid description as he gripped the fork he'd been playing with to the point his knuckles turned white; Saya and Saeko each displayed looks of disgust and immense fear at the thought of someone being able to do such horrible things to another person. Shizuka bowed her head in sorrow as she felt immeasurable sadness not only for Toshimi,but Johann as well. The sorrow he must've felt, she couldn't even begin to comprehend how he handled it for as long as he did. Kiriko just bowed her head silently before closing her eyes tight, now fully understanding beyond question just why Johann had been so distant, as well as his motive for wandering off. Takashi on the other hand was wide eyed as he'd become very pale from hearing all of this. His chest began to hyperventilate as he then tried to stand up only to tumble over.

"Komuro-kun?!" Saeko cried out of concern as everyone quickly rushed over to see what had happened to him. Uncertain whether it had to do with his wound or the fact he'd just sat through what was easily the most tragic and terrifying story he'd heard in a long time.

"Stand back and let me see him." Shizuka requested urgently before they backed away long enough to let her determine what was going on with their beloved leader. Her hands felt all over his forehead and face before moving down to his chest, checking to make sure his vitals were still in balance.

"I'm fine, everyone. I-I just n-need to go lie down." Takashi suddenly said weakly; causing the group to become startled at his sudden recovery as Shizuka nearly leapt back into Saya and Kiriko.

"A-Are you sure? If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up, Komuro-kun." Shizuka questioned before he pulled away from the group to head for his room; the rest looking on with concern for their leader's health after two incidents on this day alone.

"I should go to him. Goodnight, everyone." Saeko stated seriously as she grabbed Takashi's red leather jacket he'd left resting on the neck of his chair.

"Good night." Saya and Kiriko said in sorrowful mutters while the rest of the group stood around awkwardly, uncertain what to do now before one by one, they all left to try and sleep after hearing such a chilling story; hoping to whatever God might be out there that they wouldn't have to share a similar fate, leaving just Frasier and Hitomi to clean up the plates left behind.

"Did that go well? They looked afraid and ready to start panicking. Yet, at the same time here I feel like I did the right thing." Frasier suddenly asked Hitomi as they both finished putting away the last of the silverware after several minutes of unbearable silence.

"The truth isn't always easy to hear, but telling them lies and giving them false hope would make them blind to the reality we're now in. I hate to admit it, but I'm kind of proud of you for actually going through with this, Frasier-san." Hitomi replied to reassure him that this act of honesty was the right choice, no matter how badly it might've been going against his instincts.

"I see. Well, let's just hope they'll be ready for the challenges we might face out there." Frasier remarked as he found himself wondering what they might face next and how ready the others would really be for it.

"With such a diverse group with such varied skills like ours, I say bring it on." Hitomi chuckled, causing Frasier to form a half smile at the remark. He then slowly looked down as if there was something else on his mind now.

"You remember when you and Noah asked about my motives for staying? Just after we'd barely survived that skirmish with that horde at Onbetsu Bridge?" Frasier suddenly recalled as Hitomi looked at him puzzled for a moment, trying to think back on the event that took place just less than two weeks ago when all of this was still fresh and chaotic.

"I…wait...I do now that you mention it. I also recall how quick you were to change the subject. Why? Feel the need to confess something?" Hitomi stumbled at first before suddenly remembering exactly what he was going on about.

"Yes. I stayed not for you or for the rest of the survivors in the city. I did it because on one of the private security terminals, I noticed someone I cared deeply for was still alive and near of that accursed bridge. Truth be told, I would've ditched you all right then and there had I not seen that terminal." Frasier explained as the look of shock on Hitomi's face only grew wider the longer he went on.

"You did what?! I-I-I can't believe you used me, my friends and fellow officers like that! Good people died because of you! But…but you also did it for someone you loved rather than to just save yourself..." Hitomi gasped as she kept bouncing back and forth between anger and a warm look of strange approval. Her voice trailed off gently once she finally realized that in the end, he made a sacrifice for someone he cared about that wasn't related to him by blood, something she never would've imagined him being capable of doing.

"Forgive me for the deception. I wish there was another way, but what happened, happened. I understand if you're furious at , I wouldn't blame you. But I don't regret saving her." Frasier sighed in a genuinely apologetic tone before he suddenly noticed Hitomi no longer appeared to be angry with him. No, instead she just formed a soft smile when hearing something she'd never expect to hear from the likes of Frasier.

"Awwww...and here I thought you were a heartless prick. True, you lied and almost got us killed, but you also did it for a girl you love, which is very sweet. As much as I want to, I honestly can't stay mad at you for such a thing." Hitomi suddenly said before she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging the eldest Lawson, and leaving him with no idea how to react to her sudden display of affection; standing there somewhat shy and embarrassed as she held him tight.

"This isn't necessary, Hitomi-san. Let go, please." Frasier requested as he still remained awkward as ever when receiving affection from another human being; watching Hitomi giggle to herself as she found it rather amusing how vulnerable he seemed right now at something as simple as a hug.

"Don't worry, Frasier-san. As of now, consider yourself on my good side. Go get some rest now. I think you've earned it." Hitomi calmly suggested as she leaned against the counter with a smile on her face.

"I'm on watch though." Frasier noted as Hitomi just stared at him blankly for a moment, somewhat caught off guard as she then began to laugh.

"Oh. Well go upstairs then and watch over us then so I can get some rest." Hitomi rephrased in the exact same tone, causing Frasier to let out a humored grunt before walking away to do just that. Hitomi couldn't help but smile to herself as she felt that perhaps he wasn't a lost cause after all.

Minutes before, upstairs…

Rei meanwhile had just closed the door to Johann's room before slowly walking down the hallway to see Takashi rushing past her, looking like he'd just seen a ghost. When she tried to reach out to him, he didn't even respond to her even for a second. Rei couldn't help but frown in disappointment as it felt he wouldn't even acknowledge her very existence now.

She then looked down the hall to see Saeko heading her way as well. She could see Takashi's red leather jacket tucked under her left arm as she purposefully strode down the hall. Something about seeing her with his clothes really boiled Rei's blood as she suddenly stepped directly in Saeko's way to cut her off. The young swordswoman stopped just in time before looking to see Rei glaring directly into her eyes.

"Oh, I almost didn't see you there, Rei-san. Do you need something?" Saeko said in a borderline sarcastic tone as she could clearly tell something was really bothering Rei.

"Yeah...I want to know what made you think you could take him from me." Rei suddenly announced in a low growl as she clenched her fists. Saeko was surprisingly taken aback by the upfront and unexpected aggression before she could even consider it had something to do with Takashi.

"I suppose this conversation was inevitable..." Saeko sighed softly as she looked away, as if a part of her was afraid of how Rei would react.

You're damn right this was inevitable! How could you steal Takashi from me?!" Rei scorned as Saeko then looked back at her with an ice cold glare, having to refrain from retaliating out of spite.

"Well what do you want me to say, Rei-san? There's no point in hiding my feelings for Komuro-kun any more than you can." Saeko responded in a very firm tone that made it very clear to Rei that she wasn't going to back down so easily; showing no regret for her actions as the two faced off just a few centimeters apart from each other.

"He's one of the only things I have left now! I could've had him back and to myself if you didn't get in the way!" Rei growled as she clenched both fists, desperately trying to keep her voice from rising any higher.

"Listen to yourself, Rei-san! He still cares about you! He cares about all of us, and you'd see that if you could put aside your jealousy for one minute! Even you can't deny that without him,none of us would still be here. He's our leader, and he has endured so much to keep us together through these rough times. At one point, if he wasn't there for me, I don't think I would've made it this far." Saeko said in an attempt to calm Rei down as she spoke in a hushed whisper; knowing the situation would only become much worse if any of the others were to see them fighting like this.

"I don't believe that. You're the strongest one in our group...you don't need him like I do!" Rei proclaimed as she shook her head in total denial; convinced that Saeko had to be lying at the end to trick her.

"That's where you're wrong, Rei-san. Do you remember when we were separated that one night; after we managed to escape Takagi-san's house?" Saeko softly expressed as she looked at her with a rather regretful look in her eyes.

"Yeah? What about it...?" Rei questioned as she felt especially annoyed to be reminded of that night especially; how she recalled constantly fretting and worrying for both Takashi's safety and what Saeko might've done without her to intervene.

"At that point, I was so consumed by this living nightmare, it was to the point I was willing to let myself die in one last glorious fight; slaughtering the dead, slicing and cutting 'Them' down until my last breath was drawn, throwing myself to the hordes with no intentions of coming back to you all. How could I possibly live when someone very close to me was possibly dead? Even if he wasn't dead, how could HE love someone like ME? Komuro-kun helped me forget about all my sadness that night. He helped me remember that I had so much more to live on for." Saeko spoke in a deep, somber mutter that caused Rei to pause for a moment, clearly taken aback by how broken Saeko seemed at this moment despite her previous impression of her being somewhat invincible.

"What did you two do at the shrine? Please... it's been killing me just dwelling on it over and over again. I need to know right now." Rei suddenly asked quietly as she couldn't stop thinking of how they had an entire night together. That thought alone burned her on the inside as she tried to ignore the fact that twenty minutes alone would've been enough for plenty of things to occur.

"He kissed me...simple as that. Komuro-kun reminded me that beneath the strong walls I've put up for myself and all to see, deep down I'm not only still human, but still a woman as well. He made me feel important, like he couldn't go on either without me by his side. For a moment, I felt wanted and even more alive than when I...look, just know that he's happy, and I promise to never hurt him." Saeko said in a rather pleased tone as she recalled how their first kiss had managed to calm her nerves after revealing her dark side to him; how he was able to calm the storm in a way no other person had ever done before in her life.

"It's not fair...I was so close to having him back, but then you came out of nowhere and stole him from me." Rei suddenly began to mutter in a weakened voice, trying her best to fight the tears that tried to break loose and trickle down her cheeks.

"I'm really sorry it went down this path, truly I am; but he's a man now, Rei-san. It's my personal duty as a woman to keep his pride and honor intact; to ensure that he can continue leading this group without any doubt in his abilities. Please, try not to be sad over him. He might not show it directly, but it still hurts him when you're feeling sad. Please be happy for his choice and know that no matter what, I will do everything I can to protect all of you the same way I would protect him." Saeko said in an attempt to reconcile and comfort the hurt young woman; trying to slowly reach out to her before her hand was lightly swatted away; understanding how if it were the other way around, she would most likely be just as upset, if not more volatile about it.

"Just go back to him, Busujima-san. It was stupid of me to actually think I would feel any better talking about this with you. It's only made things so much worse..." Rei muttered in defeat as she wished that she had just kept on walking; to keep closing up those emotions that slowly ate away at her over having to spill them out like a child who had yet learned to control them.

"I understand that you're angry and hurting inside. When the time comes and you've calmed down, I'd be more than willing to talk about it. I want to be your friend here, Rei-san; but you need to let go of this grudge before it eats away at you." Saeko said as she now spoke in a supportive voice, as if trying to instill some hope into Rei.

"Whatever, I don't need your friendship. I just need him..." Rei growled dismissively as she turned away from Saeko with her arms crossed. Clearly there was nothing else to be said as Saeko calmly passed her by and began to walk up the stairs to put away Takashi's jacket for him.

"Wait...before you go back to him...who was it that you thought for certain was dead; the one that you once cared for, Busujima-san?" Rei suddenly asked as she couldn't help but feel a strong sense of curiosity take over her.

"It doesn't matter, Rei-san. It turns out he's still alive and strong as ever. Now please...try to get some rest. Perhaps tomorrow we can train together to help let some steam off. There's a small gym in a sector of this hotel where we can practice. At least just think about it." Saeko responded before offering the emotionally distressed girl a chance to get some much needed payback. Rei at first remained silent but eventually she just nodded in acceptance, causing Saeko to smile before she soon vanished from sight, leaving Rei to her thoughts as she sighed, wishing once again that she had Takashi's heart again.

Inside his room, Johann had finally managed to get himself comfortable in his bed for what felt like the first time in years. The last several days of mourning had virtually robbed him of all the sleep he should've had over that time, and now he could practically feel his entire body was drained of all energy, ready to finally slip into the welcoming embrace of sleep once more. However, just as he was about to finally close his eyes, the sound of his door creaking open accompanied by the dim lights of the hallways spurred him awake. As the door slowly shut closed, his ears soon picked up the sound of soft footsteps slowly approaching the neighboring bed next to his; no doubt Rei getting ready for the very first night of their proposed room sharing.

Just as he was ready to finally put an end to this exhausting day, he suddenly felt himself being shaken ever so gently, prompting to roll onto his back to find Rei standing over his bedside; the look in her eyes expressing some kind of intent he couldn't have begun to guess.

"Rei…is something wrong?" Johann asked tiredly as he realized rei looked to be in serious mental debate as to whether she should actually say whatever was on her mind, all before she finally took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Johann…would it be alright if…if I sleep with you tonight?" Rei asked with the utmost hesitation, and for a second, Johann had to mentally step back to make sure his exhaustion wasn't playing tricks on him as Rei never broke her focus on him.

"Please, is it okay if I share your bed with you tonight?" Rei asked once more, clearing the air unknowingly for him as he wordlessly opened the blankets for the rest of the bed next to him for her. With a deeply grateful smile adorning her beautiful face, Rei wasted no time climbing into the bed and getting herself situated under the covers beside the dumbstruck German as she pulled the covers over herself.

"Good night, Johann." Rei softly whispered before the room was finally left in complete silence, with Johann still lying wide awake once more as he couldn't imagine what would prompt this amazing girl to want to share his bed with him while there was another she could have all to herself. But nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to complain. Rei had gone so far out of her way for him in so many ways since her group first came here, what right did he have to complain if this was what she wanted?

However, he soon picked up the unmistakable sound of the softest weeping coming from right beside him, and the very sound of it gave Johann a horrible twisting feeling in his gut as he all at once realized he wasn't hearing things. He should've known something had to still be troubling Rei to make her want to be this close to him, but he never would've thought it was bad enough to drive her to tears like this.

He already knew at once he couldn't stand the sight of Rei crying, so he wasted no time rolling back onto his side to look at her as she had her face buried into her pillow. As much as the young man didn't want to startle her by calling her name, he still wanted to do something, anything, to make her forget her troubles.

"Rei?" Johann whispered softly in the hopes of getting her attention, all while silently preparing for her to tell him how she didn't want to talk about whatever was troubling her so badly.

However, instead of words, Johann was suddenly met with Rei unexpectedly reaching out and wrapping her slender, toned arms around him in a desperate embrace; this time not hugging him as a means of comforting him, but rather hugging him the same way a small child would desperately clutch onto her favorite stuffed animal in desperate need of comforting of her own.

At a complete loss for words, Johann could only struggle to wrap his mind around what to do here as he tried to process where he was now: sharing his bed with the beautiful young woman who'd managed to bring him back from the verge of an emotional abyss; with her holding onto him like her one true source of comfort in the world, being enveloped by the almost otherworldly warmth of her body as she continued to quietly cry into his chest.

As if he'd lost all control over himself, watching his body from the outside, Johann slowly brought his arms around Rei's delicate form in return, slowly and gently running his fingers through her long silk-smooth brown hair while holding her close, almost effectively bringing her tears to a stop as her grip on him became less emotionally desperate and more affectionately tight.

Johann couldn't even begin to try and process all the emotions that must've been flying about in the air around them at this point, but at the same time he realized he didn't care. Rei had quickly come to be one of his closest friends in the group since she'd first arrived, and it only felt right for him to be here for her for once, and it was just before he finally fell asleep that he realized that he didn't mind the idea of being here for her this way more than once if he needed to.

That night, the both of them slept more peacefully than they had in what felt like ages.

 _Meanwhile upstairs…_

Saeko slowly pushed open the door to the room she'd been sharing with Takashi for the last six days. His head began to slowly rise up from the soft pillow he'd been using; forming a soft smile of relief to see it was his beloved samurai. She slowly knelt down by the bedside, gently holding her palm to his forehead to see if he was running a fever. Luckily he'd managed to cool off and seemed fine for the time being.

"Seems like you're feeling better already. Do you want to talk about anything?" Saeko noted in a relieved sigh before inquiring upon Takashi's innermost thoughts.

"Yeah, I guess the shock of it all just hit me a bit harder than I was expecting it to. Hearing about such horrible, vile acts; and from one of the living on top of that! No, it couldn't be 'Them', it had to be one of the few living survivors left in the entire world. It made me think of you, Rei, Takagi-san, everyone now that I think about it..." Takashi answered as he proceeded to express his worst fears of what other survivors had proven to be capable of; making the list of people he could potentially trust even smaller.

"Komuro-kun, please relax. We'll be okay. You need to control yourself though..." Saeko began to instruct in a calm yet concerned coo before he then sat up and swatted his sheets aside.

"That could've been us, Saeko-chan! Us! And it would've been my entire fault too! There's no telling how bad things will get now that it's every man for himself out there. The responsibility has been chewing me up inside lately, and this isn't helping-" Takashi snapped in a more emotional outcry that caused Saeko to initially reel back out of surprise. Pain loosely hung from his words as he made it quite clear the leadership role he'd taken up was finally taking a toll on his mind. Before he could continue his rant, he was soon interrupted by Saeko's soft lips pressing lightly against his.

The unexpected kiss heated up as Saeko pulled back for a moment only to then grasp both his shoulders, shoving him back into bed; playfully straddling his waistline as she then pinned his wrists above his head and continued to kiss him. Takashi closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling Saeko closer to him; her amazing breasts pressing down against his chest. She took one of his hands and gently guided it past her shirt and under her black-laced bra; Takashi realizing that her soft, pink nub of a nipple was erect with excitement.

"Let me help you forget your troubles for tonight, Komuro-kun." Saeko whispered in a seductive hush, her warm breath creeping down his neck as she then pulled him even closer to her chest, hoping to keep her man stable long enough so that he may lead them ever onward into a new day; doing her self-assigned duty as a woman to ensure this great man to her would be the best he could be thanks to her efforts, a soft moan escaping her lips as the night was still young.


	11. Chapter 11: You Are Not Alone

**Z-Day+14**

Takashi felt himself slowly waking up in the now familiar comfort of his bed. At first it was pitch black around him, but eventually his eyes could see it was early morning. The window had been left open from last night, which had allowed the sun to bathe the room in a pleasant orange glow. The temperature was rather moderate for once, although under the blankets it almost felt like a furnace. Takashi blinked several times before his brain registered he was staring blankly at the ceiling.

Before he could even begin to think, he suddenly noticed that his chest felt heavier than usual. He glanced downward to see Saeko's head gently resting on it. He instantly recalled how she had helped him calm down last night from the overwhelming stress; how she'd allowed him to feel her breasts, leading to an intense make out session, stopped from going any further only by their lack of protection.

He gently ran his fingers through her long, soft, dark violet hair; a contented smile slowly forming on his face. He had never felt so sure about being with someone else before. Her beauty was one thing, but her overwhelming confidence and strong sense of loyalty really made her a one of a kind girl. Takashi felt so many mixed feelings around Saeko. At times he utterly feared how far her dark side could potentially go, always silently hoping it would never reveal itself to the rest of the group anytime soon. At other times, he felt a deep sense of admiration and trust for Saeko, as if certain she would always be there for him no matter what.

Her nose slightly twitched before her cold hands lightly wrapped around his palm before her sharp crystal blue eyes opened up, only for her lips to form a warm smile to find herself waking before her man. She slowly got to her knees before letting out a refreshed yawn, both arms stretching out as her voluptuous chest pressed outwards; catching his eyes as she formed a sly grin that made it clear to him that she could tell he was staring.

"Good morning, Komuro-kun. I take it you slept well then?" Saeko's soft yet dominant voice asked invitingly as Takashi smiled before giving a simple nod in response, as if she'd inadvertently stolen his breath.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're doing alright now. You've had me worried lately, what with you getting injured and blacking out after what Frasier-san told us yesterday." Saeko said in a more concerned tone as her eyes trailed down to his bandaged leg only to then look back into his eyes.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Saeko-chan. It's just that I've been thinking about all the stuff that's happened to us up to this point; all the people we've lost…it hurts to think about sometimes. My best friend Hisashi, Hiro-san, Asami-san, my neighbor Seto-san;even the fact I essentially killed another survivor…it still haunts me at times, even if he was going to take Rei by force...sometimes, I can still hear his screams, and it makes me think of how I just left him there while 'They' were all swarming in." Takashi began to recollect with a somber sigh as Saeko sat there and listened to him express his regrets.

Before Takashi could further express his pain, Saeko gently pulled him in and began to cradle him; lightly humming, and to his surprise, it actually felt calming for a moment before he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head that caused him to grasp his temples. A rough groan escaped his lips as she began to rub his shoulders and continue to rock him back and forth.

"I think you should go see Marikawa-sensei before this gets out of hand." Saeko said in more of a direct order than a concerned suggestion, helping him out of bed before they proceeded to her room, only to see the door was wide open and she was nowhere to be seen.

"Hmm, I guess she's up and about now. Go check for her upstairs while I go get breakfast started Afterwards; I can run you a nice hot bath." Saeko suggested as Takashi blushed and practically froze at the idea of her doing such a thing, especially with the fact she would see him naked in the process.

"Thank you; you're really something else, Saeko-chan. I don't know what I'd do without you." Takashi expressed gratefully before gently kissing her cheek out of affection.

"You'd probably be dead." Saeko said in a dead serious tone before she noticed the rather shocked expression on Takashi's face in response.

"I was just kidding! I'm sure you're more than strong enough to survive this without me. You are our leader after all." Saeko relented as he then smiled before the two parted ways; Saeko smiling at first before suddenly realizing she had walked out without any socks on. Her feet now felt an uncomfortable chill that prompted her to run back to her room and change while she was at it.

With a pair of long black socks now covering her feet and shins, Saeko walked down the hallway alone as she began to hum the tune to an old song she had used to listen to as a little girl; all the while noticing how the doors to most of the rooms were wide open, but the inhabitants belonging to them were absent and most likely downstairs still trying to wake up. When she looked at Frasier's door, it was still sealed shut, instantly piquing her curiosity.

The door made little to no sound as she was extra careful to not alert him should he still have been inside. Her eyes scanned the room only to then notice his large figure slumped over sideways on the furthest bed by the window. As she calmly approached him, she noticed how clean and organized everything still was in the room, unable to help but feel somewhat impressed at how disciplined he was able to remain even in the face of the disorder and chaos that ran rampant outside of their established home.

On the nightstand she noticed a small picture positioned facedown, held in place by the hilt of his combat knife resting upon it. She carefully reached for it and picked it up to see the sides had been torn before flipping it over to see what was on it. To her surprise, the image appeared to be that of a black Labrador puppy sitting down with several other dogs obscured due to the ripped up sides. Intrigued where he found this, she could only assume it was back at the mall in that pet store, but as to why he'd bother to take it in the first place was anyone's guess.

Frasier suddenly let out a low grown, causing Saeko to slightly flinch back in surprise, certain that she had woken him up. However, she watched as he began to squirm beneath the blankets for a moment. A painful expression took over his otherwise peaceful face as his head began to shake back and forth. His left hand began to run against the side of his head, as if feeling for something before his eyes shot wide open. His breathing was heavy as he looked surprised to see her towering over him with a look of curiosity.

"Saeko? W-What are you doing in my room?" Frasier grumbled tiredly as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, trying to keep from sounding too annoyed that she once again snuck up on him.

"I just noticed you weren't up yet so I thought I'd check up on you. Are you alright? You looked like you were having a pretty bad dream." Saeko answered only for her tone to fade into one of concern, clearly not used to seeing Frasier look so vulnerable.

"It doesn't matter; I'm fine now, so let's just get on with the day. Did anyone make breakfast yet?" Frasier answered dismissively, doing his best to avoid being direct.

"I don't think so. I was just about to do it myself. Maybe you'd like to help me now that you're up?" Saeko replied before she looked at him with a faint smile as if hoping he'd be in the mood to take her up on the offer. Frasier sat there for a moment as if he were carefully contemplating his next choice of words.

"Sure, although I highly doubt I can make anything noteworthy like you did a few nights ago." Frasier responded as he stretched both arms forward, his fingers interlacing with one another as Saeko smiled at the compliment.

"Well then maybe you just need a lesson. Allow me to teach you the basics." Saeko then suggested in determination before unexpectedly grabbing his wrists, somehow managing to pull him out of bed. Frasier stumbled at first from the unexpected pull, his head briefly pressing against her heart, hearing it beat for a just moment before shyly pulling away; not even noticing the affectionate smile she now had before he began to walk for the door with her following close behind.

"So how does your back feel now? I hope you're recovering well after what happened." Saeko suddenly said as they walked down the stairwell together.

"I'm recovering quite fast actually. Just one more day left and my stitches can finally come out. Why do you ask?" Frasier answered with an unmistakable air of eagerness in his tone. The sooner he could finally go back out into the fray without everyone hounding him over his injuries, the better.

"I just wanted to be sure you'd be alright. I mean, the only reason you got hurt was because you had to save me, after all." Saeko explained as Frasier found himself stopping when he realized where she was really coming from.

"What? You mean back in that construction ditch? Are you telling me you still don't forgive yourself for that?" Frasier asked as he looked back to see she was visibly upset, both arms crossed as she couldn't help but look away now out of shame.

"How can I? I allowed you, a close and irreplaceable person in my life, to get hurt in an effort to protect me. There's no greater shame than that for someone like me! I-" Saeko exclaimed with both eyes closed as her voice lost that sense of complete control she always seemed to possess, giving way to her emotions as she tried to say more, only for Frasier's hand to suddenly cover her mouth as if he'd heard enough. She looked back to him to see he had a dead serious gaze in his eyes now.

"Stop it. Saeko-chan, I would risk myself a thousand times over for you if I had to. You're the only person I could ever really talk to outside my family Losing you would be an unacceptable loss for me as well. Just don't let it happen again and everything willbe fine between us, okay?" Frasier reprimanded in a firm yet emotionally backed up tone as Saeko stared at him in awe at how strongly the emotion rang in his words.

She always knew he considered her a friend after knowing him for so long, but to hear him actually say it in such a manner as he did was a completely different experience. Her heart was now beating hard as she gazed into his eyes before he released his hand; watching as he began to continue downstairs while she couldn't help but feel an intense warmth inside to hear him say such sweet words in regard to herself, realizing just then he had addressed her with 'chan' instead of 'san' like he always had before; leaving her curious now if that had been intentional or not. Saeko then began to gently hum that song again more cheerfully as she proceeded to walk downstairs to join him in the kitchen.

Meanwhile up on the roof, Marcus was carrying two heavy bags of dirt, setting one down before opening up the other; slowly but steadily pouring its contents into a wooden frame Noah and Khota had set up a couple days ago in what was officially their little workshop down in the basement. A quick gust of wind suddenly blew up, causing some of it to blow back into his face, leaving him lightly coughing and rapidly spitting in response before he could hear Hitomi and Shizuka giggling at his dirt covered face.

"Aww, poor Markie-kun! Do you need a glass of water?" Shizuka offered as she couldn't help but find it cute how mucky he now appeared, as if he were a mischievous child who had been playing outside.

"No...I'm fine, just got some in my mouth! I swear, I should've just let Noah or Frasier handle this!" Marcus replied as he tried to wipe the dirt from his face and spit it out at the same time, still somewhat disappointed that he got the short straw here having to lug around the dirt.

"Here. Stay still, sweetie, and let me clean that up for you." Shizuka said in a motherly tone as she began to gently run a hand cloth around his face, gently dabbing and brushing away the dirt so Marcus could actually see again; inadvertently giving him a prime view into her ridiculously bountiful cleavage thanks to the low-cut top she'd chosen to wear.

"Aren't we lucky to have such a strong man around to help us?" Hitomi said rather flirtatiously as Shizuka couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Oh, most definitely! I think someone's starting to grow some muscles on those arms." Shizuka added as Marcus couldn't help but feel motivated for the rest of the year now after hearing such high praise from these two unbelievable beauties.

"You think so? I mean, I thought I saw some definition coming in when looking in the mirror the other night, but I'm glad to hear it from somebody else." Marcus replied rather flustered as he proceeded to flex one of his arms, earning another round of laughter and giggles from the two stunning women before him; his attitude practically making a full 180 as he didn't regret the job nearly as much now.

"Just promise not to become a beast, alright? I think you look fine the way you do now." Hitomi joked as Marcus simply smirked at the cheeky remark, feeling quite happy that they could still be friendly and joke around despite putting their relationship on hiatus.

"No promises." Marcus retorted before spreading out the second bag of dirt, taking good care to not let another cloud of dirt to catch him off guard; all the while not noticing how both Hitomi and Shizuka were smiling at how refreshing it was to see that he was still able to put on a smile despite the experiences he'd recently endured. They couldn't help but feel somewhat inspired by his spirit.

Moments later, Noah walked upstairs to see Marcus tossing the last of the dirt onto the foundation he'd created. He wore an immensely satisfied smile as he began to inspect it, making sure everything looked like it did from the manuals he'd been studying.

"This looks brilliant so far, Marcus. Hope it wasn't too much trouble for you." Noah complimented as he couldn't help but feel eager at the sight of his ingenuity now coming to fruition; feeling quite accomplished at what would soon become an invaluable source of food for the group so they wouldn't need to go out and scavenge nearly as much so long as the weather bode well.

"I still say we should've had Frasier do this. He actually enjoys manual labor for some unimaginable reason." Marcus grumbled as he still felt a tad bit annoyed at having to be the one to do the dirty work here.

"Oh I'm sure he would, but he still should be resting until those stitches are out. Besides, the job isn't over yet. See, I cocked up one of the measurements, so long story short; we need more raw materials to get the water catcher system going. Want to come scavenge some parts with me?" Noah stated reluctantly as Marcus seemed to be in agreement to the idea of them handling a run on their own.

"Hold on, just the two of you out there? I don't think so; at least not without backup." Hitomi instantly objected; her voice immediately taking on that familiar sharpness of authority.

"We can handle it this time. I already know the way there, and 'They' haven't been very active in the area. It really isn't far off from the hotel, and a small team would be best to avoid drawing in attention." Noah argued, more confident in himself than usual. Both Hitomi and Shizuka seemed visibly taken aback at the unexpected change of attitude.

"Still...perhaps you should go tell Frasier first and make sure he's alright with it. After all, he's the one in charge of your group." Shizuka suggested, earning a look of annoyance from Hitomi.

"In charge amongst the three of them, you mean. Johann-kun and I were never really under his leadership; we just kinda happened to tag along until your group showed up. Besides, I'm a police officer!" Hitomi corrected in an attempt to defend her pride.

"But he's the equivalent of a soldier. Don't they technically get command priority over police?" Marcus said with a smirk, only to realize Hitomi didn't find it nearly as amusing as he did.

"I think you should go find that out with Frasier-san before that cute butt of yours is tossed off the roof…by accident of course." Hitomi said with a somewhat playful growl, but the way she said it combined with her irked glare made it impossible for Marcus to tell if she was joking or not.

Obviously not wanting to risk finding out, Marcus proceeded to head downstairs with Noah following close behind, unable to refrain from laughing at how suddenly Hitomi managed to turn the tables on him. After they headed all the way down the stairwell, they walked through the lobby to see the rest of their group slumped in the cushiony couches and chairs, still trying to wake up. The scent of cooking meat was instantly noticed as they drew closer to the kitchen.

"You ready for another wonderful day in the world?" Marcus asked sarcastically as he strolled through the lobby while looking at Saya and Khota, both of whom seemed to be fighting to stay awake, while Kiriko and Rei gave him slight smiles in response; Johann meanwhile sitting asleep right beside Rei.

"Ready? Not really. Willing and able? Of course." Kiriko answered as Rei let out a light yawn, stretching her arms upwards as she could hear her elbows crack a little; letting out a sigh of satisfaction as she began running her fingers through Johann's thick curly hair with a warm smile on her lips, as though she were considerably amused watching him like this.

"Well, it's a start. So I take it our brother's in there making something for breakfast?" Marcus said before quickly changing the subject, planting himself down in his preferred chair before proceeding to nearly sink into it.

"He is. With Saeko-san, I believe." Kiriko answered in response as Rei couldn't help but roll her eyes at the mention of the group's sword master.

Marcus instantly formed a sly grin as he bolted straight for the swinging door that led into the staff kitchen. He carefully peeked through to catch a glimpse of Frasier and Saeko standing side by side over the counters. The mouthwatering smells and scents from the kitchen only increased as the sounds of sizzling and the clatter of pans resonated within the room.

"Like this?" Frasier's voice suddenly asked curiously.

"No, like this. Here, let me show you." Saeko answered with an amused giggle before proceeding to assist him.

Marcus keenly watched as her soft hands quickly found their way around Frasier's wrists, guiding him every step of the way. Marcus instantly noticed the genuine warm smile Frasier would make every now and then before both he and Saeko would let out a short burst of laughter. Marcus then gave a light tap on the side of the door, instantly catching their attention.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything between you two. Saeko-san, do you mind if I borrow my brother for a moment?" Marcus asked innocently as he leaned against the doorway.

"Of course, Marcus-kun. Just be sure to give him back when you're done. I'm not quite done with him yet." Saeko responded with a grin as she gently motioned Frasier to go see whatever Marcus needed him for; turning her back to them so she could continue the preparations as Frasier slowly walked out the kitchen with Marcus.

"Alright, two things I have to say. First off, good to see you're back in the ring, champ. And here I thought you'd actually given up on her." Marcus said proudly as Frasier rolled his eyes in response.

"This means nothing between us. She's just making sure I don't cock up breakfast." Frasier attempted to dissuade, unintentionally sounding less than 100% certain of those very words.

"Uh-huh, I totally believe everything you just said. So I guess that when you two were checking each other out when the other wasn't looking, that was also part of making breakfast?" Marcus retorted without even trying to restrain any hint of sarcasm in his words. Frasier was now blushing wildly despite how hard he tried to fight the fact Marcus caught him red handed with no way out.

"Please tell me this is all you have to say?" Frasier groaned out of annoyance and impatience.

"Oh right, well the second thing I came to say, well ask really, was that Noah and I need to go gather some materials for his aquapogathingy-" "Aquaponics!" Marcus began to explain,only for Noah to correct him from across the room, as if it was absolutely necessary that it was said correctly.

"Right, that. We need more raw materials, and I just happen to know a great place to scavenge that's perfectly safe. It shouldn't take us very long if we head out now." Marcus said, trying his best to sell Frasier on the idea.

"Okay, sounds good. Give me a moment to gear up and we can head out." Frasier replied, completely missing the look of unexpected surprise Marcus now had.

"W-What? No, that isn't necessary at all! Like I said, Noah and I can be in and out within an hour or two. You don't have to bother yourself with this." Marcus stammered as he felt his confidence slowly dropping, all as Frasier appeared to be even more convinced that he should tag along to see his little brothers' confidence crumble so quickly.

"If that's true, then with all three of us it can go by even quicker. There's no way I'm letting you two go head first into what could be a dangerous situation without me to be there for you." Frasier said sternly with his arms crossed.

"Look, Frasier, I know it's hard to hear this, but we can hold our own just fine. We aren't little boys that run to big brother or daddy whenever things get tough. Let us prove to you that we can handle some responsibility by ourselves. You always wanted me to be responsible like you, right?" Marcus said, managing to appeal to Frasier's sense of maturity; noticing his elder brother momentarily pause with a look of deep contemplation brewing within his eyes, as though he were actually considering what was being said to him.

"Two hours at most?" Frasier hesitantly asked with an eyebrow raised, unfolding his arms as he stared Marcus down as though to look for any telltale signs of him lying.

"Two hours at most." Marcus reiterated as he gently nodded his head to help reinforce what he was saying; shooting his brother a confident smile as it was quite clear for once in his life that hehad actually managed to crack Frasier's iron will.

"Alright, but you promise me one thing. You two come back in one piece no matter what. Got it?" Frasier sighed in defeat before handing over his ultimatum to allow this to happen.

"I promise you that nothing will happen. Hell, I bet we can do this in under an hour!" Marcus replied with a chipper attitude, his confidence beaming as he couldn't help but feel momentarily invincible.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get carried away. Just do what you must safely, alright?" Frasier ordered sternly as he couldn't help but already feel the unsettling feeling of regretting this decision.

"Me? Carried away? Never!" Marcus chuckled as he lightly punched Frasier in the arm.

"Marcus..." Frasier said firmly as he shot him that signature glare that would usually cause most to fall silent.

"Sorry, couldn't resist. I'll let you get back to your...training." Marcus responded in a more serious tone as he held his hands up, while still unable to resist laughing a little at Frasier's predicament. He then began to walk away to inform Noah that they had the green light for their quick two man raid. Before the two could separate though, Marcus felt Frasier's hand hold him back for a second.

"Hold on. Was...was she really checking me out?" Frasier suddenly asked as if he was genuinely unaware that Saeko was looking at him the same way he had been looking at her.

"Ooh yeah. As for where she was looking, I won't tell; I gotta leave some mystery for you. See you in an hour, champ." Marcus responded as he encouragingly patted Frasier's arm before taking off; leaving just a split second before Frasier formed a warm smile of excitement and enthusiasm before returning to help his crush serve the rest of the group breakfast.

 _Ten Minutes Later_

It was a strange and rather foreboding experience for both Noah and Marcus to be out on the streets without Frasier constantly watching over them. While they felt a strong urge to be twice as alert and prepared for whatever might come their way, there also came a sense of freedom they hadn't felt in a very long time; just like the old times when it was just the two of them wanderingtheir own hometown like they were seeking adventure wherever they might've found it. The nostalgia soon wore off though when their survival instincts automatically kicked back in at the remembrance of just WHAT these streets now belonged to. It wasn't long afterwards when they came to a stop in front of a moderately sized hardware store built into a larger complex in a small crossroad section of the city.

"There we go, and it only took us ten minutes to get here; brilliant! You sure you know exactly what to get?" Marcus softly announced enthusiastically, making sure that his voice didn't echo through the streets and attract any unwanted attention.

"Positive. Grab that shopping trolley and we can wheel back whatever we need to the hotel." Noah instructed confidently as he pointed out a shopping cart he noticed tipped over by the entrance.

Marcus nodded in response before he hoisted it back upright. The two siblings cautiously approached the store entrance, checking it out to make sure there wasn't anyone or anything dwelling within that would immediately jump out at them. To their surprise though, the place hardly seemed touched, save for a few shopping carts tipped over with their contents now spilled across the floor, abandoned by the shoppers who'd most likely learned of the outbreaks just in time to get out.

All they could hear was the sound of the wheels scooting up and down the aisles. That sense of wonder soon returned as they both felt the site was completely secure for the time being. The longer they explored, the heavier the cart became, soon filled to the brim after the two brothers made a full pass around, all the while reminiscing and regaling each other with memories of their past together, laughter soon filling the store.

"I still can't believe we got away with hotwiring father's car and driving it straight into the lake!" Noah exclaimed between his gasps for air from how hard he had been laughing as they began to make for the exit now.

"Since when did being grounded for three months count as getting away with it?" Marcus argued, speaking in a somewhat scornful growl as if somewhat upset by that memory in particular.

"Oh right... I guess you kind of had it worse off, huh?" Noah replied more somberly, somewhat regretting that he had made light of their biggest misadventure with some of the heaviest consequences they could remember.

"Kind of? Well…considering that's what made father kick my arse all the way across the globe...yeah, I did get royally screwed over big time." Marcus replied as he spoke in a rough, bitter groan, clearly annoyed at Noah for bringing it up. He then quickly realized that Noah now had a sad expression on his face; immediately stirring up feelings of guilt in Marcus' gut.

"Although to be fair, if I had any idea how awesome Uncle Mark was, or Japan for that matter, I probably would've come over here sooner. Let's just roll this crap back to the-" Marcus said in an attempt to make Noah feel better before the sound of several shouting voices could be heard just outside the entrance. Both Lawson's instantly went on full alert as they could hear the sound of several of 'Them' letting out that ghastly groan whenever 'They' were able to locate another victim.

"In here! C'mon, move!" ordered a man wearing a red t-shirt and blue jeans torn up at the knees, motioning several other survivors to follow him inside a fast food restaurant; quickly slamming the door shut seconds before another survivor from their group rushed over and began to bang on the windows desperately.

"Hey! I'm still out here you assholes! Let me in!" the trapped survivor called out in a mix of terror and anger, panic filling her words as she frantically tried to pull the door open; but the door wouldn't budge as the others inside had slipped a sturdy broom through the handles. The survivor still outside wore a bright pink hoodie and short black mini skirt that showed off her toned legs. Her entire body was trembling as she became more desperate by the second, knowing the dead couldn't possibly be that far behind.

Before she could let out another shout of rage out her group; theyoung teen turned just in time to be met with the gaping jaws of an undead surfer. The black wetsuit the shambling corpse still wore was soaking wet with water and crusted blood, a large chunk of flesh had been pulled from the back of the right calf, showing off the shriveled up muscle and tissue. Both its arms were fully stretched outward as the girl prepared to fruitlessly defend herself with the wooden police baton in her trembling hand.

 ***slam***

The undead surfer's body suddenly slammed hard against the side of the fast food building, pinned hard by the shopping cart that had come barreling out of nowhere. The young teen stood there completely astonished at the sudden turn of events as she then watched Marcus and Noah come charging from across the street into battle; each one letting out a shout as if trying to lure the rest of 'Them' away from her, fortunately earning the rest of 'Their' attention.

"Come get some, you rotting pricks!" Marcus called out as Noah rushed the one in the wetsuit.

He quickly drove the crowbar in his hands right through an eye socket. A loud squelching sound could be heard as the thick, dark brown, viscous blood spurted out when he pried his weapon free.

"On your left!" Noah called out as he bolted back to help his older brother take care of the last two of 'Them' left standing.

"I'm on it, I'm on it!" Marcus shouted in acknowledgment before prying his fire axe from the head of an undead bus driver, the cap it wore now completely sliced in two as the two Lawson's took a step back to put some distance between them and the two undead police officers that were viciously snarling in anticipation of their warm, juicy flesh.

"Should we?" Noah asked nervously as he glanced back to his brother for some form of approval over whatever he had in mind next.

"Go for it." Marcus answered in a short huff before both of them drew the 9mm handguns at their hips and fired a single shot into each officers' face; sending 'Them' both toppling over like a pile of bricks dropped off a bridge.

Smoke gently fumed from the barrels as they both stood there completely driven by a surge of pulse-pounding adrenaline. That intense feeling soon wore down when it appeared to be clear for the time being. The two young Brits holstered their weapons before turning to see the cornered girl suddenly rushing over to them, her arms eagerly wrapping around Noah as Marcus couldn't help but grin at the sight.

"You're still alive! I can't believe it!" she exclaimed before pulling down her pink hood to reveal a face neither Lawson expected to find out here of all places.

Noah felt his jaw slowly drop to be greeted by an all too familiar set of beautiful yet intense orange eyes that made his heart instantly start racing while his entire body began to heat up immensely. A navy blue headband pulled back her short, messy, vibrant orange hair that greatly complimented her gorgeous eyes and irresistibly beautiful smiling face.

"Yuuki Miku-senpai...I-I can't believe it...I-I really don't know what else to say right now…" Noah stammered nervously as Marcus smirked in amusement while Miku smiled warmly as she couldn't help but find how adorable his nervousness was after having just saved her life so heroically.

"Then be quiet and let me thank you properly, cutie." Miku replied with a sly, seductive grin; suddenly leaning in and planting a soft kiss on Noah's lips; immensely enjoying the sight of Noah practically turning to jelly from her affection before walking up to Marcus and kissing him on the cheek to make sure he didn't feel left out nor unappreciated for his involvement.

"Ahem; well...I don't suppose you need any more saving then?" Noah said with a deep red flush in his cheeks.

"Not at the moment; thanks to you, of course. Something tells me-" Miku said gratefully, only to suddenly turn around when she could hear the door to the fast food restaurant opening up.

"Miku-chan; get away from them! They could be dangerous!" one of her fellow survivors called out as the rest rushed over to the scene. Two more young men stepped out wearing what looked like the student outfits back from Fujimi Academy, and the last was the man wearing a red shirt and blue jeans.

"Oh yeah, they're so dangerous, they locked me outside with the dead coming right up on me. Oh, wait—THAT WAS YOU GUYS! You fucking moron!" Miku said sarcastically before suddenly lashing out at them. Both they and Noah visibly stepped back in surprise to hear such strong and sharp words coming from her so suddenly.

"Hey! Just because you're HIS little pet doesn't mean you can mouth off like that." the man in the red shirt snapped right back at her, with Miku not stepping back an inch for him.

"Shut the hell up, Teru-san! I have half a mind to tell HIM what a coward you were! See how you'd like that!" Miku responded in a sharp hiss as she clenched both fists before forming a devious grin that caused Teru to back down considerably at her threat.

"You wouldn't dare!" Teru said in a low groan in the defensive; visibly wary.

"Oh? Want to test that one out?" Miku challenged, causing Teru and the rest of her group to fall dead silent, as if out of complete fear.

"Woah, relax, people. Let's just calm down here and stop with all the shouting. You're gonna make me lose my hearing; but more important, you're just gonna draw out more of 'Them'." Marcus suddenly interjected as he got between Miku and her compatriots; all of them soon nodding in agreement.

"He's got a fair point. So, I don't suppose it's just you two then?" Teru agreed before deciding to approach the Lawson's more peacefully. Even he realized that if the two really were dangerous, they would've no doubt attacked their group by now.

"We have an entire group of survivors actually; very strong and resourceful bunch." Noah said confidently as Miku's group now seemed to be somewhat wary at the answer he just gave them.

"Well that explains how you two are still alive, mostly considering your age of course…mostly." Teru commented as he then attempted to light up a cigarette.

"Actually, these two are military trained. Or did you miss how well they fought just a minute ago? I'm willing to bet they're more capable than anyone we've got right now." Miku corrected, a strong hint of admiration filling her words as she shot Noah an approving glance.

"Maybe...and just where are the others in your group? Who's in charge?" Teru questioned with a suspicious look in his brown eyes before blowing a puff of smoke past his lips; his eyes constantly looking both boys up and down as if silently measuring them up.

"Umm...it's hard to say at the moment actually." Noah hesitantly responded as he couldn't exactly place who was in charge between Frasier and Takashi. At times it even felt like Hitomi held some form of authority among their group.

"Really? That's odd. Every group needs a good, strong leader to keep things in order. Do you think we should take them back to 'The Sanctuary' and show them what they're missing out on?" Teru said in a rather curious hum to their uncertain leadership; speaking to the others in his group who all seemed to be in agreement to his proposition.

"Only if they want to. We can't force others to join us." Miku reminded her group, somewhat disapproving of how they didn't even ask the two Lawson's beforehand.

"'The Sanctuary'? That's what you call your place, huh?" Marcus questioned with an intrigued raised eyebrow, trying his best not to smirk or make fun of the rather cliché name for a settlement.

"It's what we've come to call it. It's quite safe after all the dead were cleared out and the fences were set up. Not to mention our great leader can solve just about any problem that pops up. We haven't lost one person yet. Personally, I think it would be unwise to pass up such a great opportunity." Teru explained as he seemed eager to convince the two boys to come back home with them.

"Let us talk it over for a moment." Noah requested as the two walked off several feet to discuss their next move in private; Miku watching them before they turned their backs to her and her group.

"Right, so what do you think about all of this? Personally, I think things kinda sounded fishy when he started yammering on about 'great leader' and what not. Should we just decline their offer while we can?" Marcus whispered to Noah as they both glanced back only to then look down to avoid seeming too conspicuous.

"I'm not sure. Maybe we should check out the place first; recon the situation and see what our new neighbors are up to? Maybe they can tell us something about all those gunshots we've been hearing lately? Perhaps if we're lucky, we can trade with them for whatever we may need later on that they can provide us?" Noah suggested, curiously peering back again as he found himself idly gazing at Miku standing around trying to pass the time. To see her still alive brought the young lad immense joy and relief to know that for whatever reason she was still human.

"Hmm, I did tell Frasier we'd be back within two hours at the most. How much time do we have left exactly?" Marcus said in a low hum as he was somewhat conflicted; uncertain what to do now as Noah quickly looked back to him.

"I'd say an hour and twenty minutes by now. What do you think we should do?" Noah answered after taking a moment to mentally figure out the answer. On the one hand he really didn't want to provoke Frasier's wrath for being late; but at the same time, he really didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see the place Miku and her friends were calling home.

"I say we check this place out. We might be a bit late, but I'm sure Frasier's found something to occupy his time, right?" Marcus eventually said in a low sigh as he realized Noah didn't seem to be so willing to return home any time soon.

 _Meanwhile back at the hotel..._

Frasier sat in the lobby in boredom; sitting down with his cheek resting on his palm while trying to think of something to do. He let out a heavy sigh as he came to the conclusion that there was nothing he could really do, considering the guns were all fully inspected and clean, Hitomi and Khota had watch duty, and he couldn't even feel the motivation to work out to maintain his strength. A part of him really wanted to get up and leave the hotel to rejoin with his brothers to make sure everything was going smoothly, but beside the fact Marcus would most likely be upset for Frasier not trusting him to take care of things, there was also the fact neither Saeko or Shizuka would allow him to go when he was so close to fully recovering from his wounds.

"Sit! Siiittt! Sit? C'mon boy, you can do it! No, sit down!" Alice's voice suddenly called out for all to hear, soon followed by a playful bark and her frustrated sighs.

Frasier couldn't help but feel himself becoming more curious by the second to see what was happening, prompting him to rise from his seat before he wandered over to check up on the little girl. He walked over only to pause when he couldn't help but grin at the sight of the little girl attempting to command the energetic puppy that seemed more interested in bouncing around and leaping up at her instead of obeying the strange verbal commands she was announcing.

"Having trouble?" Frasier said in a joking manner as he could see the frustration in her eyes as Zeke continued to leap up at her legs; his little tail wagging back and forth to see another coming to play with him.

"I'm trying to teach Zeke tricks, but he won't listen to me. I think he's broken." Alice responded in a somewhat bitter tone as she made it quite clear to him that she didn't like to fail at anything.

"Unlikely, considering he is just a pup and all. You just need to know how to train him. Allow me." Frasier said before he motioned her to follow him to the kitchen, Zeke quickly taking after them as he began to playfully yelp in excitement, as if able to anticipate something fun coming his way after all the attention he seemed to be getting.

Alice eagerly followed him through the lobby and into the kitchen before he started opening up the fridge. After a moment of rummaging through it, he pulled out what remained of the dog treats Hitomi had taken from the pet store back in the mall several days ago. Frasier then turned to Zeke, who was even more intrigued now that he could smell that all too familiar scent of treats being brought out for him.

Without saying a word, Frasier knelt down, going closer to Zeke as he held a single treat in hand. He dangled it in the air, immediately pulling it back when the little white fuzz ball tried to jump up and snatch the treat in midair. Alice giggled as this occurred several times before Zeke suddenly stopped and just looked up at Frasier. The moment the dog stopped jumping, the young Brit moved the tasty treat just over the back of Zeke's head.

Alice watched in amazement as Zeke suddenly sat down on his rear, only with two legs standing upright now before Frasier responded by giving him the small goodie; chuckling to himself as Zeke spared no time chowing it down into several pieces, licking his muzzle before looking back at the eldest Lawson for more.

"H-How did you do that?! I've been trying for days now!" Alice asked curiously as she watched Zeke wag his tail back and forth.

"It's just a trick I've picked up in my time; works every time as far as I know. You just have to get him to calm down then move his head into a position that will naturally force him to sit down. Try to avoid saying anything, because he won't really associate the word 'sit' until later on." Frasier calmly explained out of experience as Alice took a treat, causing Zeke to shift his attention over to her.

Frasier then watched as Alice did exactly what he had just naturally bounced around for a few moments but soon had calmed down long enough for Alice to hold the treat just behind his head. His muzzle naturally looked straight up before his rear end planted straight down onto the floor again. Alice let out a delighted giggle as she dropped the dog treat into his mouth.

"Just be sure not to overfeed him with those, alright? Last thing we need is a beggar dog." Frasier instructed as Alice nodded slowly in understanding.

"Do you have a doggy back home, Frasier?" Alice asked as she watched how well he handled the small puppy, watching the white dog bouncing between their legs and letting out a series of challenging barks as if wanting to play even more now. At first Frasier paused as if contemplating his response, looking like he was about to deny answering her.

"Mhm, she was the perfect companion for me. A long time ago though, my father wanted me to be free of distraction and attachments so I could focus on my training. I haven't seen that proud dog in over eight years now. Until I can escape this country, find my way home, and rise through the ranks of the military, I will never be able to see her. She's quite old now, but I'd like to at least see her during her final years. I miss her so much, Alice. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever see my pup again..." Frasier began to explain in his usual proud tone before gradually the tone in his words grew lower and sadder. The more he dwelled, the weaker his voice seemed to become, causing Alice to look up at him with uncertainty.

Frasier closed his eyes slowly when she suddenly wrapped her arms around him out of affection and care, hoping her hugs would make him feel somewhat better. It felt strange seeing him act in such a peculiar manner; never had the little girl seen him so sad before, which could only make her feel uneasy. No longer did she feel that sense of fear or tension she normally felt from him given his brash attitude and intimidating size. A part of her couldn't help but instead feel pity and the need to cheer him up.

"It's okay to be sad. Everyone gets sad every now and then." Alice reassured as Frasier didn't even try to deny how he felt; almost certain she was too smart to be fooled so easily.

Zeke also had picked up on this, now standing up on two legs before lovingly licking at his hands. A warm smile formed over Frasier's lips as he sniffled ever so slightly; trying his best to play off the tender moment despite how he felt genuinely relieved.

"Do you want to come play pretend with me?" Alice suddenly invited as she spoke with high hope in her innocent little voice, looking up at him as if trying to give him the puppy dog eyes.

"Play pretend? And what exactly would that involve on my part?" Frasier asked in confusion as he was genuinely in the dark when it came to something as simple as this.

"Whatever you want, silly. We could be astronauts! We could be pirates! Anything if you just believe hard enough!" Alice announced, speaking in a hyper tone that made it quite clear she was eager to play with whom she considered her new friend.

"Hmm." Frasier slowly hummed as he shrugged his shoulders,as if he still didn't understand the concept. Nonetheless, he was somewhat curious to see what all the fuss was about.

However, moments later the two had found themselves propping up the cushions from the lobby couches to best resemble that of a ship. Zeke comfortably rested himself on the arm of the chair, curled up and taking what seemed like a pleasant nap while Frasier and Alice played her little game. The young girl's laughter filled the lobby as Frasier himself felt no shame in being seen having fun for once in what felt like forever.

 _Meanwhile…_

Noah and Marcus were walking through the streets with Miku while the rest of the survivors she was with walked on ahead. Noah found himself constantly gazing at her numerous features;her toned athletic legs especially catching his eyes. Her hair while short looked so soft it was somewhat tempting to ask if he could feel it, but he knew better and tried his best to focus on the matter at hand.

The neighborhood they entered was in complete ruins; the street was cracked up and the former homes were now smoldering husks that lay abandoned. The sound of spent brass casings could be heard every now and then; either rolling in the street or whenever they'd step on one by accident. The lack of bodies gave the several survivors an ominous feeling deep down, as though they felt like they were walking into a trap.

"Looks like the place was hit hard. Perhaps SDF or the US Marines hit this place in an attempt to delay or even quell the spread of the infection?" Marcus suggested in an attempt to explain the otherwise unnerving situation and break the unbearable silence.

"Most likely, considering what Frasier and I had encountered during our skirmish with that undead horde with the police way back at the start." Noah agreed as he quickly recalled that encounter with the fighter pilot that saved their lives after they'd been backed up into a corner.

"You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Miku suddenly brought up sympathetically, instantly getting Noah's attention.

"Yeah, we've lost some good people along the way. Hopefully with our established home, we can now just wait things out until the dead hopefully clear out of the city entirely. I'd originally hoped perhaps 'They' would eventually starve to death; but seeing the states of some of 'Them', I came to realize that's more an issue for us than it ever would be for 'Them'." Noah responded grimly despite his best efforts to remain optimistic in front of her.

"Don't worry. Once you see what my group has accomplished,I'm more than certain you'll want to stay and bring your friends along. I promise we'll take good care of you. It would especially be a huge shame to lose such a sweet thing as yourself." Miku calmly replied as she suddenly grasped his warm hand; playfully tugging him along as the most intelligent of the Lawson trio was completely at a loss for words once again at her touch.

Marcus on the other hand smirked at the sight, only to smile even further when a mischievous idea popped into his head. He carefully placed the roof of his foot beneath the bottom of Noah's and pushed up, causing him to stumble forward into Miku. It took all of his willpower to not laugh as Noah nervously began to apologize to her, driving Miku to chuckle lightly at the reaction whilst Noah shot Marcus a death glare.

"Alright, you two need to hand your weapons over before we can proceed any further." Teru suddenly announced as he came to a stop but still kept his distance from them. Both Lawson brothers looked at each other to see what the other was thinking,only to agree that this was a huge risk they couldn't afford to be wrong about.

"Can we hand over our handguns but keep the knives? I understand it's for the safety of your people, but surely you understand we have to consider our safety as well. Think of it as a mutual trust." Noah offered.

"No. Hand over your stuff or get the fuck out of here. It's non-negotiable." Teru said firmly as it was quite clear to the two brothers how this was going to go down should they choose to continue following them.

"Don't worry. I promise that we're not going to try anything. Please, just do as he says." Miku gently whispered as she held her hand out for the weapons, giving Noah a look that told him he had to trust her word over his instinct that told him to run.

 _'Okay. I trust_ _you, angel.'_ Noah thought reluctantly as he slowly began to hand her his blade and the handgun; Marcus reluctantly doing the same as he looked greatly uncertain what would happen next; praying deep down that Miku was telling them the truth and that they weren't about to be killed in the middle of nowhere for trusting the wrong girl.

Once she had their weapons, she jogged over to Teru and placed them in a satchel they brought along before he then smiled in satisfaction. He then motioned them to keep following him the rest of the way.

"Smart move, kid. Okay, you may come with us, but remember:if you try anything, there's a lot more of us than there are of you." Teru acknowledged before giving them a quick yet deathly serious reminder.

"Naturally." Marcus replied hesitantly as they steadily approached the four survivors; keeping his wits about him as he knew it was now up to fate what would happen once they entered this so-called sanctuary Miku spoke of.

"Yeah, we're always on our best behavior." Noah added in a more approachable tone as Miku couldn't help but smile at how trusting and calm he appeared to be despite the potential danger he could be heading into for all he knew.

It was only just a few minutes later until the two brothers felt an immense sense of familiarity with the nearby buildings and street names from before the outbreaks occurred. When they stepped past a corner, they both froze in place as they stood before the last place on Earth they ever expected to see again: Fujimi Academy. Aside from the iron fences being reinforced with concrete barriers and plywood to form a makeshift wall to keep the dead out, it all seemed exactly the same as when they left it during the outbreak. Most of the windows remained intact, but some were still spattered with dried blood and the broken ones boarded over with more plywood.

The only downside they could find so far within the perimeter defense that had been setup was that it didn't have any barbed wire or sharp obstacles to keep agile intruders from thinking twice about vaulting over. However, several figures could be heard behind the fence to the point it clearly sounded like there were even more survivors here than there were back at the hotel.

"Unbelievable. You guys cleared this place out and established an actual foothold?" Noah said in sheer astonishment before turning to Miku and her group.

"Yes. Quite impressive, isn't it? I told you that you'd be safe here. Allow me to give you two a closer look at what we've accomplished." Miku answered proudly before taking his hand again and leading the two Lawson brothers over to the twin iron gates that seemed to had been reattached. Some of the bars were bent in shape after something had most likely rammed through them.

As the gates closed behind the returning survivors, Marcus and Noah momentarily stopped in their tracks to see that the entire parking area of the school was filled with tents and stacks of crates piled up by this unheard of group. Several curious faces stared at the two young guests as they tried their best to avoid staring back. The whispers from the inhabitants carried through the wind as Miku continued to guide them past everyone else, venturing into the main body of the newly occupied academy. It felt strange initially for both brothers to see the front entrance for the main body of the school was no longer swarming with undead students and faculty. There were no longer any blood stains or severed limbs to decorate the walls and floors. It should've been calming to the two Lawson's, yet they couldn't help but feel strange now.

"So why are tents outside if I may ask? There should be enough room in here, right?" Noah asked Miku out of curiosity as she stopped to face him.

"We tried that at first, but the smell keeps people up at night. There was a lot of blood and remains to clear out of the halls and classrooms. It isn't so bad outside though, especially when the stars are out." Miku calmly answered, somewhat put off by the reminder of how horrifying the place looked when her group initially came back to reclaim this place for themselves.

Noah just nodded in understanding as it seemed like a subject she had no interest in discussing, as well as the fact that it felt like his curiosity had been met for the time being. Miku paused for a moment as if contemplating something before eventually snapping back into the moment and continuing with the mini-tour of the place. They soon came across what would've been the science room, only to see it was now filled with crates that appeared to be full of supplies. Several people with clipboards could be seen writing things down as if they were carefully taking inventory.

"This is where we keep our storage for just about anything that isn't food or weapons. Luckily the school had plenty of emergency equipment on hand, so we can handle just about any injury that doesn't involve a bite." Miku explained as Noah and Marcus couldn't help but marvel at how well off these people really were.

"Has anyone in this group actually been bitten yet?" Marcus suddenly asked as Miku turned to face him with a look of regret in her eyes that practically answered his question right then and there.

"Yeah...we had some police officers with us at first, but they didn't make it. At least that's what we've been told anyhow. They originally came here to help clear the place out and…well; I think you can guess the rest. It's a shame really, because nobody else here knows how to use the guns we've managed to get." Miku answered reluctantly at how ill-prepared they were in spite of their remarkable setup.

"Guns? What guns?" Marcus asked before peering into the equipment room only to see there were no weapons that he could distinguish amongst the various supplies scattered around the tables.

"Oh, we don't keep them in here. They should be on the upper floor where my old writing class used to be. I can't let you inside, but maybe you can take a peek to see what I'm talking about." Miku explained as the two Lawson brothers couldn't help but feel even more curious, if not alarm, than ever before to know that this group had an arsenal of their own.

They walked through the clean hallways, passing by several occupied rooms that held people going about their daily tasks with looks that would suggest that everything was perfectly fine and that the world didn't actually end little more than two weeks ago. Marcus noticed the doors to the cafeteria were wide open, revealing what he reluctantly remembered was once a feeding pit the undead had dragged 'Their' victims remains to before feasting on whatever was left; noticing with morbid astonishment how the once blood stained floors and walls were now completely spotless and only had a faint smell of lemon freshener to help those inside forget the ghastly odors the rotting bodies must've produced. A terrible shiver of remembrance trickled down his back before ascending a flight of stairs with Noah and Miku.

Three men stood beside the door that had to have been the writing class Miku spoke of; one of them being Teru, who glared at the two young Brits with a strong look of distrust in his eyes. Miku without warning lead them away further into the school, passing by several more survivors before she could feel safe to speak again.

"It was right over there. They always keep at least two people to watch over it at all times though. I doubt they'll let two newcomers anywhere near the area, but take my word for it, that room is loaded with guns and ammo. I think there was enough to arm almost every last person here." Miku began to announce in a soft hush, as if she wasn't meant to be talking about it with them.

"I see. I don't suppose you know where they managed to scrounge up all of those weapons?" Noah asked nervously, feeling an uneasy tension grip an inner pit deep within his stomach.

"I wasn't there when they found them. I just know it's going to ensure nobody attacks us; undead or otherwise." Miku replied with an air of confidence to her otherwise soft spoken words. Noah and Marcus slightly gulped as it was somewhat worrying to think how Frasier might perceive this group with the knowledge that they were better equipped and armed.

"So how many people do you estimate are actually here right about now?" Noah then asked as he looked out a nearby window, surveying the entire parking area that seemed to have several families' worth of survivors setting up in the tents for the approaching night. The sun slowly began to set as he realized that Frasier wasn't going to be anywhere near pleased with the several hour delay.

"I'd have to say forty now; hopefully more should you two consider joining up along with the rest of your group. This place is the perfect setup and we could really use the help." Miku answered before her tone seemed like she was trying to persuade them into staying here.

"Help? What in the world could you guys possibly need from us?" Marcus asked curiously as he couldn't imagine what dilemma these people were undergoing despite all of their fortune.

"Nothing; absolutely nothing at all!" a strangely familiar aggressive voice suddenly called out as someone suddenly placed himself between Miku and the Lawson brothers as if trying to keep them apart. Noah looked up only to see it was that very same blonde-haired teen, Tsunoda, he had slugged in the jaw the very first day he came here.

"What the hell have you been telling them?!" Tsunoda demanded furiously as he glared down at Miku who fell completely silent. Several other survivors noticed the commotion and began to walk over to see what was happening.

"I'm just showing them around the place so they can see what we have to offer. They can help us." Miku answered reassuringly as she tried to stand her ground and not seem nearly as passive compared to the last time Noah saw them argue.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's ALL you're showing HIM!" Tsunoda angrily announced as he pointed to Noah out of pure spite before reaching out for her wrist, only for Miku to recoil back.

"Why don't you just screw off?! You know what; maybe I SHOULD live up to your presumptions! Bet he'd be twice the man YOU are!" Miku shouted back as she clenched her fists while the other survivors appeared to be expecting a fight to break out.

"He's coming!" Shh." "Make way." the other survivors began to mutter amongst themselves, catching the attention of Miku and Tsunoda instantly as all hostilities seemed to have instantly been forgotten for whatever it was that had been approaching them.

 **[Mark Crozer – Live In Fear]**

The wall of people slowly moved aside as a single figure walked through all of them as if they weren't even there to begin with. Marcus and Noah both keenly watched in great detail to see an approaching man with quite a thin build that gave him a fragile demeanor. He wore a white dress shirt and a black pinstriped suit with a yellow tie wrapped around his thin neck. Behind the black-framed glasses that were resting on the bridge of his nose was a pair of sharp yellow eyes that gazed directly upon the two arguing group members. The hall that was filled with shouts of anger between Miku and Tsunoda was now deathly silent, the only sound now being that of this strange figure's black dress shoes clacking against the clean floor.

"Squabbling again? And here I thought you two understood how much it saddens me to see such pointless bickering." the thin man said with great disappointment, all while his tone came off as very approachable.

"We're sorry." both Miku and Tsunoda apologized together, sounding like they were two scorned children apologizing to a parent for misbehaving. Noah felt an unnatural chill flow through the hallway as what he could only presume to be the leader of the little community suddenly noticed him and Marcus standing there quietly.

"And what is this? Two new arrivals I see? That's wonderful! It never hurts to have more youth taking part in rebuilding our society for a brighter tomorrow." the nicely dressed figure observed before showing personal delight to their presence. The survivors suddenly began to form very wide smiles as he began to speak about how things would get better over time. He then continued to gaze down upon the two Lawson's that just stood there completely speechless and unaware of whatever he had in mind.

"Yes, very young indeed. I don't suppose you can offer us more than your company?" the thin man inquired as if this was an interview now. The hall remained completely silent as Noah looked over to Miku in the hopes she might be able to give him a signal. However, when he looked at her, she was focused entirely on the sharp-dressed man with what couldn't be any less than absolute admiration.

"Uhh-M-Military. We're military trained! While we weren't given the official initiations, our father has prepared us all the same." Marcus suddenly answered through an initial stutter before he could grasp onto some composure. The bespectacled formed a simple smile as if those were the exact combination of words he was hoping to hear.

"Well that would be most invaluable to us! While my people are most certainly brave and willing to do what it takes...I'm afraid their lack of experience and training shows at times. I think you two will fit in rather nicely if what you say is nothing but the honest truth. You wouldn't happen to be saying all that just to earn your stay, would you?" the thin man said with absolute glee before his voice dropped into that of doubt, as if he was an inquisitor trying to pry information out of someone. The eyes staring down at the Lawson brothers created pressure that felt heavier than a stack of bricks baring down on them.

"I think we should make them prove it! They're probably lying just so we don't-" Tsunoda suddenly announced as the man instantly spun around to look him dead in the eyes. Noah and Marcus couldn't see what expression was being made by the leader of this group, but just watching Tsunoda recoil back with a look of absolute fear while he shrank against the wall didn't exactly spark any bursts of curiosity anytime soon.

"S-Shido-sama..." Miku suddenly said in a timid voice that drew his focus upon her; his thin neck slowly turning so that his gaze could lock onto hers.

"What is it, my dear Miku-chan? I really hope this is important." the man known as Shido gently sighed as he still kept up that fragile voice that seemed to have everyone at ease.

"I-I can vouch for them. I've seen them in action before...just the two of them could handle our problem. I swear to you that-" Miku began to nervously explain; practically freezing at the end when he stood upright only to turn back to the Lawson siblings as if that was all he needed to hear.

"Very well, perhaps you two CAN back up your claims by taking care of a bump in the road we've stumbled across?" Shido said in a soft-spoken tone before he motioned the two to follow him. Without hesitation, the two siblings agreed to go and began to follow Shido, even if it felt like they didn't really have a choice in the matter.

 **[]**

After walking down several flights of stairs, the Lawson brothers watched as Shido suddenly came to a halt in what looked like the eastern wing of the main building that contained most of the former math facilities. A large set of swinging doors remained sealed shut, covered by several security chains kept together by a single padlock.

"What's wrong? Can't get it open?" Marcus said sarcastically as Shido didn't seem to even be phased by the cheeky remark.

"See for yourself." Shido suggested, smiling to himself when Marcus walked over towards the set of doors.

The young Brit carefully peered through the small frame the two doors had. At first all seemed perfectly clear before he caught several blurry, yet noticeable, figures shifting around on the other side. Before he could announce to Noah what he was seeing on the other side, one grey hand suddenly slammed against the window. Marcus practically jumped out of this skin as he leapt back out of reaction and nearly tripped over himself.

"Ah, now I see what the problem is. Hmm...Noah, how many would you estimate are actually in there?" Marcus asked as he got back on his feet, trying to slow his still-racing heart.

"Depends; most of 'Them' should've left this place over a full week ago after everyone was either killed or fled. What were some of 'Them' wearing?" Noah attempted to estimate before bringing up a question of his own that somewhat stumped Marcus as he could only shrug his shoulders in response.

"Hmm…well, it could range all the way up to a hundred if we were to be so unlucky. This should be the first floor though, so several windows could be giving entry to ones we aren't going to see until it's too late. I suggest we lure these ones out first and go from there." Noah suggested as Marcus nodded in agreement before they turned to Shido, whom remained entirely silent during their quick exchange.

"If you give us back our weapons, we can at least clear the first few rooms. There's no telling how many are in there though until we actually manage to break through." Marcus requested somewhat sternly, uncertain how Shido would respond to such a risky plan. However, he simply smiled before gently nodding. Within minutes, the weapons once confiscated from the two siblings were brought back to them.

"Let's hope these flashlight attachments are still working and charged. Only source of light we'll be receiving otherwise is the sunlight from the windows, and we both know it won't be happening with the bloody grey clouds still lingering about." Noah announced as the two began to inspect and double check that the flashlight attachments to their respective side arms were still functional.

Two cones of light suddenly beamed out as the two smiled in response. Noah signaled Shido and the several people tagging along to stand far back after Teru handed him the key to the padlock. Both Lawson brothers stacked up against both doors.

 ***click***

 **[Dredd OST - Order in the Chaos]**

The lock bounced against the floor before echoing across the hall. The chains dangled and fell into a crumpled pile soon after as the doors were then pulled wide open. Both brothers came face to face with a round man that had his neck torn out while his lower jaw hung loose and disfigured. Without any hesitation,the two siblings fired a single round each that blew two meaty chunks of the ex-human's skull out the back before it dropped like a heavy sack of cement.

Several growls, groans, and various sighs began to fill the air as Noah and Marcus stepped into the danger headfirst. Two cones of light scanned the area to instantly reveal ten undead students from the school slowly but surely making 'Their' way straight towards the Lawson brothers, who stopped and took aim; knowing it was time to clean house and put their training to good use.

 ***pakow* *pakow* *pakow***

In a series of semi-automatic bursts, the brothers managed to hit their marks quite well as three of 'Them' instantly slumped over and remained entirely motionless. Thick brown blood oozed out onto the floor as shell casings would eject out of the receivers and roll around on the floor. The bright beams of light leapt from target to target as the military-trained teenagers fired off another burst that resulted in more bodies piling up. They were so focused and full of adrenaline to the point they didn't even flinch from the extremely loud gunshots echoing and rebounding from the lengthy hallway.

A door suddenly burst wide open when they began to move forward. Noah stopped just in time to avoid being pinned under it as he then responded by putting his foot down hard up against the back of the undead teacher's neck. It squirmed like a trapped animal as the head began to slowly twist around to face the youngest Lawson, who responded by taking quick aim.

 ***pow* *pow***

The first shot struck the neck while the second one struck a direct hit through the mushy eye socket and straight out the back of the skull. They both backed up as several more of 'Them'limped and crawled out of the classroom the undead teacher had burst out from. Using the doorway as the perfect kill zone, the two brothers would take turns firing a single round and watching as with each one they killed, another would take its place.

However, due to fine trigger discipline and highly coordinated team work, they kept the undead pack at bay just in time before having to reload. Two empty magazines were then tossed aside before they proceeded further into the chaos; remaining on edge yet feeling extremely confident that they had everything under control so far. The hall seemed clear for now as they slowly approached two branching paths that caught Marcus' attention outright.

"Check those corners." Marcus called out as he recalled how his father would always emphasize how important that was; practically speaking it from sheer memory and instinct as they both did just that by swerving in opposite directions.

"Clear left! It's a dead end." Noah confirmed as his flashlight scanned the area to reveal a wall full of posters with no signs of 'Them' on his side.

"Four right!" Marcus announced as Noah spun around to assist him. Another series of shots burst out as the burning hot rounds pierced and punctured straight through the soft grey targets with ease.

 **[]**

Noah and Marcus just stood there, slightly sweating from the intense pressure as they waited for a sign that they were still not alone here. However, after a full minute of waiting, something told them that was the last of it. Met with another dead end, the two brothers began to go from classroom to classroom to confirm that none of 'Them' had been missed or overlooked. The last thing either of them wanted was for someone to end up bitten because they weren't thorough.

"Go slow and don't worry about ammo. Double tap is your friend, remember?" Noah said before teasing Marcus with basic information they'd memorized long ago.

"I know that, you cheeky fuck. Just pipe down and let's get this over with." Marcus responded in a bitter grumble while smirking at how his little brother was starting to resemble him the more they would spend time together.

As they proceeded to scan and search the several classrooms in the infested sector, several things leapt out as discerning to the siblings. It started when Noah discovered several cartridge casings that matched their own weapons, yet with what looked like hundreds of shells lying across the floor. Marcus then managed to stumble over several MP5SFK carbines similar to the ones the police had been forced to use since the outbreak. The clips had been entirely emptied out, yet the former owners were nowhere to be seen. At least, that was the case until they found a broken window that lead outside into a fenced off area. Several of 'Them' could be seen aimlessly wandering around in the rain.

Several undead students were spotted outright, but it wasn't long until Noah spotted several of 'Them' had police uniforms; specifically the ones from the Tokonosu East Police Station he'd fought alongside. A sickening feeling rose up in his stomach as he just watched 'Them' bump against one another like blind men. He only could've assumed they were dead already when Miku had told him; but to actually see it, and the fact the doors were locked gave him a rather foreboding feeling now. When things couldn't seem to be any worse, he noticed several little kid sized undead amongst the unaware pack. Tears began to well up in the corners of Noah's eyes before his look of sorrow and pain shifted into that of anger and fierce determination.

"Where are you going?" Marcus asked in a soft whisper as Noah walked over to one of the carbines and began to mess with it; watching concernedly as Noah remained entirely silent while loading his handgun cartridges into the carbine magazine seeing how they both used the same type of ammunition.

Noah then walked back before carefully resting his elbows on the nearby window sill he quietly pulled open, only to then take aim. One eye closed as the other looked down the iron sights. His breath slowly was held back only for him to start firing shot after shot at the undead outside. Marcus watched in both awe and despair as Noah's accuracy wasn't anything short of impressive as each target went down. Thunder rang out above as Noah watched the last officer crumpling over motionless like the others, waiting in the now silent classroom as if expecting more to come shambling from around the corner. That moment did not come though as they were only met with the sight of rain and the occasional clap of thunder.

Noah remained stiff as a board until he suddenly felt Marcus gently patting him on the back. The youngest Lawson turned to face him only to see there was no smile on Marcus' face as usual, but rather that of understanding and sympathy for the mixed emotions swirling around inside of Noah's head.

"You did the right thing, soldier. Dad and Frasier would be proud of you as well." Marcus said in a rather somber sigh as he then formed a proud smirk before walking away only for Noah to follow close behind. The situation still left a bitter taste in his mouth, but at least he could feel some relief that those people no longer had to endure a living death.

Marcus then stood in the main hallway and let out a loud whistle before motioning those at the very end that all was clear now. Several various figures approached as Shido remained in the back with an absolutely delighted grin on his face. Miku stood there watching as Noah and Marcus brushed past the several people approaching to inspect their handiwork. She just looked at Noah and couldn't help but feel a strong urge to properly thank him for his outstanding efforts and contribution to her group.

"You did it! You actually did it! I knew you could, Noah-kun!" Miku exclaimed before she ran up to Noah, only for him to walk straight past her and Shido alike. His face was completely void of emotion as he remained mute the entire way up the stairs, looks of concern filling both Miku and Marcus' faces.

"Noah-kun?" Miku gently muttered to herself as she was absolutely shocked to see him so down and silent compared to that nervous yet adorable little sweetheart she had even back then quickly become pleasingly accustomed to.

"He's just a little shaken up. Always was a bit more emotional than the rest of my family." Marcus attempted to explain as he watched Miku take off to attend to the fragile young teen.

"I see. Well, regardless...you two have more than earned your place in my humble community. The people here could really use your help in keeping this place safe from those that would dare try and tear down what I've established." Shido began to announce as Marcus raised an eyebrow at Shido's proposition, somewhat curious as to whatever it was he had to say next.

Miku on the other hand was hustling up the stairs until she caught up to Noah, who was now slumping up against the wall; sitting with his forehead resting on his knees that were tucked up against his chest.

"Hey...Noah-kun, what's wrong? Were you hurt?" Miku asked in a gentle voice as she knelt down beside him to see what had him so broken down and distant.

"They were so young…just little kids that hadn't done anything wrong. I've always been a lad of logic and reason...but I still like to believe that there is a God or some kind of creator looking down over us; one that protects the good-hearted people of our world while justly punishing the bad for what they've done." Noah began to express as Miku was rather taken aback that someone such as the young Brit before her would actually believe in such a thing.

"Then I see something as horrific as this, and I have to ask…who is this meant to be punishing exactly? It feels so unfair, and I'm still too damn insignificant to make a difference about any of it! All while those who could've helped are busy looking out for themselves instead of for those who can't fight back! It makes me so angry that I...I..." Noah then continued in anguish as his temper began to rise; a painful scowl etched onto his face before he began to calm down again when Miku slowly pulled his head into her chest, gently cradling him as he couldn't help but breakdown into his more somber and regretful emotions.

"Don't look at me. I must look so goddamn pathetic right now...no man should be like this..." Noah said as he attempted to pull away from her, only to be somewhat surprised at how strong her hold on him was right now.

"Nonsense; I think quite the opposite if I'm being completely honest here. It's a good thing you're so caring and kindhearted. That way when you do become someone who can make a real difference in the world, your heart will still be in the right place. A part of me really admires what you just told me and how you selflessly made this place all the more livable for us all." Miku expressed as her small and tender hands began to soothingly rub his back and neck while keeping his head up against her buxom chest, her soft words sweet like honey to him as she did everything she could to help calm his nerves.

"T-Thank you, Miku-san. If you don't mind me saying this... if there's any consolation to be had here, it would have to be that I got to see you again." Noah mumbled out of confession as he nuzzled his head against her neck; unable to see the most genuine and heartfelt smile she'd formed in a long time.

"H-Hey! I'm the one who's supposed to be making YOU smile, not the other way around!" Miku said as she then found herself slowly holding him tight as if to help him feel more secure.

"You already have. Thank you, Miku-san. I'll be sure to thank you properly another time." Noah expressed with great gratitude before watching a smile spread across Miku's soft inviting lips that nearly made his entire body feel hot as an open flame.

"Another time? Why not right now?" Miku asked in a soft, honey-sweet, seductive voice that had Noah practically melting to the core; her fingers lightly running down his cheeks before motioning him to move closer.

"Hmm, maybe it wouldn't hurt if I—oh, hey, Marcus!" Noah began to say in a rather curious voice before he noticed his older sibling out of the corner of his eye.

"As much as I hate to be like Frasier, I'm afraid I have to talk to you about something important. Excuse us please." Marcus said somewhat apologetically before tugging Noah away without giving Miku or Noah a chance to ask what was going on. She just sat there, hoping it wouldn't take too long.

"What's with you? Why are you acting like something is wrong?" Noah asked in slight frustration as he was uncertain why Marcus felt the need to interrupt what was a rather promising moment for him.

"Because something IS wrong; this place, these people, that Shido guy. I can't help but feel like there's an angle we aren't seeing here." Marcus began to express as he crossed both of his arms; Noah raising an eyebrow to this sudden claim.

"What are you on about? This place seems great, especially now that we've just made it even safer for them!" Noah questioned as he had no idea what had gotten into Marcus all of a sudden.

"I know you've been distracted by Miku, but I've been observing the rest of this group. I've seen how they look up to Shido. They revere him he's like some kind of God or prophet or whatever that will help them survive this mess. They have this weird smile, as if everything he says and does is a stroke of genuine intellect. They look like druggies that just got another hit of dope every time he's around." Marcus explained with deep concern and worry in his voice, looking around to make sure nobody was coming their way.

"What are you trying to say, Marcus?" Noah asked; silently hoping Marcus wasn't going to say what he thought he was about to.

"I'm saying this is a bloody cult; a cult that blindly follows one man who seems to have no problem sending people to their death so long as he doesn't get his own hands dirty. I could be over speculating, but I can't exactly ignore the signs they've been giving me neither. We should go while they still remain friendly towards us." Marcus said in a more straightforward tone as he was quite certain of what he was feeling; like a hunch he just couldn't shake off, making him more paranoid by the minute.

"What about Miku?" Noah asked reluctantly as he seemed quite concerned what Marcus would have to say about her.

"What about her? She's one of them. She also had that bizarre expression, and I know she used to be one of his students before the outbreak. She'd be one of those more heavily affected by Shido if this is as bad as I'm expecting it to be." Marcus explained as he gave Noah some insight on the girl he had once more become very fond of.

"But she doesn't seem that bad. You don't think we could give her a chance to come with us?" Noah questioned as he felt certain that she was a special exception that would never do anything to hurt them.

"Sorry, but I don't think we can afford to risk that. She's too big of a liability." Marcus said as he just shook his head in disregard for Noah's feelings towards her.

"Fine. Let's just go…Frasier." Noah grumbled in bitter disappointment as he brushed past Marcus, who looked bewildered after taking such a low and rather personal insult.

"That isn't funny! Hey, Noah! Seriously, that was uncalled for!" Marcus announced as they both began to head for the exits, unable to notice that they were being listened in on by Tsunoda.

Both siblings dashed outside into the rain and through the parking encampments, only to be stopped at the gates by Teru,who now was wearing a bright yellow poncho for the rainfall that was pouring down even heavier now.

"What's the rush? Don't you know it's easy to slip in the rain?" Teru questioned as he motioned them to slow down; somewhat chuckling at his own remark as the two brothers remained straight-faced.

"We need to get home before it's too late. Our group must be worried sick about us by now." Noah attempted to explain as he stood there waiting for someone to open up the gate for them.

"We can send a messenger to your group to let them know you're here and bring them back. Mind telling us where they're holing up?" Teru offered as he pulled out a small notepad and pen out as if expecting an address on the spot; trying to cover it from the rain as best he could.

"Thanks for the offer, but that won't be necessary. We'll go on our own. Much faster that way." Marcus explained as he politely declined the offer. However, Teru didn't seem even remotely phased by the answer he was given as he just stared at them.

"I'm sorry, Marcus-san. I'm afraid I can't do that." Teru slowly announced as the two Lawson brothers couldn't help but form puzzled expressions at such a questionable response; looking at the other as if trying to confirm what they just heard.

"What? Sure you can! Just twist the locks off and get that gate open." Marcus replied, trying his best to hide how nervous he was through humor. Teru however still seemed unconvinced by his words and refused to budge at all on the matter.

"He means we can't let you leave now that you've seen our settlement. To protect ourselves, you can't leave and inform others about us." Shido's soft, soothing voice suddenly called out from behind as they turned to face the leader who was holding up an umbrella as several others lingered behind him.

 **[HoTD OST - Shido's Scheme]**

"What? So we're your prisoners now? Let us out!" Marcus asked before speaking in a much more firm growl as he formed a tight fist; noticing Shido hardly seemed intimidated due to having the odds heavily stacked in his favor.

"Not at all; you're still free to mingle and live among the rest of our community as you please! We just can't allow you to leave is all." Shido attempted to reiterate as if expecting that was going to be enough to convince the two siblings that everything would be alright regardless of what was really going on.

"Let us go now, before this gets out of hand. Please." Noah attempted to express without sounding like he was pleading for mercy. However, Shido could see right through him and sense the fear behind the young boy's words.

"That just isn't going to happen. Like we said before, we'll send someone to bring your group back, but you two are staying here." Shido reiterated as he crossed both of his arms; shooting down any possible hope of a peaceful negotiation to allow the two siblings to leave his sanctuary.

"This is ridiculous! We're leaving regardless of what you say, Shido, and nobody can stop us! Not your mindless followers, not these desperate fucks you've been stringing along like puppets, and especially not some slime ball creep who refuses to let go of the slightest hint of power he never had before the world went to shit like you! We're leaving right now!" Marcus practically snarled as he could no longer let this drag out any more than it had. He knew he had to assert some form of dominance while there was still a window of opportunity left. Shido's followers on the other hand fell dead silent at what must've felt like heresy as the man himself just let out a deep sigh before adjusting his black-framed glasses. He then looked back up at them with an intense glare full of hate and scorn behind those sharp yellow eyes.

"No. You aren't." Shido suddenly said in an eerily soft voice that had little to no emotion behind it. His warm, friendly demeanor suddenly shifted into that of twisted, yet composed malice; a chilling look that told the two brothers they were in danger now as Shido simply nodded his head to signal those standing behind them.

Several hands instantly began reaching out and pulling on Marcus and Noah, whom both responded with a flurry of hits and swings against the several fanatics surrounding them. Their enraged grunts soon turned into gasps of desperation as they fought on. Despite their best efforts though, they could not hold back the tide of people and were soon beaten into the ground and completely overwhelmed. The butt of a rifle suddenly came down against the side of Marcus' head; causing everything to go black as he fell unconscious.

"No! You pricks will pay for this!" Noah announced in a defeated grunt when he watched as Marcus slumped over unconscious with blood running down the side of his face; looking up just in time to see Tsunoda staring down at him with a smug grin on his face before kicking Noah as hard as he could in the jaw, effectively knocking the youngest Lawson out cold.

"Put them in with the others. Hopefully they'll know their place and come around in due time. Their skills would be quite valuable to us should they choose to come to their senses." Shido instructed when all seemed to be in his control as he waved off his followers who were holding Noah and Marcus' unconscious figures upright.

"What about their group?" Teru questioned with some concern over the retaliation they might have been facing in the near future for what they just did; looking up to Shido for the answer he always seemed to have whenever asked about anything.

"You just leave that to me." Shido exclaimed in an all too soothing hush before turning around and casually strolling back into the building. A sinister smirk curved along his thin lips before the doors behind him slammed shut. A low, joyful hum filled the hallway as in the back of his mind, he contemplated his next move to handle this new group he was quite eager to meet.


	12. Chapter 12: The Lion's Den

**Z-Day+14**

 **Fujimi Academy**

Hours after being beaten and knocked unconscious, Noah slowly sat up and began to rub his aching jawline; his entire head throbbing painfully like the mother of all migraines. It stung especially hard when he felt where Tsunoda had kicked him. The young Brit slowly shifted his gaze to see Marcus was still lying on the frigid concrete ground, still knocked out cold from taking a rifle butt to the back of the head. Looking at his brother in such a state couldn't help but produce a twisting feeling of guilt in Noah's gut. It was his entire fault for not heeding Marcus' warning that they were now in this mess. A part of him couldn't shake the thought that if he had paid closer attention to the warning signs, perhaps they could've avoided coming here altogether.

"I see that silver-tongued serpent has gotten his hands on yet another group." a low, raspy voice commented, instantly causing Noah to look around warily; only now just realizing how dark the room they were being held in really was.

It was still quite grey outside from the storm passing lack of light made it hard for him to see anything beyond several feet. The only real source of dim light came from the small horizontal slit of a window positioned on the upper wall. Noah slowly stood up with a sharp pain aching in his sides as he looked into the blank void where the voice came from.

"You mean we aren't the first? Wait, w-who am I speaking to?" Noah whispered nervously, as if wary he was being watched by one of Shido's followers.

"I'm afraid not. And you can rest assured, I'm a friend." the voice responded, sounding weak and emotionally drained now that Noah was paying closer attention, in spite of his words of reassurance.

"You sound very close. Where are you?" Noah began to ask as he carefully tip-toed into the darker section of the room; his feet shuffling forward while he tried to gain some perspective of his surroundings.

Just when he thought his mind had been playing tricks, he suddenly felt his feet bump up against what felt like a leg. He was initially startled but soon regained his nerve when the person he walked into didn't seem to have much in terms of a response.

"I'm sorry; it's kinda hard to see you down there. Who are you now?" Noah announced apologetically before crouching down to try and speak face to face with the unknown prisoner. For a moment there was no answer, just the sound of something being scratched against the surface of the floor.

Suddenly, a small flame on a match dimly lit up to reveal a man in his mid to late thirties. He had a strong, masculine jawline; his weary eyes a soft brown that looked straight at Noah, who was instantly hit with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia as he recognized this man before him.

"Tadashi Miyamoto?" Noah softly muttered in confusion as the man slowly yet reluctantly nodded his head in acknowledgment; the knowing expression in his tired eyes showing he recognized the youngest Lawson as well, which only seemed to make his demeanor that much more weary to be reunited with the young boy in such a place as this.

"Oh my God...how the hell did you end up HERE of all places? I thought you and all the others were holed up in that elementary school to lead the evacuation to...well, somewhere." Noah said out of astonishment as he couldn't even begin to comprehend why the detective was now in a cell with them. However, he only realized how much his excited words truly hurt Tadashi when he saw an unmistakable look of regret and resentment flash through his eyes as he bowed his head in defeat.

"We were, originally. The remnants of the officers I rallied managed to send out a distress signal for just about anyone to pick up after we cleared out the elementary school. Everything had all been set up perfectly for the long run. We had a secure perimeter, enough supplies to last us for a few weeks without outside contact, and we even had contact with the Self Defense Force before all the power went out.

"Over the course of a single week, we had managed to save over sixty survivors; mostly desperate families trying to survive and help make what use we could of the place. Then one day, this high school teacher and his students arrived, requesting sanctuary just like everyone else. There was no way we were about to deny anyone shelter, so we let them in. Not even a day goes by, and he starts talking about how only the strongest deserve survive and that we need stronger leadership. The people were so desperate and afraid; I think they actually believed most of the things he said.

"While my back was turned, he'd start instigating fights and interpersonal drama among the other survivors, just to prove to them that I couldn't control the situation and that the police were obsolete while he could keep them safe and well fed. He kept pushing me to leave for somewhere safer despite how defensible I had made the place. Nevertheless, everyone else felt like trapped rats and couldn't seem to agree more.

"Eventually it was suggested that we make Fujimi Academy our new Evac zone. With 'Them' attacking almost every few hours, I knew the people wouldn't have taken no for an answer for much longer. I reluctantly took most of my fellow officers with me to check it out and hopefully clear what we hoped would have been little resistance. Everything was going quite smoothly as we went from room to room; from hallway to hallway while clearing the place out of 'Them'. But when it seemed like we might actually have cleared it all out, one of my men suddenly ventured too far in by himself. We followed in the hope of reaching him in time…only for him to suddenly lock us in with more of 'Them' without any exit in sight.

"By the time I realized what had happened, those people following that teacher had convinced all the other survivors we were looking over to mutiny against us. We had to fight tooth and nail to get out of that hall with our lives…and those people were just waiting for us outside the gates. I was one of only three that made it out of that deathtrap alive. Before I could try and reason with them, that bastard Shido had us beaten and tied up before throwing us into what must've been the storage area for all of the athletic equipment. It wasn't until later that not only had they built this cage we're in now to throw me in; but that scum had worked his charm on my last two fellow officers to join his side. I'm now all that remains of the Tokonosu Police.

"Ever since then I've been trapped here, just barely fed, left to wonder if I'll ever see my family again." Tadashi finished explaining to Noah; his voice trembling with mixed emotions as the longer he went on, the lower and weaker his tone became before falling silent and leaving Noah in awe of everything that had happened since last he saw the once proud detective.

Unable to say anything, Noah silently placed his hand on Tadashi's shoulder to express his understanding and utmost sympathy for the tragic downfall of the noble detective. Tadashi let out a remorseful sigh as he barely managed to pull himself up onto his feet, wobbling a bit as he seemed noticeably weary just from moving around.

"Nothing here matters anymore. To hell with these people; if they want to put their faith into a mad man, then so be it. All I want now is to be with my family…if they're even still alive at this point..." Tadashi grumbled bitterly at the memory of how quickly the people he'd taken in and protected were so quick to turn on him despite how hard he tried to look after them; causing Noah to perk up somewhat when he realized that not all was lost for Tadashi as the facts and memories in his head all seemed to simultaneously click together in that instant.

"Well, as coincidental as this might sound to you...I happen to know where they are right now." Noah said softly as he couldn't help but smile at the look of awe that suddenly filled Tadashi's otherwise gloomy face.

"You what? Y-you know where my wife and daughter are? Kiriko and Rei Miyamoto?!" Tadashi suddenly exclaimed in a hopeful tone as both his hands grasped Noah's shoulders, dropping the match and allowing the darkness to return.

"Yes. My group ran into them eight days ago, along with several others led by this guy named Takashi Komuro. Ever since we combined forces, they've been holing up in a hotel my brothers and I fortified. If we can escape this place together, I can reunite you with your family." Noah calmly explained as all became silent once more. Although he couldn't really see Tadashi's expression, it would've been a safe bet that he was showing nothing but absolute joy and relief from the renewed hope in his heart.

"Noah-san, was it? If you help me out of here and get me back to my family, I will be forever in your debt. You help me, and I'll help you; alright?" Tadashi suddenly said as he had much more energy and renewed vigor in his demeanor now.

"How can I not say yes? Of course I'll help you escape; me and my brother. It would really help though if we had a layout of the area. I don't suppose you've tried to escape, or at the very least check for structural weaknesses?" Noah accepted without hesitation before making it clear a plan was needed before they could even consider escaping from wherever they were being held.

"I've only caught glimpses of the place when we initially arrived. Perhaps there's a student map lying around in the hallways somewhere? If we could get one of those, then we'd have a clear idea of where to go." Tadashi answered as he satback against the wall, slowly sitting down as if getting ready to go to sleep.

"Then I suppose all we can do is wait until morning. It's too dark to get anything done in here right now. Besides, what good is looking for a student map if we don't even have a means to unlock this bloody cage?" Noah sighed as he looked up at the small windowsill before walking back to Marcus and sitting beside him, hoping that things wouldn't get any worse than they already had.

 _At the Hotel…_

Meanwhile, Frasier stood at the top of the hotel, pacing back and forth as he kept angrily mumbling to himself every now and then; watching down a single stretch of road, as if anticipating his brothers to come running back any second now; all the while not even noticing Hitomi peeking at him from around the corner before she retreated back down to the third floor where the rest of the group was waiting anxiously themselves.

"Well? What's he doing now?" Saya asked tensely with her arms crossed while instinctively tapping her foot to the floor impatiently. Clearly Noah and Marcus' prolonged absence had left the rest of the group just as on edge, even if they weren't as quick to show it.

"He's just pacing around like a caged animal like the last time. You know he isn't going to be able to stay calm for much longer." Hitomi answered concernedly, given how unstable Frasier clearly seemed to be the further he went without knowing where his younger brothers were.

"I'm worried about him. It isn't easy not knowing where your family is in times like these." Shizuka said worriedly before looking down, trying to imagine how he was no doubt feeling on the inside; feeling a maternal need to take care of him and nurture his pain before something irreparable could happen.

"Worried about him? What about us? How long do you think it'll be before he takes his pent up anger out on us?" Rei said, bringing up an unfortunately solid point that seemed to have crossed everyone's mind now given their clearly frightened expressions at the idea of Frasier completely losing control.

"Then perhaps we should stop talking behind his back and get out there and find Noah-kun and Marcus-kun. If we split up into several teams, we can cover plenty of ground in no time." Saeko said rather defensively as there was some definite anger now hanging within her words; clearly annoyed that the rest of the group seemed more focused on talking about the problem rather than working towards solving it.

Nobody said anything after that. It was already bad enough that two of them were out missing, but to suggest they all split up and head back out into the city while it was still dark was just something they couldn't possibly do; never mind the fact it was raining really hard, making it virtually impossible to see anything from a distance.

"Maybe when the sun comes back up and the rain calms down,we can do something. Until then, all we can do is wait, remain vigilant, and help Frasier-san in any way we can. Agreed?" Hitomi advised calmly before confirming with the others on how they were to handle this; watching as one by one they seemed to agree with silent nods, some more reluctant than others; but in the end, they knew they owed it to him to help out after all he'd done for both groups.

"I think someone should sleep in the same room as him, just for tonight at least. Make sure he doesn't take action into his own hands should his patience run out." Shizuka suddenly brought up as she looked at them, hoping someone would volunteer to help, but ready to do it herself nonetheless should nobody speak up.

"I'll do it." a soft voice suddenly announced; causing the group to look around in surprise before seeing Alice standing behind them; wearing a set of white pajamas with a red polka dot pattern they'd found in one of the suitcases that was only a little big for her in the arms, effectively concealing her hands unless she rolled the sleeves up.

"Alice-chan, you can't. It wouldn't be safe for you." Saya objected as she instinctively came to the little girls' side. The young girl then formed a somewhat disappointed frown as she shook her head in denial.

"But he's my friend, and good friends always stick together." Alice said in a surprisingly direct tone before she crossed both arms stubbornly; unable to accept that Saya wouldn't even give her a chance to help out when her newfound friend needed it most. A rather ashamed look filled Saya's face as she was quite surprised to see Alice turn the tables by giving her the lecture for once.

"It's not that we don't want to help him, Alice-chan, but this is a very delicate situation right now, and it may be better if we handle it while you stay back. If anything comes up, I'll let you know how you can help. Does that sound fair?" Takashi suddenly offered as Alice took a brief moment to think before she gently, if not reluctantly, nodded in acceptance.

"That's what I like to hear. Now head back to your room; it's way past your bedtime. Marikawa-sensei will be there soon totuck you in." Takashi then softly instructed with a warm smile on his face, somewhat blushing when Alice gently hugged his sides before she took off to do as she was told.

"Oh. That reminds me, there's something very important I wanted to propose to you all! You see, with the way things have been going lately, I've decided I want to start seeing at least one to two of you a day, just so we can talk and make sure everyone is holding on. I think we can all agree that it's very important we don't slip away from each other and break down when we need to be at our strongest. So if anyone would like to volunteer to go first, we can meet in my room and talk about whatever could otherwise be bothering you!" Shizuka suddenly cheerfully announced, despite how serious this therapy idea really was to her. The others initially looked apprehensive of the concept, but the more they actually thought about it, the more they liked the idea of being able to get some things off of their otherwise heavy conscience.

Before anyone could volunteer though, the sound of heavy footsteps caught their attention within seconds. Their heads collectively turned to see Frasier heading down the stairs and straight past them towards the room that had been made into the makeshift armory.

"Hey, Frasier...what are you up to over there?" Johann calmly, if somewhat nervously, asked when he tried to spark up a conversation with the short tempered Brit who's patience seemed to be at an all-time low.

"I'm heading out there. As for why, I think you all should know damn well by now, so I'm going to save my breath." Frasier answered briefly as he didn't even stop to look at Johann, nor the others for that matter.

"Out there? In the cold rain? I know Noah-san and Marcus-san mean the world to you, but surely this can wait until the weather calms down?" Takashi questioned in alarm as he and the rest of the group hurried after Frasier as he kept on his way.

"The longer I stay HERE, the more likely they won't survive out THERE! Our training has prepared us for how to survive out in the wild, but they're still just teenagers in comparison to myself. They aren't ready to survive on their own…at least not for much longer." Frasier expressed angrily as he stood with his back turned to them; his voice low as he was trying his hardest to hold back any emotion from slipping into his words.

"But it's too dark out there, and you know 'They' will be more active and stronger until sunrise. You're capable of lasting longer out there than any of us here, I don't doubt that; but your emotions are clouding your judgment, and it could cost you your life if you don't think this through." Saeko protested in intervention before she grasped his shoulder tightly, only to cause him to spin around and break the hold outright.

"I don't care what happens to me! I'm expendable, Saeko-san! It's my sole duty as a brother to do what I must to ensure they survive! You of all people should know that by now!" Frasier suddenly snapped as he glared angrily at her, his now strained voice fueled by a mixture of both anger and frustration at how useless he felt not being able to help his only family. The others slightly recoiled back as Saeko just bowed her head.

"Please, don't talk like that. I don't want to hear you saying such things." Saeko muttered softly, trying her best to contain the emotions she so desperately felt she needed to get out after hearing how expendable her close friend considered himself. Then without warning, she wrapped her arms around him, interlacing her fingers together as he formed a look of genuine surprise.

"I'm sorry, Saeko-san, but that's just how I see things. Please, let me go so I can do what needs to be done." Frasier said in an apologetic sigh before requesting one last time that she drop the subject.

"No." was all he heard her whisper as her hold on him only seemed to tighten up.

"What?! I wasn't asking for your permission! Let me go now!" Frasier said out of surprise as he attempted to pull away, only for her body to remain attached and clinging to him like he was made out of glue.

"I'm not letting you go, Frasier-kun. No matter what, I refuse to lose you like this. You mean more to all of us than you can see. We'll all help you when morning arrives, I promise you that much." Saeko vowed as she spoke with fierce determination that showed no intent to back down despite his frustrated squirming.

"Damn you, Saeko-san. You...you win, dammit. I'll wait until morning, but after that, all bets are off. Nothing will stand in my way the second I see the bloody sun." Frasier grumbled in defeat as he knew he wouldn't be able to shake her off without actually hurting her in the process; only able to calm down long enough to realize that she actually had a valid point about him not using proper judgement. He would've no doubt lambasted anyone else who'd been acting the way he had just seconds ago, which only made his self-recognition of that fact all the more painful to know he lost his own self-control like that so easily.

 _'I wouldn't have it any other way, Frasier-kun.'_ Saeko thought to herself as she released him from her grip; watching as he paused to contemplate his next move before slowly making his way back to his room, all the others making way as he brushed right past them.

Soon the rest of the group began to disperse to their own rooms for the night. Hitomi in the end was the one who made the choice to bunk in the same room as Frasier to ensure that he wouldn't do anything hasty or lose his temper. A part of her couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for him now as she could understand perfectly where he was coming from. However, she still knew order needed to be maintained if they were to have any hope of really surviving this endless nightmare.

"Is Frasier-niichan going to be okay?" Alice softly whispered as she looked up at Shizuka while being gently tucked into bed. The blonde nurse appeared taken aback for a moment as she was quite surprised to see how much Alice already knew of their latest situation.

"Of course he will. At least for tonight...the sooner we can find Noah-kun and Marcus-kun, the better. You just focus on staying happy for us and staying out of trouble, sweetie." Shizuka softly replied in her motherly tone before gently kissing Alice's forehead.

The young girl nodded gently before snuggling up to her pillow and falling asleep within seconds; a warm and contented smile on her little face. Shizuka couldn't help but take a moment to admire the precious sight, only to then turn her head and see Saya standing in the doorway. She had an anxious look on her face that silently said it all as Shizuka couldn't help but smile in satisfaction as to what their pink-haired genius could've possibly been here for.

"I-I'd like to talk if you aren't too tired...it's important." Saya requested with a broken whimper as it practically oozed with woe.

Shizuka however seemed to be absolutely delighted and immediately had Saya follow her downstairs into the lobby, having the young teen lie down on one of the several couches as she pulled over a wooden chair to sit herself down. To reserve fuel, the eager nurse instead lit several candles up, a calming scent of vanilla quickly filling the large expanse of the lobby. The small flames danced and held back the darkness as Shizuka then sat over the distressed Saya.

"Aright, now what seems to be troubling you, Takagi-san?" Shizuka said to start things off as she looked down at Saya with genuine concern; watching as she had an immensely painful look of guilt on her face that couldn't be held back even if she tried.

"Y-You remember when Hirano took Komuro and I out to improve our shooting the other day? It's because of me that Komuro's in the condition he's in now. I was too scared to say anything before, but I can't stop thinking about it. I allowed my drive to be perfect to nearly kill all of us! Komuro, our leader, is injured because I was too stupid to listen to my own advice!He's limping around because of me!" Saya began to express in a low sob as she had to fight every tear that tried to escape her otherwise fierce eyes. Shizuka meanwhile just sat there, listening to every word, gently nodding in understanding as Saya lamented over her mistake.

"Well, you can be a bit impulsive at times. So what exactly happened for this to be the case?" Shizuka noted before inquiring further on the specifics of the incident as Saya had to steel herself with deep breaths to think back on that godawful day.

"Well, there were some turned SDF soldiers heading our way. It was a tough shot, but I was determined to prove to myself that I could handle it. I kept firing, but the bullets kept getting deflected from 'Their' body armor and helmets. Hirano warned me to stop for some reason, but I kept going though, thinking if I kept it up, eventually I'd hit my mark. What I didn't notice was that one of 'Them' had a bandolier of grenades strapped to its chest. Everything turned white for a split second, and this hot flash surged. The force from the explosion was even strong enough to send us all flying back. Hirano and I were fine once the ringing in our ears stopped, but a piece of shrapnel had hit Komuro's leg. I've never felt as bad for my actions as I did that morning. It's been eating away at me nonstop since then. I want so much to be angry, to yell at something or someone, but it always comes back to me realizing that's what started this mess in the first place." Saya recapped before confessing her inner turmoil. Shizuka however remained strong and formed a soft smile.

"Aww, you feel guilty, and it's perfectly understandable to be upset with yourself for it. Have you talked to Komuro-kun about it yet?" Shizuka said in a soft sigh before asking further on Saya's actions as the bespectacled girl had to fight to keep from flat out sobbing now that the truth was out between them.

"I-I've been somewhat avoiding him actually. It's hard to look at him limping and not be reminded of my failure; of how I put his life in jeopardy just to feel like I could do more." Saya answered as she turned away to face the couch cushions, as if horribly embarrassed by such a feeling.

"Everyone makes a mistake and fails at some point in their life, Saya-chan. You just need to learn how to accept it and move on. Try and acknowledge what you did wrong and-" Shizuka attempted to explain before Saya suddenly sat up with an angered expression behind her glasses that instantly rendered the well-meaning nurse silent.

"That's just it! I can never fail! My parents paid the best to ensure that everything I did would work without a hitch; to make sure I could successfully do whatever I put my mind towards! It's not just something I can shake my head away from now." Saya shouted in an outburst, her posture showing that of extreme agitation and distraction.

"It sounds like they really pressured you hard to be the best you could be." Shizuka noted as Saya bowed her head, falling silent for several seconds before letting out a soft chuckle, like Shizuka just made the most obvious observation of the century.

"You have no idea...all the tests, all those extracurricular programs, the long hours of studying while every other kid got to enjoy themselves and have fun; and if those constant expectations weren't met, it just led to even more studying." Saya said out of painful remembrance of how her parents treated her, shuddering at those repressed memories that began to flood into her mind.

"Tell me, Saya-chan, do you regret the things you've learned? I mean, it sounds like they only did it to help prepare you for the world and to ensure that you could handle whatever came your way all on your own." Shizuka asked as she tried to help give some much needed outside perspective. Saya however seemed to have a rather rough reaction from hearing that as she gave Shizuka another one of her signature piercing glares.

"I'm not an idiot! I know they wanted that as the end result, butthe way they went about it...every time I made a mistake, my father wouldn't yell or shout, he'd just shake his head and say nothing to me; like I suddenly didn't exist until I earned my next achievement, and all while my mother just went along with it like it was completely normal. It hurt so bad, I didn't even want to think about it anymore; to just be able to move on and forget wouldn't be anything short of a miracle for me. I guess in the end, I got what I wished for." Saya said out of the usual burst of anger she'd express whenever something irked her; but the further she explained herself, the more pained and emotionally drained her voice became. She then fell silent for a few seconds only to look up when Shizuka placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I personally think you've turned out quite well in the end, Saya-chan. Yes, you can be a little grumpy sometimes and take it out on us when it's uncalled for, but I'm proud to be the friendof someone such as you. If you want my advice, I would suggest you apologize to Komuro-kun and help him whenever he needs it, the way you always have been. As for your parents, don't worry about what they think! All you need to ask right now is if you're satisfied with yourself and what you're currently doing." Shizuka said in the sweetest voice, her words so loving and genuine, Saya had no choice other than to smile right back. She then sat upright and held onto Shizuka the way a lost child would when they found their mother.

"T-thank you, Marikawa-sensei; this actually helped a lot more than I thought it would. I think tomorrow I'll talk to Komuro." Saya gently whispered before pulling away, trying her hardest to hide a slight sniffle as Shizuka on the other hand seemed to be overly ecstatic at how well her first session turned out.

"Oh, I'm so happy to hear you say that, Saya-chan! If you ever want to talk about anything else, you just come right on back to me! And also, you don't have to bother with that 'sensei' nonsense anymore. You can just call me Shizuka if you like." Shizuka gleefully announced before pulling Saya into her chest, practically suffocating the pink-haired genius between her bountiful bosoms before letting her go.

"I will. Goodnight…Shizuka." Saya responded before heading back up the stairs; genuinely smiling to herself as it felt like entire loads of remorse and stress had been lifted from her shoulders; giving her a new positive outlook on how to confront Takashi over the accident she'd inadvertently caused.

Shizuka meanwhile remained in the lobby for a few moments, taking a moment to reflect on how her own parents were when she was Saya's age. They always wanted what was best for her, yet at the same time they never put any pressure on her to succeed. Even though they had passed several years prior to the outbreak, a part of her couldn't help but miss them now more than ever.

Luckily for her, things between them had ended quite well, so there wasn't any regret or things Shizuka wished she could take back. She soon found herself instinctively looking over at the entry doors to the hotel, silently hoping that Noah and Marcus were still doing alright despite the fact they'd yet to come home from their scavenging mission. It felt strange not having them here, but she knew she couldn't spend all night dwelling on it. Without much reason to stay down in the lobby, Shizuka slowly made her way up the stairs before crashing into bed with the hope that things would get better for the group come morning.

 **Z-Day+15**

 _Early Afternoon…_

Sheer determination practically surged through every fiber of Frasier's being as he continuously made his way alone through the lifeless streets. That fire had been raging within hi nonstop since he'd woken up this morning, not even bothering to exchange words with the rest of the group before he'd suited up and went out to begin his long-anticipated search for his brothers. Sure this single-minded obsession would no doubt have interpersonal consequences between him and the rest of the group once he'd return with his brothers in tow, but right now that meant nothing to him. Right now, all he cared about was finding Noah and Marcus, come hell or high water.

Frasier had already managed to cover several blocks on his way to finding the store Noah and Marcus were supposedly checking out from what he'd remembered. The still heavily pouring rain didn't remotely bother him. In fact, it somewhat made him feel at home; the cool air helping him focus to be constantly moving. Eventually, he came across a scene with a shopping cart filled with raw building materials, numerous formerly undead corpses that were lying strewn about in the street, and two bullet shells he knew had to have been fired by his brothers if he knew the guns they'd taken with them. Although he could not see any other signs of their having been here, a part of him couldn't help but feel hope considering that they were able to put up a fight, and there was no other sign of blood than what had been shed by all the former undead.

Before he could determine which way they could've traveled, he heard the sudden deafening sound of gunshots echoing from nearby. While nowhere close enough, or at an angle to be directed at him; he only began to look around before his honed ears managed to deduce the exact location of the shooter. Without hesitation, he ran down the street until finding himself standing before an office building with a helicopter crashed into the side of it. The grey skies and constant rain had helped conceal the smoke, but the sound of it crashing would've been loud enough for him or anyone else in the group to hear should it have happened earlier that day.

 _'Hmm, this thing must've no doubt crashed back when that EMP hit; although this doesn't look like any civilian helicopter either. Surely the SDF must have EMP-protected engines just like the truck. If so, from the looks of this wreck, this must've been about two days ago.'_ Frasier thought to himself before unsheathing his combat knife and pulling Mark's Glock 17 from the holster on his hip. Expecting trouble, he carefully infiltrated the building through a nearby window, landing as gratefully as he could before scanning the seemingly empty office space for any signs of movement.

The stench of death was strong, yet none of 'Them' could be seen or heard in the expansive room. He quietly walked through several aisles of cubicles before standing in the doorway to the lobby. It looked just the same as any place did with high volumes of people during the outbreak: a real massacre. The walls were practically coated with blood as printer paper and other various office supplies littered the area. No bodies though,which was somewhat of a relief for the time being.

Expecting the elevators to be down, he jogged up the stairs for several flights before noticing that all-too familiar stench of rotting flesh had suddenly become even stronger than before. He was now certain 'They' had to be nearby now, soon hearing the sounds of low, hungered groans coming from the stairway above him.

"Shit!" a soft and somewhat feminine voice cursed before another series of gunshots could be heard going off. 'They' let out even louder groans as Frasier watched 'Them' pouring into the top floor where the helicopter was embedded into.

Operating under the hope that this survivor could be a potential witness to what happened to his brothers, the young Brit spared no time rushing into the action. Over six of 'Them' were wandering into the room, 'Their' hands reached out with all jaws hung wide open in anticipation. Feet dragged along the blood stained carpet as Frasier began to pick out his first target.

 ***wham***

With a single kick to the back of a leg, the reanimated husk dressed as a former student fell to its knees before Frasier dug his knife into the back of its skull. The undead office worker nearby shifted focus onto the ambush, only to be greeted by a single 9mm round to the face. A single dime-sized hole punctured its face before exploding out the back of the skull, splattering its gooey contents onto the floor.

Several more gunshots suddenly rang out throughout the office with a crackling boom with such power behind it that instantly dwarfed the sound Mark's handgun had made. Two of 'Them' struck by the thunderous volley were sent flying back with large gaping holes where the faces should've been as the glass window behind the pair shattered into hundreds of fragments that then trickled onto the floor while one of the bodies went tumbling out to splatter onto the ground below. Frasier then turned to see the last of the two undead were focused on him.

Without hesitation, he pulled his combat knife only to throw it straight into the left eye of the first one. The second undeadoffice worker however managed to close the gap before Frasier could properly react and had both hands wrapped around his forearms. Startled by how quick it was able to react and how strong the creature was, Frasier had found himself pinned up against a cubicle border. He barely managed to tilt his head in time to avoid having his face bitten off on the spot.

Using the opening to counter attack, Frasier shoved the undead fiend with all his might before unleashing a flurry of punches into the torso region like it was a punching bag; remembering that it wouldn't do anything against one of 'Them', he then uppercut into the jawline, watching the head rock back to reveal the narrowly built neck. Grasping it with one hand, he then swept one foot against the back of the infected office worker's ankles, forcing it onto its back. Giving it no time to recover, he knew he had to improvise. Without a second thought, he lifted the nearby printer over his head only to bring it cashing down onto the last of 'Them' beneath him.

 ***crash***

After the body stopped twitching, he walked over to pick up hisweapons; wiping the necrotic blood off of the blade before turning to see the survivor he'd come to the aid of was now walking towards him with a rather confident stride and a very charmed grin.

Before him stood a tanned woman in her late 20's standing at 170 cm (5'6), with purple hair tied into a ponytail with several loose strands hanging out in front of her face. She was wearing a black combat suit with a bulletproof vest, and around her neck appeared to be a white choke collar along with shooting glasses. Her intense red eyes gazed upon him with a rather pleased look behind them as she curved a smile; holding what he could instantly recognize as a Heckler & Koch PSG-1 rifle, the barrel still smoking.

"Hmm, I don't know whether to be impressed or annoyed that a young man such as you had to come to my rescue; although I'm grateful nonetheless for the help." she spoke in a somewhat bitter tone, still smirking though; making it hard for Frasier to tell what she really felt. Her stride and demeanor clearly showed this woman was a natural born fighter with all the confidence in the world.

"It wasn't exactly part of the plan, but you're welcome. You're Self Defense Force, I take it?" Frasier replied as he raised an eyebrow at her, taking a moment to inspect the uniform she wore only for her to shake her head whilst lighting up a cigarette she'd pulled out of a pack in one of her many pockets. Her thumb rubbed hard against the lighter before a tiny flame began to light the end of her cigarette.

"Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, SFGp (Special Forces Group) to be exact. But yes, I'm one of the top ranking snipers in all of the JGSDF. Rika Minami, a pleasure to meet you. And you are?" the SFGp officer known as Rika said before questioning Frasier herself like it was only the most natural thing to do in this moment.

"Lawson, Frasier Lawson. I'm looking for two younger boys, ages fourteen and sixteen; Caucasian obviously, umm...about these heights? Any information would be greatly appreciated." Frasier wasted no time with the intro before immediately cutting to the chase; using both hands to display their heights as Rika just stared at him for a few moments before blowing out a tiny trail of smoke.

"Sorry, but I only just managed to touchdown on land not too long ago. I'm looking for someone myself actually, a very close friend of mine. You look quite young; perhaps you went to the same high school she worked at? Tell me, did you ever attend Fujimi Academy?" Rika said in apology before turning the topic over to her own personal dilemma. Frasier slightly raised an eyebrow at the rather odd coincidence that he attended the same school as Rika's missing friend.

"Y-yeah...I don't suppose you could describe her now?" Frasier hesitantly answered before noticing Rika seemed even more focused on him now as she stepped closer to hear his answer. Her eyes never blinked once as she without a doubt had some form of an intimidation factor to her personality that managed to even put him on edge.

"I'm looking for a woman about 176 cm (5'9), soft yellow eyes, very long blonde hair, probably the biggest tits you'll ever see on a woman?" Rika said as she continued to describe her friend's characteristics, Frasier's eyes slowly growing wider as he realized he knew exactly who it was.

"Marikawa-sensei..." he gently muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, his voice wasn't as subtle as he thought, for the moment Rika heard that, she suddenly closed the gap between them before he could even blink. Her right hand suddenly grasped his collar and pulled his head down to her level so he couldn't look away.

"Where is she?" Rika said in a dead serious voice, her eyes practically piercing into Frasier's as she watched for any reaction she could hope to find. However, completely unaware of his typical reaction to a threat, Rika suddenly felt his massive hand grasp her arm only to twist it around until it was behind her back.

 _'Hard way it is, tough guy!'_ Rika thought to herself before managing to break the hold by kicking back into Frasier's knees and mustering the strength to flip him over her back and into a nearby desk with a satisfying crash. She then cracked her knuckles before slowly approaching him.

Frasier felt his vision spin for a split moment, coming back just in time to see Rika had already made a straight beeline for him. A single fist extended out from her reach and straight into his solar plexus, effectively knocking the wind right out of him. She simply stood there grinning to herself as Frasier suddenly keeled over with one hand over his chest.

"Is that the best you've got? You hit like a woman!" Frasier asked before really digging under Rika's skin with that last remark, barely able to dodge her leg as she attempted to kick him with lightning fast reflexes; rolling over until he could properly stand back up to face her.

Knowing what she was potentially capable of, Frasier rushed straight in, ducking under her follow up punch before his arms wrapped around her athletically tuned torso. Rika's eyes widened as he managed to lift her up only to then body slam her to the ground with a tremendous thud. Knowing she'd retaliate within seconds, Frasier drew his knife only to then place it at the edge of her throat.

"Impressive…damn impressive. You're no civilian, that's for damn sure; American military perhaps?" Rika grumbled as she spoke in a tone that somewhat hinted at admiration for his unexpected display of combat prowess.

"United Kingdom, and don't change the subject! Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right here!" Frasier corrected before his angered voice turned into a low growl.

Before an answer could be given, he suddenly felt something cold pressing against the side of his head. To his horror, even after slamming her down with him on top, the SFGp officer managed to take Mark's pistol from him and place it against his temple without him even knowing up until now; effectively leaving the two at a sudden death stalemate, their intense glares trying to overpower the others with the hope of them backing down.

"I have to warn you, Rika-san, I have no intent on losing this. My brothers need me, and nothing's going to stop me from finding them and getting them to safety!" Frasier warned as he only gripped the handle to the combat knife even tighter. Rika gazed up to see a fierce look of determination burning in his crystal blue eyes.

"That's good, Lawson-kun, because you'll need that determination if you want to have any hope of beating me. Just tell me where Shizuka Marikawa is and I'll back off." Rika noted before her voice seemed to turn into a growl of its own; making it clear Frasier didn't have a chance of intimidating her into submission without a real ace up his sleeve to convince her otherwise.

"She's part of a group of survivors I'm allied with. You'd know that by now if you didn't make the mistake of grabbing me, you twit. Now drop the damn gun." Frasier calmly answered before demanding her to disarm in a more aggressive snarl again.

With that said, Rika slowly reeled her arms back, watching as Frasier slowly pulled himself back, standing over her before holding his hand out. The SFGp officer smiled before taking his hand, feeling how strong his grip was before she was hoisted back up to her feet in an effortless pull on his part.

"Such a gentleman." Rika playfully teased as she shot him a flirtatious grin of approval. His expression however did not change as he just stared at her with his hand still held out.

"Actually, it's because you have something of mine." he said without any concern for Rika, watching her form a sly smirk before holding the handgun up to show him where it was; slowly handing it over only to pull it away at the last second.

"I think I'll hold onto this. You can have it back when you take me to Shizuka." Rika said without any humor to be found in her words; Frasier glaring at the handgun intently before reluctantly nodding, knowing begrudgingly that she would be ready for him if he lashed out at her a second time.

A part of him was also considerably hesitant to argue with her,seeing how she could actually hold her own against even the likes of him. Before any more words could be exchanged, the two suddenly could see the multitudes of 'Them' in the streets below had been drawn in by the gunshots from earlier. As they hustled down the stairs and out the back exit, the entire building was soon filled with undead pouring in from the front entrance.

 _Back at Fujimi Academy…_

Throughout the half of the night since Marcus had regained consciousness and had been filled in on where they were and who their detective cellmate was, the captured Lawson brothers and Tadashi Miyamoto tried to devise an escape plan. However, no matter how many ideas they tried to brainstorm on together, they continuously had to question how they'd be able to accomplish such a thing to begin with when they had no layout of the wing they were being held in, nor any real idea how organized Shido kept his security. And even if those two things weren't an issue, then always came the matter of how they'd be able to defend themselves if they were to run into any of 'Them' supposing they even did manage to escape the it was decided they would wait on further elaborating on a plan until morning. Sure enough, as soon as the sun had risen, the three were back to their constant plotting circle; ignoring the damp cold of the room they were being held in as all they could focus on was finding some kind of solution.

"Okay, the first thing we need to focus on is how we're able to get out of this cage. Everything else is pointless if we can't figure that out." Noah instructed in a hushed whisper, ever cautious to the thought that some of Shido's people could be standing guard outside the door and his voice may have possibly been carrying.

"Well, unless you've got a paperclip or a bobby pin of some kind on you, I can't think of any way we could be able to do that." Marcus retorted regretfully as he and Noah instinctively looked to Tadashi in the hopes he might've had a solution; especially since his coat was lying in a pile in a corner of the cage. However, the middle-aged detective could tell what was on their minds and gave a regretful sigh.

"I'm sorry, boys. Before they threw me in here, those bastards completely frisked me and even took all the buttons from my jacket and broke the pin off from my badge. I don't have anything we could even substitute as a lock pick, let alone a real one." Tadashi admitted with remorse as the three of them were left right back where they'd started.

"Well, alright, let's forget the lock pick for a second. Let's say somehow we are able to get out of here. Say we're able to somehow escape this place. I hate to keep beating a dead horse here, but we NEED to do something about defending ourselves. Surely if we could get the drop on one of the guards, we could be able to take one of their weapons." Marcus suggested as Noah rested his chin in his palm like he normally would when deep in thought.

"No, that's too risky. As soon as someone comes across the body, the whole place will know we've escaped, and the last thing we need is these psychos hunting us down; god forbid somehow managing to track us back to the hotel. That happens; we put the entire group in danger." Noah instantly counteracted as Marcus couldn't help but pound his fist into the ground in frustration.

"Well, what about the armory? I know we never got to see it while…Miku, was giving us the tour, but what about you, Miyamoto-san? Surely you must've seen where it was before these people got the drop on you." Marcus suggested in momentary desperation as Tadashi met him with yet another weary sigh.

"They hadn't even begun to fortify this place when we were clearing it out. I'm afraid I've no idea where they're keeping their weapons." Tadashi confessed as the three of them quickly returned to silence once more in this miserable cycle of coming up with ideas, only for them to quickly get shot down. As much as they hated the idea of leaving their fates up to chance, there was no use denying that with things the way they were, they were going to need a miracle if they were to have any hope of getting out of this place.

Suddenly, the door above was kicked wide open as a handful of Shido's men armed with assault rifles walked in. All three prisoners watched intently as Teru was among their unexpected visitors, staring right back before pointing directly at Noah. The cage door was quickly opened up as their rifles were kept raised to dissuade the three from trying anything clever. Before any of them could react, Teru and another quickly grabbed Noah by his arms, forcefully dragging him out despite how much he tried to struggle and protest against them.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing with him?! Hey! I'm talking to you! Hey!" Marcus demanded in a loud and furious shout as he had to restrain himself from lashing out against his captors; all the while knowing that if he stepped out of line, it would all end for them right here in this dingy little basement. He could only look on in despair; watching his terrified little brother being dragged out of the room and up the stairs before the door was slammed shut once more.

Noah honestly didn't know what to expect from these psychopaths now as they guided him down the vacant hallways. Their intent was crystal clear: to keep him and Marcus separate in order to maintain control, but for what reason he could be left to wonder. All he could do right now was hope that they weren't dragging him out for an execution. His heart raced hard against his chest as one of the men escorting him had the barrel of a rifle pressing into his back, ready to shoot if he even remotely looked like he was going to try something.

Despite the severe circumstances he found himself in, Noah did feel some relief when he was able to see light beaming down through the windows they were passing by; looking outside to see the rain had ceased for the time being as the grey clouds prowled above, ready to start once again at any given moment. After passing through several more hallways and over one of the bridges connecting the wings of the school together, Noah found himself being lead into what had to be the former gymnasium.

 **[Om – At Giza]**

A thick, overwhelming, almost nauseating smell of sweat suddenly permeated the air. The doors were slammed shut behind him as the cool air he had been feeling against his skin just seconds ago was now replaced with intense warmth that was radiating from all across the room. Makeshift curtains had been placed over almost all of the windows, reducing visibility once again; but the sight of what looked like thirty candles flickered and danced in the unknown void.

"Ah, if it isn't our newest arrival; please, come on over and sit down with me, my boy. We have so much to discuss." Shido's all-too recognizable voice spoke out with a rather pleasant sigh before he motioned Noah to sit beside him on a stool setup next to the roller chair the two-faced leader had perched himself on a slightly raised pedestal in the center of the gymnasium.

With deep hesitation, Noah carefully shuffled over towards him; trying his best not to trip over anything that might've been in his path before he eventually stood at Shido's side. Wary that this frighteningly intelligent sociopath would no doubt try to psychologically pick him apart, he did everything he could to seem calm and completely detached from his true feelings of fear and contempt for the sharp-dressed man. He then could hear an odd series of sounds echoing from all around in the massive room, consisting of mostly flesh slapping, heavy huffing moans and groans of deep pleasure, and even angered snarls every now and then.

"W-what's that sound?" Noah softly whispered to Shido as he tried to hold onto his nerve for as long as he could, at this point having no earthly idea what to expect from this man and his sick little cult.

"That? Oh, just one of MANY reasons to be a part of our little family. Take a closer look for yourself and tell me what you think." Shido answered in a coy manner before lightly guiding Noah's head to look straight ahead.

The longer he stared, the easier it became for him to see a sight that made his eyes slowly widen and the greatest chill slowly crawl up his spine. Several groups of writhing bodies were pressing up together, completely unclothed and unhindered by shame; men and women alike basking in debauchery unlike anything Noah had ever witnessed before; his stomach slowly churning as he felt his entire body burning up from both embarrassment and disgust.

"It's perfectly alright if you want to join them. I can't say I blame you to be honest. It's only natural after all, is it not?" Shido suddenly whispered into Noah's ear; making his skin practically crawl in response. As if on cue, several naked women suddenly emerged out from the mass orgy; crawling and striding towards Noah with looks of sheer desire, as if hoping to entice him into joining them right then and there. However, instead of finding himself intrigued or aroused, he clenched both fists at the sight of this perverse depravity as it instantly brought back memories of how powerless he'd felt back at that godforsaken cabin in the woods.

"Just so you all know...the last person that tried to touch me like that ended up with a broken chair leg lodged in his windpipe; just putting that out there." Noah warned, speaking without any emotion in his tone, which made it all the more intimidating for them when his eyes suddenly looked over in their direction. His otherwise soft blue eyes narrowed tight, causing the approaching suitors to recoil back into the shadows to find an alternative partner. Shido himself was very much taken aback by the strong display of willpower from the young Brit. The disarming fear he saw in their eyes especially couldn't help but force him to rethink his original intended strategy on the spot.

"Forgive me; I think we got off to a bad start…Noah-san, was it? I do apologize for the inconvenience I've placed upon you two. It must be quite scary for you right now." Shido began to express with what felt like genuine sincerity in his voice and body language; his yellow eyes shifting over to look at Noah while the rest of his head remained facing straight forward. Noah however remained true to his gut and showed no response as he just stared straight on towards the shroud that surrounded the both of them; trying to ignore the fact a bunch of people were fornicating all around them in a display that would've no doubt made the ancient Romans blush.

"I know it must seem like I'm the bad guy here, but you must understand that we just have to do what we can to prevent other groups from attacking us. Had I let you and your brother go,who knows how many of your group you'd bring back to try and seize all we've fought so hard for? Surely someone as smart as you hadn't thought of the possibility while getting a firsthand look at our setup?" Shido continued in an attempt to sound apologetic about what had gone down. Noah now couldn't help but feel an inkling of doubt in his resolve; that perhaps Shido really had merely reacted out of fear in an effort to protect those that trusted him with their very lives.

"You should've trusted us; considering Marcus and I cleared all those dead out for you. My group might've been willing to form an alliance or at least setup a trade system." Noah responded softly as he wanted to hear what Shido had to say about that.

"Hmm, perhaps. Perhaps you are right, and I've entirely misjudged the situation and should reconsider?" Shido asked in an unstintingly calm and confident tone. Somehow it just managed to constantly make Noah's skin crawl how self-assured and naturally charismatic this man was. He was clearly not the type to be shaken easily; and he was clearly a very intelligent man.

Confident, charismatic, sociopathic and intelligent: an incredibly dangerous combination that momentarily made Noah's blood run cold. The way he carried himself and spoke to others seemed so naturally charming and inviting. It was no wonder he was able to easily influence so many weaker-willed people. Just the thought of it instantly brought the youngest Lawson's guard back up as he honestly had no idea just what Shido had up his sleeve.

"I'm told you come from a military family. I wonder now, does that also mean your eldest sibling is trained in such arts?" Shido asked curiously as his hand hovered just barely an inch over Noah's shoulder as the young Brit couldn't help but wonder with grim curiosity where the teacher was going with this new line of questioning. Perhaps there was a way he could gain some kind of advantage in this unspoken battle of wits.

"Who, Frasier? If you think that Marcus and I are a force to be reckoned with, just wait until you meet him. He's the equivalent of ten highly trained soldiers easy! He wouldn't be very happy if he knew what you're doing to us right now. And believe me, if you have any intent on living, you do not want to be in his crosshairs. Let us go now and he'll never know a thing about this place." Noah stated firmly, proceeding to then describe his ace in the hole to hopefully persuade Shido into releasing them. However, upon hearing of such a survivor, Shido instead seemed all the more delighted to have inadvertently run into the Lawson trio.

"Noah-san, you have no idea how many people you'd be saving if you three were to help us. What do you think would happen if a hostile bunch of survivors attacked; or if the dead managed to find a way inside here? We'd have virtually no one to protect us. All these ordinary people are just trying to survive these hard times "Shido exclaimed as Noah paused for a moment at that thought. Deep down, he knew all these people that were supposedly brainwashed wouldn't stand a fighting chance outside this little sanctuary of theirs. Their blood would all be on Noah's hands if he did nothing to help them. However, it was in that moment of doubt he then remembered what he saw in the courtyard, as well as what he recalled from Tadashi's story; a spark of anger igniting in his chest now.

"You should've thought of that before killing all those police officers. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the dead just walked on in and killed all of you tonight. That's not our problem though." Noah responded, thinking of what Frasier would've no doubt said as he attempted to sound as cold and brutally calculating in an attempt to use Shido's own tactics against him. However, the spindly teacher did not show any hint of fear nor concern over Noah's words. Instead he just bowed his head as if disappointed in Noah's answer.

"Such cruel words from such a gifted young mind; and Miku-chan told me you had a considerably big heart as well, that you cared about others in a selfless manner like she'd never seen before. I guess you were just lying to get what you wanted from her. Is that it? Is that the kind of person you truly are, Noah-san?" Shido sighed as Noah instantly felt incredibly guilty and vulnerable that Shido would actually use his feelings for Mikuas a weapon to coerce him. What was worse was that it was actually working the more he dwelled on it.

"I didn't mean it like that...I just...look, you have loads of guns, right? Why would you need us to help you out?" Noah said nervously as he couldn't take the thought of being so callous towards the life and fate of another living being. Shido meanwhile just kept watching, smiling, taking mental notes of how hard Noah reacted to his continuous questions and reverse psychology.

"We might be well armed, but most of my people can hardly use these weapons properly, unlike you with your little display of skill yesterday. Imagine what it would be like to know that with your help, these people just might live to see the world go back to the way it once was. You'd be a real hero, Noah-san; to me, to them, even to Miku-chan." Shido answered before suddenly giving Noah a glimpse of what he could really do for them. His soothing voice made it all seem so promising and such a worthy cause to take up.

"Where did your group even obtain those kinds of guns?" Noah suddenly asked to change the subject as he watched Shido forma rather pleased grin, as if he was now eager to talk about it with him like it was some kind of prize to boast about, or one more thing to prove just how formidable his group really was.

"And why would you ask that? It couldn't perhaps be greater than what your friends possess back wherever you're settled, could it? It's quite okay to be jealous, Noah-san. I hardly know a thing about guns myself, and even I can tell what we've obtained is a goldmine by any standards." Shido prodded, his tone peeking with intrigue as he raised a curious eyebrow; those intense yellow eyes staring into Noah's soft blue ones to gauge even the most minor reaction.

"It's just that most of those weapons I saw your people carrying aren't used by the police or even the Self Defense Force. You'll have to forgive me for my curiosity. My training has made me very gun-savvy, you understand." Noah answered, doing his best to avoid answering that second question at all costs.

"An odd question indeed, but very perceptive eyes nonetheless,my young friend. I can't recall the exact day, but during the middle of a scavenging trip, one of my students noticed a trail of smoke on the horizon. Naturally one random trail of smoke would mean nothing when the rest of the city had numerous fires all around." Shido noted in a more reserved sigh before sitting back comfortably in his self-appointed throne and proceeding to answer Noah's question.

"However, there were two things that got my attention when she explained it: she claimed it had only just formed less than an hour ago at that time, and it seemed to be coming from outside of the city limits. We initially thought it was a signal from more survivors held up in the woods. However, when we arrived, there was nothing but the burning remains of what must've been a cabin. There was nobody else around but us, and it was for a moment even I couldn't help but let a moment of despair hang. For all I knew, I'd had us all go out that far from the city for nothing.

"However, it was through sheer luck that I was able to spot a hidden dugout in the side of a large slope. Granted, we weren't sure what we would run into down there, but when we did go, we found entire walls decorated with an arrangement of firearms and other survival gear. Taking everything we could possibly carry, several trips were made until just about everyone here could hold a weapon should the need ever arise. Thanks to my leadership, this group was saved once again and we finally had everything needed to permanently settle down and see this crisis through to the very end." Shido finished explaining as Noah meanwhile sat there completely dumbfounded at the unbelievable coincidence that Shido's group was the one responsible for taking Joe and Buck's remaining arsenal.

"Are you alright, Noah-san? You look as though you just saw a ghost." Shido inquired softly as Noah quickly snapped back into reality, trying to remain composed and calm as the former teacher continued to quietly observe and mentally note Noah's behavioral patterns.

"No…I'm just realizing something that'll completely bite me in ass later." Noah responded as he could only wish now in hindsight that he could've suggested that Frasier destroyed the rest of that encampment while they had the chance.

"Is that so? Mind it sharing with me? Perhaps I can help?" Shido asked curiously before he leaned forward as Noah realized he was unwittingly playing right into this devil's hands.

"It's fine. It's nothing, really!" Noah said hurriedly as he nervously dismissed the thoughts of Frasier lecturing him for a solid year over what they did and what kind of punishment they were in for. Shido however did not seem fazed by such an answer, as if he knew Noah was trying to dodge the question.

"You know, it's not polite to have secrets, Noah-san. Please, feel free to tell me what's so clearly troubling you." Shido offered as he tried to guilt Noah into telling him. From his experience, providing the role of the heartfelt listener, the shoulder to cry on as it were, was one of the more effective ways to make people lower their guards and learn to put their trust in him. All he needed to do was push Noah's right buttons, and he knew he'd have the young Brit in his thrall just like that.

"Umm...well, if you must know, we were meant to be back with our group two hours after departing from a big estate we're all holed up in. If for whatever reason we ran into trouble, we were meant to stay at an agreed location, which just so happens to be this very school. Frasier's most likely searched where we were scavenging last and killed every one of 'Them' he's come across while making his way up here as we speak! I have to admit, I feel sorry for how unprepared your men will be when he starts shooting first and asking questions never." Noah began to explain; now thinking of Marcus as he tried his damn hardest to fabricate a lie that would catch Shido off guard. To his surprise,the otherwise calm and reserved man began to lean back with a slight look of nervousness in his yellow eyes.

"I-I see...well, he'd best be civil with us, or else he'll be in for quite a rude awakening. My men will make short work of him!" Shido boasted as he was now on the defensive, trying to keep Noah from seeing how nervous he was feeling right now.

"But didn't you say they had no idea how to use those guns? Frasier's trained to slaughter men trained for heavy combat, so try not to imagine what will happen when he faces men who've hardly ever fired a gun before." Noah commented as he used Shido's own words against him, really enjoying that look of absolute fear Shido seemed to be expressing as a nervous sweat began to form on his forehead.

"I...no...He couldn't just...ugh! Surely you're just bluffing! Even if he is as good as you claim; there's over forty of us and only one of him! He might kill some, but he can't hope to kill all of us!" Shido stammered for a few seconds, managing to compose himself long enough to realize that statistically they still had the advantage of numbers against this impending army of one.

"Maybe...but that's implying he doesn't bring more of our group along with him!" Noah replied reluctantly, as if out of ideas, before suddenly realizing and bringing up the possibility of Takashi's group coming to the rescue as well; an immense swelling of hopeful pride filling his chest as he knew this was his ultimate ace in the hole now.

"M-more…?" Shido muttered as he looked completely hopeless collapsing back into his chair, almost as if he truly regretted taking them captive now and recognized that he had officially fucked up beyond all recognition. Noah smiled to himself as he could see he'd actually managed to break Shido's confident demeanor hard enough to get him reconsidering now.

"Oh yes! We have another group of survivors from this very school that will surely join him in battle to come rescue us. We're actually two groups joined together, and we're a force you don't wanna mess with!" Noah exclaimed proudly as Shido suddenly raised an eyebrow when he mentioned students from this school.

"Is that so? Well, if you're telling the truth, then clearly you'd know their names. I'll know if you're lying, too! Don't forget, I used to be a teacher here myself!" Shido then said as he was praying deep down that Noah would just have a random bunch of names to drop to prove he was full of shit.

"Their names…? Alright then: Saeko Busujima, Takashi Komuro, Kohta Hirano, Saya Takagi, and Rei Miyamoto! Still think I'm lying?" Noah proudly exclaimed as he could only now sit back and watch as Shido collapsed under the pressure. However, instead of squirming about in defeated despair, he just sat there silent for several minutes. His face was completely blank and devoid of any real reaction until he then stood up and turned his back to Noah.

"Teru-san...please take him back to the others. I-I need to think things over." Shido said in a soft hush as Noah was quickly escorted out of the gymnasium.

The youngest Lawson now was unable to see the wicked look Shido was making to himself. His lips and eyes pulled back to form a devilish smile as a low chuckle swiftly turned into a hysterical laughter that echoed throughout the entire gymnasium. His thin fingers slowly ran through his raven black hair as the demented teacher had to take a moment to calm himself and let out a low sigh of absolute bliss.

 _'Oh, Noah-san...for someone so smart; that was the single STUPIDEST thing you could've ever said to me. Oh, how I can't wait for your group to arrive. Oh, what a day! What a wonderful day!'_ Shido thought ecstatically to himself before he began to disrobe on the spot, pulling off his clothes only to then descend into the arms of several female followers eagerly awaiting him.

 **[]**

The sound of the door opening instantly caught Marcus and Tadashi's attention as they looked to the stairs for Teru and two other men to drag Noah back with them. The two kept their rifles on the two prisoners while Teru worked to get the cage door open; struggling a bit as he tried to work the key to get the door unlocked.

"Need a hand there, mate?" Marcus quipped sarcastically as Teru snarled at him in response before finally managing to get the door open, wasting no time to throw Noah back inside before slamming the door shut again, now having to wrestle the keys out the hole. Once finished, the three men wasted no words with their prisoners before heading back up the stairs, and entrapping the three in the gloomy basement's darkness with a deafening slam of the door above.

"Oh Christ, Noah, I was afraid I wasn't gonna see you again. What the hell did those gobshites do to you?" Marcus asked in worried relief as he instinctively hugged his little brother. While the reunion was pleasant, it was all-too short lived as they once again found themselves in that all too familiar situation of having no means of escape.

"They didn't do anything to me. They just brought me to the gymnasium to talk with Shido." Noah replied; just the sound of the teachers name earning a spiteful grunt from Tadashi.

"You were so right about those people, Marcus. He has them all under his thrall. When I went in there, there were all these people all over the place…and they were all screwing like mad all around us. It was like something right out of those old Renaissance paintings of the Romans. It was disgusting!" Noah explained as Marcus couldn't help but feel his stomach twist likewise as his brothers' had. No wonder they were so loyal to that slick little freak if he supported them doing such things in their free time.

"I was hoping I could be able to maybe pick one of the guards' pockets along the way, like a paperclip or a safety pin or something, but no such luck. Sorry, guys." Noah lamented as they all let out a collective sigh of disappointment; once more right back where they'd started.

"So what exactly did that freak want with you?" Marcus finally asked as Noah kept looking up at the grey sky outside.

"He was trying to convince me to have us both stay here, join his community, maybe even train his people to actually fight. He even talked about getting Frasier to come here and join up, but thankfully I managed to scare him good." Noah explained as Marcus instantly perked up at the thought of Shido actually getting knocked down a peg.

"Yeah, I told him about our combined groups back at the hotel. Even spun up some bullshit story about them all coming here to save us and rain hellfire down on this place. I think he actually believed it too." Noah went on, instinctively smiling at the fact he at least had gotten the last word out of that whole conversation as Marcus couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"You know, I actually wouldn't be surprised if Frasier was actually tearing the whole bloody city apart to find us right about now." Marcus mentioned, which managed to spark feelings of both hope and dread in both brothers' stomachs as they thought of just how absolutely livid Frasier would be when he'd eventually find them.

The door suddenly opened up again, causing Noah and Marcus to turn in alarm, only to see none other than Miku Yuuki hesitantly stepping out of the shadows before them. She immediately rushed over the moment she noticed the bruises and cuts they'd received at the hands of Shido's followers. Marcus intensely glared at her like he was ready to break her neck the instant she'd be within his reach, while Noah tried to hold back those nagging feelings of doubt and betrayal that had been festering deep within his heart since yesterday.

"What the hell do YOU want?" Marcus grumbled bitterly, trying his best to not lash out as he paced back and forth across the small cage like a trapped animal.

"The others told me you had caused some trouble yesterday and were being held down here. I wanted to hear your side of this story. I…I just need to know why you did what you did." Miku explained as she spoke in a soft yet somewhat shaken, voice, her eyes filled with confusion rather than contempt.

"'Why we did what we did'? We were just trying to leave when your friends and leader decided to take us prisoner. You people are just a bunch of mindless sheep following a crazed, narcissistic shepherd." Marcus repeated before his voice began to rise in uncontrollable anger. Both his fists were clenched tight as he tried his best to remain calm despite how hard it was when just looking at Miku brought his blood to a boil.

"Shido-sama said you could've left and returned with your group to take everything we have; that you refused to listen to reason and showed no intention of cooperating with us." Miku said, repeating his words like it was nothing but the honest truth.

"Wrong, we had no intentions of raiding your group! We have more than enough food and energy to sustain ourselves for like three months!" Marcus exclaimed as he could no longer contain himself, Noah having to now step in and hold him back so he couldn't lunge at her.

"How can you be with people like these? I have to admit I'm disappointed; I thought you would know better..." Noah then asked in such a pained voice that Miku was visibly hurt when hearing it from him; bowing her head in shame before she slowly walked away, ready to leave them to their thoughts once more.

"Wait...Miku-chan!" Noah called out regretfully, watching as she stopped in her tracks only to slowly come back with tears in her eyes.

"Noah, forget her already, will you? She's clearly too far gone, just like the rest of these assholes. She's just one of them after all. Let her find out her mistake the hard way." Marcus groaned as he just shook his head at Noah's foolish display of patience and compassion towards the girl.

"Why do you follow Shido the way you do, Miku-chan? Can you really not see that you're all just being strung along here?" Noah asked, ignoring Marcus' venomous comments, as he was hoping she could learn to see reason or at the very least give him some answers. Somehow, something inside him felt certain that she was at least somewhat really aware of the situation she was in.

"I know exactly what he's up to! He cares about us, all of us! He cares about me! Shido knows what's best and has saved so many lives with his wisdom." Miku suddenly shouted in an angered outburst as she frowned at Noah for calling their leader into question.

"Does he? Or is he just saying what you all want to hear? He's just manipulating all of you, and the longer you stay here, the harder it will be to break away from his control." Noah doubted with a raised eyebrow as he couldn't bear to hear Miku speaking so confidently about the intentions of that maniac. No matter what he heard, it was as if he couldn't bear to accept the idea of her being completely beyond reasoning.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I'm happy here?! That for the first time ever, I found somewhere where I belong and am accepted for who I am? They might not be perfect to you Noah; but to me, these people are my family now...I can't just turn my back on them after everything they've done for me." Miku angrily asked Noah as she attempted to justify her being with these people. It only made sense to her. These were the only people she could rely on ever since the outbreak.

"Listen to yourself, Miku-chan! Can't you see these people are just using you for...for... goddammit, woman! Just take a good look at what goes on around here, and then tell me with a straight face that this is REALLY what you want!" Noah snapped in what was perhaps the first time he'd ever lost control midway through a sentence from all his frustration. Even he didn't know how to explain it to himself, but he just refused to believe it was too late to get through to her. He needed to hold onto the belief that there was something he could do to help her avoid becoming like all the others.

"You don't know me! How can you possibly know what I truly want? What I've gone through? What's best for me? I admit it's not the most ideal situation for a girl, but don't you dare act all high and mighty by judging me for what I'm doing to survive!" Miku snapped back as Noah recoiled, her words piercing him with such force he couldn't help but feel a deep and unbearable pain deep in his chest.

"I-I'm sorry, Miku-chan. You're right; I don't know you or what you've been through. But…perhaps you could maybe tell me?" Noah suddenly acknowledged quietly before asking to hear her story; hoping that it could at least explain why she was so confident and loyal and easy for Shido to manipulate.

"What do you care about my past? It's not important…I'm not important. Please, just forget about me, Noah-kun." Miku muttered quietly; her voice clearly trembling, making it quite clear that this was a very touchy subject for her. She then began to walk away only to feel herself being held back by something invisible.

"Stop…I wouldn't have asked if I didn't care. Please...I want to know more about you so I can maybe see why Shido is so great to you after all. Who knows...? Maybe he is right, and we're the ones truly in the wrong here?" Noah gently pleaded as Miku could see his hand reaching through the bars to her. With a heavy sigh, Miku reluctantly approached the cage again, sitting down so she and Noah could be at the same eye level as he gently placed his outstretched hand over hers in a silent show of support as he could practically see the mental battle she was going through to have to go back to such a repressed place.

"Okay...if you insist, Noah-kun. But don't expect anything special from me." Miku said in a defeated sigh before finally beginning.

 **[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST- Hidden Thoughts]**

"It all started when I was just a little girl, no older than 7. My dad had just passed away from a sudden stroke. He and I were really close, and losing him hurt more than anything in the entire world. But even my pain was nothing to how much it devastated my mom. She was so broken and depressed from it all, it was near impossible for her to hold onto a job for more than a week. A few months later, we couldn't even afford our home any longer, forcing us to stay in this dingy little hovel of an apartment.

"Despite losing the house, income was still too short, and she knew that by the end of the month we'd be out on the streets without a single yen to our name. When all seemed lost for us, my mom started dating this man who took good care of her and helped support us financially. I thought that our troubles were finally over; that maybe after so much struggling, things could finally go back to normal…I was so STUPID to think that!

"The man she was dating…his name was Mamoru. Not even a week after he started helping us, whenever mom was away…that sick fuck started to…to TOUCH me in places…t-to USE me; constantly warning me that if I said anything or tried to fight it, he'd leave my mom and we'd be broke again. I-I wanted to fight, I really tried…but over time, I just found myself accepting it…his abuse, his control, everything. When my mom finally figured it out, she was beyond furious. No word could hope to describe the anger or hatred she felt towards that man. We were still financially dependent on him, which I'm sure is the only reason she didn't try to kill him the first chance she had; but it did inspire and motivate her to get a new job so she could kick his ass to the curb. It wasn't even a month before she was working in a beauty salon and making enough money to support just the two of us.

"When Mamoru realized his money meant nothing to us anymore, it was too late. My mother tossed all of his crap out the door and burned anything else that remained of his. We never saw or heard from him again after that, and no words can describe how good it felt to see that piece of human filth finally gone. My poor mom…she couldn't even begin to express how sorry she was to me, how much she felt like a failure as a parent. I knew she always loved me though, and that it was such a tough situation for both of us. I forgave her, and for the next few months, it seemed like our long battle had finally been won.

"That should've been it for our troubles, we should've had a new start…but the things that monster had done to me...it changed who I was. I didn't care anymore about how well I did in school, nor did I care about myself for that matter. I started to let guys walk all over me…and more, just to feel recognized; like I actually existed and was worth more than I could ever give myself credit for. There, are you happy now, Noah-kun? Is that all you needed to hear to understand why I do this? Why I am the way I am? Do you feel better now?" Miku finished as she slowly had to turn away, her voice filled with long-lasting regret and spite towards herself just for letting him know how truly vulnerable and broken she was deep down; her back now facing Noah as he was at an absolute loss for words; silent tears of sadness for all her suffering welling in his eyes. He never could've imagined this enchanting girl he'd been so quickly taken by had gone through so much hell even before the world ended, and just the thought of someone doing such unspeakable things to her nearly drove him mad with anger towards this unforgiving world.

"I don't know why you even bothered with me in the first place, Noah-kun. You're probably just like the rest; you only saw me for my looks and nothing else, ready to use me and discard me the moment you lose interest once you get what you wanted." Miku then muttered in a bitter sigh as she brushed his hand away, only to look back surprised when he unexpectedly grasped her hand.

"Shut up...if that's what you really think; that that's why I care about you, than you couldn't possibly be more wrong. Granted, I do think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever had the pleasure of meeting in my short life, but there's so much more reason to like you than just that!" Noah scolded with his voice trembling, feeling insulted that she would consider him to only value her for her body and nothing else. Miku could only stare at him, visibly shocked as she was uncertain whether or not she enjoyed how bold and assertive he was being right now.

"Like what?" Miku questioned with great doubt in her words, her face initially curious before realizing it was probably more sweet lies to make her think that he cared about her beyond her physical beauty.

"When I look at you, I see more than just a pretty face! Deep down I feel like behind all that is a strong, kind, genuinely caring person that has been through more than she wishes to admit…and far more than she ever deserved. I can't exactly back any of that up, considering how little I know of you still...but dammit, I was really hoping I could've gotten to know you more before this whole damn world went to shit!" Noah expressed in a short outburst that caused Miku to be visibly taken aback by such unexpected words that seemed to have genuinely touched her heart as she felt a strange sensation deep in her chest that quickly brought tears to her eyes.

"Noah-kun..." Miku softly muttered as she couldn't even muster up a real response when she could see her distance had caused him to become so clearly upset. Her body was slowly trembling as she bowed her head, as if to try and hide how much that truly meant to her. What could she ever have done to deserve the affection of someone so wonderful? That was the only question on her mind as she tried to fight the urge to start crying in front of him.

"When I realized you were still alive, I was beyond overjoyed. To see you had survived truly gave me great faith in karma; that in the end, good things happen to good people. Miku-chan, please don't let these people lead you down the wrong path! You're better than them, I just know it!" Noah continued to express as he held one of her hands, keeping constant eye contact to show her each word he said came from the bottom of his heart, because it did. For a moment, a light sparked within Miku's beautiful orange eyes that almost looked as though he'd finally managed to fully convey all his feelings to her. But just as quickly as it had appeared, that light quickly vanished as Miku's face was overcome with a veil of doubt.

"No…you're wrong, Noah-kun. If you only knew what I'd done to survive, you wouldn't think nearly so much of me then. P-please…just forget about me…alright?" Miku sadly sighed before she slowly pulled away from him; her voice low and full of remorse as she began to walk away, leaving Noah sitting there with a despaired expression painted on his face. Sorrow filled his heart as the doors slowly closed behind her.

 **[]**

"Fucking bitch. That just figures." Marcus grumbled under his breath; certain that he was quiet enough, but instantly realizing he clearly wasn't when Noah turned back to him with a deathly angry glare.

"Shut the fuck up." Noah said in the most authoritative tone Marcus had ever heard come out from his little brother. That sheer look of intensity mixed with him on the verge of crying made Marcus wary of just what was happening to Noah.

"For Christ's sake, she's one of THEM! Noah, I don't think you really understand just how serious this is! We're trapped here with a bunch of lunatics following a crazed megalomaniac! Who knows how long it'll be before he decides we aren't worth the trouble of keeping alive and tells them to kill us both? You really think any of them will actually stop to question him on that?" Marcus argued as Noah had to repeatedly clench and open his fists in a futile attempt to recollect himself before he finally launched a furious foot into the bars with an infuriated shout of frustration.

"You think I don't know how much trouble we're in?! I KNOW this is bad! But that doesn't mean we're done for…at least not yet. Just have some faith, alright? We'll find a way out soon, I'm sure of it." Noah shouted in a rough scorn before lowering his voice, instantly regretting that he was so quick to snap at his own family.

"I-I'm sorry, Noah. I just can't stand feeling so helpless while at that madman's mercy. We usually have a solid plan, but for once, I'm at a loss. If Frasier was here, perhaps things would be different; but he isn't, so it's up to me now to save our asses before it's too late." Marcus apologized as he couldn't help but confess his fears to his younger brother as he instinctively began pacing anxiously once again.

"Don't worry, Marcus. We'll do this, all three of us together! We'll do him proud, we will. Honest." Noah said encouragingly as he was glad to see his words of encouragement could still inspire a smile from his older brother. Both of them looked out a nearby window to see the rain was about to start up again.

"Well, no matter how we try to escape, there's no question it would be safer at night. I don't know about the rest of you, but I intend to be fully energized for when that time comes, so try not to wake me until then, okay?" Marcus suddenly asked as he immediately began to find a spot against the bars for him to lie down on; letting out a tired yawn as he began to sit himself against the cage door for support, never expecting the sudden give of the door swinging open against his weight; causing Marcus to fall flat on the floor; not even bothering to look at the respective looks of amazement on Noah and Tadashi's faces.

"Holy shit, did that really just happen?" Marcus asked in disbelief as he picked himself back up to see that indeed the cage door was wide open for them to leave as they pleased.

"That guy Teru looked to be having some trouble with the cage's lock earlier. He must've neglected to actually lock it shut when he brought me back down here. Oh man, what luck!" Noah realized as he and Tadashi wasted absolutely no time stepping out; the middle-aged detective looking as though all his vigor and energy instantly returned to him now that he was out of those goddamned bars.

"Wait a second, boys, we need to be careful. Someone might've heard the sound of the cage opening, and I doubt staying in the cage and pretending it's still locked will be able to fool them. So I'm afraid if we're going to try escaping, it's going to be sooner rather than later." Tadashi recommended as both Lawson's instantly found themselves back in their defensive stances, as though expecting one of the guards to come charging down the stairs any second now.

"Hang on; we might actually be able to get the drop on them if they come down here. This place is still plenty dark, so I say we pick our corners, and the next person that comes down, we jump them; see if we can at least take their weapons if we aren't able to take them hostage." Noah suggested as he scanned the entirety of the basement, his mind once again working at full speed as he formulated yet another last-second plan.

"Alright, I'm still the stronger of the two of us, so I'll grab them. Noah, you take care of finding something for a weapon in case they try to break free." Marcus piped in as he could already feel his heart racing at the prospect of getting out of this hell once and for all.

 _Upstairs_

Miku meanwhile was wandering the halls on her own, currently lost within her own head as she kept replaying the conversation she'd just had with Noah. She couldn't stop thinking back on that indescribable sensation she'd felt in her heart when Noah had completely poured out his deepest emotions to her. Everything about him had felt so undeniably different from every other boy who'd ever spoken to her. He never broke his gaze from hers, and she could see that he'd even been brought to tears from what he'd said to her. What kind of boy would actually do that if everything they were saying was bullshit?And the way he held her hand the entire way through. Not once was he ever forceful or aggressive with her. It was so gentle and…almost loving the way he spoke to her and held her hand. Just the thought made her unknowingly blush. It was all so much to try and wrap her head around, but at the same time it gave her such a strange yet wonderful feeling inside.

How could it be true? Noah hardly had time to get to know her, they both knew that. How could he be so sure of how he felt about her? How could he be so forgiving and compassionate for someone like her? Even despite these nagging doubts, she also couldn't ignore the fact that even after she'd let him in on her past, lamented how she'd become nothing more than a whore through her childhood trauma, Noah never backed away. If anything, it only seemed to make him that much more accepting of her. Just thinking about it brought those stinging tears back to Miku's eyes as she could only hope nobody else was coming by who would notice.

Before Miku could dwell any further on it, her ears suddenly picked up the sound of a commotion coming from outside. It didn't sound like a fight of any kind. It sounded more like the excited murmurings of a large crowd of people. Looking out the window in curiosity, she saw a large congregation of her fellow survivors gathered at the front gates of the school while those posted as security on the fences were talking among themselves near the levers for the gates. A sudden surging of excitement welled up inside her chest as she quickly ran for the entrance to join all the others. A gathering like this could only mean one thing: a search party had come across more survivors to add to their community!

As soon as Miku made her way into the large crowd; squeezing her way past numerous others so she could get a look at the gates, they slowly opened up with a loud metallic groan. Eager to get a good look at their new potential community members, she began to weave through the small crowd a little further until she had a clear sight of just over a dozen new survivors standing at the entrance alongside the search party that had found them.

As they all cautiously made their way inside through the gate, Miku immediately found herself looking each and every one of them over. The majority of them looked to be parents accompanying their children, ranging from kindergarten-age to high school-age like her. There was one man who had nearly a foot over all the others in terms of height. He looked to be a very intimidating sort, almost like what she would've guessed a yakuza would look like, but before she could focus on him any further, she caught something peculiar in her peripheral vision; but when she lowered her gaze to get a better look; in an instant, she felt her heart nearly stop and her entire body go frigid cold.

Her jaw slowly dropped as out of the several men and women standing before her group, was a middle-aged man with semi-long, greasy black hair tied into a messy, almost sleazy-looking ponytail, a messy little soul patch that barely extended beyond the point of stubble on his chin, menacing sunken brown eyes, all topped by a generally unpleasant and leering demeanor.

The urge to vomit from sheer shock and horror nearly enveloped Miku as she couldn't believe what she was seeing: it was the very man who'd destroyed her life from the very beginning, Mamoru.

Without even a second of hesitation, Miku instantly retreated back into the crowd and was soon sprinting back into the main building of the school; desperately searching anywhere for Shido. Whether Mamoru being here was a cruel twist of fate or just the mother of all coincidences, Miku was beyond determined to find Shido in the hopes that he'd be able to listen to reason and kick that human piece of shit out of here without a second thought. Surely he'd listen to her reasoning, take her words with confidence and look out for her by doing what she knew was best. He just had to; she knew he would, for Shido always cared for her well being alongside all the others. Within seconds of turning another corner, her eyes immediately spotted the wonderful sight of Shido making his way down the hallway on his own, not even noticing her running up behind him.

"Shido-sama, thank goodness I found you! I need to tell you something very important!" Miku exclaimed as he looked back at her over his shoulder with an air of curiosity.

"Miku-chan, you look as if you've just seen a ghost. Please, calm down so you can tell me what is so important." Shido said with a puzzled look before standing upright and gently putting his hands on her shoulders when he could see just how scared the young teen was.

"I-It's these newcomers being let in! I knew one of them in the past; and I'm telling you now, he does NOT belong with us! I'm beseeching you, please; you must kick him out immediately!" Miku pleaded as both her body and her voice were positively trembling with fear.

"And why is that, might I ask?" Shido inquired as he raised an eyebrow to her, noticing the look of hope in her eyes that he'd fulfill this sudden request; her faith and trust in him stronger than ever before.

"I-I can't say why...just please, trust me on this, Shido-sama. You can't let him stay here with us. You wouldn't do anything to put us in danger; you'd do anything for us…for me, right?" Miku began to plead once more as she couldn't bring herself to explain to Shido why she felt this way. Her voice was now strained as she had to hold back any tears that threatened to escape. There was a sudden silence between the two before Shido slightly cocked his head sideways with both eyes closed, that charming smile never once leaving his face.

"No. They will be just as useful as the last survivors that have joined up with us." was all he replied with in dismissal as he turned away, his hands sliding from her shoulders before he began to walk for the front of the school to introduce himself to the potential newcomers.

"B-but Shido-sama, you must-" Miku began to mumble in protest, only to feel a sudden horrid stinging sensation in her left cheek. Her eyes widened as she realized it was the back of Shido's hand that had struck her. What was even worse was when she looked up into his eyes; she didn't see those warm, loving eyes full of concern. All that could be seen was an unrefined anger and utter contempt for her defiance to his word; all showing through those piercing yellow eyes as that calm and inviting smile on his face never faltered. Such a terrifying look in his eyes contrasted against the smile on his face made her heart sink with absolute fear at the thought of what he'd have to say next.

"Miku-chan, there's a REASON I'm the leader in all of this. I'm the one that makes the important decisions that you're all too foolish to even comprehend. Did it ever once occur to you that we need the extra muscle; that if I don't let them in, we are all the more vulnerable to attack? No, you wouldn't think about that, because you've been under someone else's protection; MY protection, all while allowing everyone around you to handle every situation that pops up. But if I'm so cruel and foolish,perhaps you'd like to take your chances on the outside? It's survival of the fittest out there though, and believe me when I say this: You aren't very likely to survive for long out there on your own, so I suggest you think twice before ever questioning my decisions again." Shido practically hissed, leaving the baffled Miku completely paralyzed as she felt burning tears trickling down her cheeks. The stinging feeling from the slap completely dwarfed in comparison to the realization of what Shido TRULY thought and felt towards her; that reveal of what kind of man he REALLY was. To have had such a horrible truth exposed to her in such a painful, terrifying way made the poor girl feel nearly sick to her stomach as all that emotional weight came crashing down onto her shoulders in that instant. It was right there, Miku Yuuki felt something inside her figuratively die away.

"Now then, is that all? Well, is it?" Shido suddenly asked in a low hiss before leaning in closer with both eyes widened and expecting a response on the spot; his penetrating gaze leaving her completely speechless. Miku was so terrified; no words came out past her lips, barely able to give off a short nod of acknowledgment after it was clear his patience was already wearing thin within seconds of asking her.

Then just like that, that inviting and caring glow to his eyes she'd become so accustomed to seeing returned, and any trace of his rage completely vanished as if it was never there to begin with. He lightly brushed his parted hair aside before adjusting his spectacles that had been shaken loose when he swerved to backhand her.

"Good. I hope you'll be sure to remember this conversation the next time you have a 'suggestion' for me." Shido said softly as his words rang in Miku's ears for minutes before she snapped back into reality, not even noticing that he had already walked away while she stood there like a frozen statue.

It was then that she realized the horrible truth, that Noah was right all along. He'd tried so hard to make her see the truth, all because he cared about her; and she was too stupid to realize that. Shido didn't care about her in the slightest, and he never did. She was just another one of his mindless little pawns and nothing else. As if this world-shattering realization wasn't painful enough, just knowing that Mamoru would be staying in the same group, the same building, made her skin crawl with fear and disgust as she was certain that he'd remember her even after all these years. She couldn't possibly stay here even for a single night more, not after knowing the kind of twisted, lying opportunist Shido really was.

Finally able to stand back up on her own two feet, the shock momentarily worn off from the traumatizing discovery, Miku instantly made her way back to the basement. As she approached the door, there was a moment of hesitation. Before she could grab the door handle, those awful nagging doubts in her head forced her to contemplate on whether or not Noah actually meant anything about what he said to her earlier. It was all so sweet and just too good to be true, and after realizing how Shido was using her to get what he wanted, it now made her start to question Noah's true motives. Did he really care for her like he said so passionately that he did? Or was it just a way to earn her trust and potentially escape with her aid? What felt like the entire weight of the world began to press down on her mind before she took a deep breath, knowing that she could only gamble now on the choice she was about to make.

*click*

The door's lock popped as she carefully pushed it open to avoid drawing any attention if one of Shido's followers were nearby to hear the commotion. She took great care to check behind to be sure before entering the room, only to gasp when she saw the cell door was swung wide open. Miku suddenly felt an arm wrap around her neck, suddenly choking her as another figure leapt out of the shadows with what looked like a broken shard of glass in hand ready to attack. She shut her eyes tight as she anticipated the inevitable horrible pain she was about to receive.

"Woah, wait, it's Miku-chan!" Noah's voice whispered in a rough hush as he practically dragged his feet mid-stride to stop himself; causing Miku to open her eyes to see the sharpened glass shiv was just inches away from her stomach.

"So what? She's one of them!" Marcus' voice hissed from behind her as she stood there completely dumbfounded at how they managed to break out of their cell.

"He's right. Noah-san, I know this girl means a lot to you, but don't forget where her true allegiance lies." Tadashi suddenly agreed as he tried to reason with the young Lawson as he stepped out of the shadows.

"No, no, no, please, please listen to me. I'm not with them anymore. If there's one thing I've never been more sure of, it'sthat I want nothing to do with these people anymore. I swear I've seen the error of my way." Miku suddenly gasped as Marcus' hold on her didn't let up in the slightest.

"What? You changed sides in twenty minutes? Because that's how long you've been gone for. Bullshit, I don't buy it." Marcus doubted with a snarl as Tadashi couldn't seem to help but agree at the logical conclusion that she was just trying to deceive them.

"Please, Noah-kun, I came down here to open your cell, let you all go while there's still a chance! Most of the others are focused near the front of the school, so leaving out the side areas would be best. I swear to you I'm telling the truth! Noah-kun, you did so much to try and help me, now I want to return the favor. I want to help you." Miku pleaded as she had nothing but fear in her eyes. Noah then motioned Marcus to let go. With great reluctance, he went along with it and removed his arm from her neck.

"Why not go out the back?" Tadashi questioned the lack of her mentioning a potentially good escape route.

"It isn't a place often checked. There might be some of 'Them' lingering there. How likely are you to last without any real weapons on you?" Miku answered as they looked at one another; realizing that they had to revise which route to take.

"So out the sides we go." Marcus then suggested as he motioned the others towards the door while Miku just stood there grasping her sore, throbbing throat; looking at Noah as he just stood there looking right back at her with those caring blue eyes of his.

"Come with us." Noah suddenly suggested as both Miku and Marcus alike looked at him like he was completely mad.

"Oh, you can't be serious." Marcus groaned as he then realized that this sort of thing should've been expected of Noah.

"You knew it would come to this, Marcus. If you don't agree with my choice, then just get out of the way. Have fun explaining to Frasier that you left me in the middle of the city though." Noah brought up before making it crystal clear that with or without Marcus' help, Miku was coming with them.

"Okay, okay! Fuck, sometimes you're too smart for your own damn good. Let's just go while we still have a chance. You're responsible for whatever she does, so please warrant SOME caution, Noah." Marcus interrupted with both hands up, not even wanting to warrant such a thought before making it quite clear that Noah had to take some responsibility here, to which his younger brother replied with an eager smile before nodding his head in acknowledgment.

With no further interruptions, the four survivors made their way to the two bridges connecting the three main bodies of the school. The center building was clearly off limits, seeing how Shido's group was using it as their main quarters. The west wing would've been quick to move through, but the exit leading to the outer fences was far too exposed were they to be caught; leaving only the east wing of the school to cut through and make a break for the fences that would lead them straight into the staff parking lot.

So far, the coast seemed clear; no movement or anything could be seen in the nearby windows as they approached the chain-linked fence heavily reinforced with plywood and other various bits of scrap. It would've been rather impressive how well the place was fortified if they weren't so busy trying to escape this false haven.

"Okay, this shouldn't be an issue; just up and...Ah, crap." Marcus began to say optimistically before he grumbled out of annoyance at actually getting a better look at the fence.

"What is it? Oh...that." Noah asked as he walked over to see that the barricaded fence was too high to merely be scaled individually due to most of the holes in the chain-linked fence being patched in by the extra reinforcement.

"No matter, we'll just have to lift each other over one at a time." Tadashi suggested, refusing to be stopped because of a fence; his voice filled with determination as he looked around to see if anyone else was approaching.

"But wouldn't that mean one of us will have to be left behind?" Miku noted reluctantly as Noah and Marcus realized that she was absolutely right.

"Yes. I'm afraid you kids will have to go on without me." Tadashi answered with a heavy sigh before the others turned to see a resigned yet determined look on his face.

"What? No, you can't stay here! What do you think these people will do to you once they realize we've left with one of their own!" Noah exclaimed as he knew it was practically suicide for Tadashi to stay behind.

"He's right; you'd be taking an ass kicking on our behalf at the very least. We'll just find another way around somehow." Marcus added as Tadashi clenched his fists in frustration as his patience was wearing quite thin now.

"There isn't time for that. Just get out and find my family. Let them know I love them. Now go!" Tadashi ordered as he approached the fence and cupped his hands together to help form a step to boost them up.

"Fine. C'mon, over the top before somebody sees us." Marcus instructed as Tadashi began to help them scale over the wall one by one; lifting them by their feet high enough to where they could reach the very top and vault over, dropping down to the other side without so much as a scratch.

"Don't worry, Miyamoto-san. We'll be back with more help. I promise you we won't forget you. Just stay strong, mate." Noah vowed as Tadashi tossed something over the fence after he landed. The young Brit caught it just in time only to see it was Tadashi's detective badge.

"See you on the other side, little soldier." Tadashi said with a warm smile of confidence; knowing that Noah would keep his word before he retreated back to the school in hopes of the hostile survivors still remaining unaware of what was happening while the others made their daring escape into the city; knowing that it was up to them now to get him out of this mess one way or another.

As the three teens wasted no time fleeing down the winding road from the academy down into the city; that all too familiar clap of deafening thunder rolled through the sky, momentarily bring them to a halt in the middle of the road to catch their breath.

"Okay…we've got a considerable distance to go if we wanna get back to the hotel. But with this weather, I'm not sure if we'll be able to make it in time before nightfall." Marcus explained as he kept a wary eye to the sky, as if expecting that seemingly never-ending rain to come pouring down in an instant.

"It's just rain, though. If the cold is an issue, there are still plenty of department stores we haven't gone through yet. Surely there are still some jackets there." Miku piped in as Noah himself was instinctively looking back over his shoulder towards the academy, almost as if expecting a raging army of Shido's followers to come barreling down the street for them at any second, his heart continuously racing.

"That's not the issue here, Miku-chan. I don't know if you and the others have come to realize this by now, but the dead hunt by sound. If the rain starts pouring, it's gonna draw out virtually every single one in the city from all the noise. Trust me; we don't wanna be out in the open when that happens. So the way things are looking, we're going to have to look for shelter." Noah explained as Marcus was already wasting no time heading further down the road to put as much distance between themselves and the academy as possible.

By the time the three had managed to reach the foot of the hill and entered the heart of the city, just as they'd feared, the rain began to pour down in buckets; the wall of noise nearly deafening as they were caught out in the middle of an intersection when it came.

"Alright, this just got a lot harder. Quick, let's get inside so we can get a plan together." Marcus ordered as they all quickly made a beeline for a nearby convenience store. While it was still very dark inside, the three could still quickly make out they were the only ones inside with no sign of a reanimated clerk or anything of the sort.

Taking a moment to peek back outside, Noah instantly spotted a handful of shambling silhouettes making their way out from other buildings and alleyways down both sides of the street as another clap of thunder echoed above.

"Ugh, it's just like we feared. 'They're' already coming out of the wood work. If we're gonna keep going for the hotel, we're gonna need to prepare ourselves correctly." Noah explained as he and Marcus already made their way for a nearby coat rack in the back of the store filled with zip locked rain ponchos.

After the two Lawson's got themselves dressed into their respective ponchos, they quickly rejoined Miku at the window as they kept an open eye for a safe route to take past the swiftly growing numbers of 'Them' being attracted by the rainfall.

"Shit, we're really going to have be careful with this. This rain's so thick; I can't even see more than four feet in front of me." Marcus muttered with a frustrated grunt as he could barely even tell if there were even more of 'Them' shambling about further up the street around the corner from them.

"Do you think maybe we could just stay here and try to wait out the storm?" Miku suggested as both Lawson's took a moment to observe the store itself as if to actually consider the option, only to quickly shake their heads in reluctance afterward.

"As smart as that would seem, we're leaving too much up to chance. For starters, yes 'They' only hunt by sound, and with all the noise the rain is making, 'They' could wander blindly continuously as a result. However, there's still too much about how 'They' function we don't know for certain. What if one of 'Them' was to end up bumping against the window? I'm almost willing to bet 'They' could be stupid enough to mistake the sound of that impact to mean food is nearby. The noise it would then make trying to get in through the window could end up attracting others to do the same, and the process repeats until we suddenly have the whole street trying to get in here.

"I know it's a huge 'what-if', but with the way things are looking for us right now, I don't feel safe leaving that up to chance. Secondly, there's the fact we don't have any weapons we can use here." Noah proceeded to describe in great detail as though he were reading through the numerous thoughts and possibilities racing through his head like a textbook.

"Well, I saw one of the aisles had a small assortment of kitchen utensils, including some small cutlery. You don't think we could be able to make use of those?" Miku asked as she looked nervously out the window, now put on edge by the dreadful scenario Noah had just painted for her.

"Those are way flimsier than the combat knives we used when you first ran into us. Even if we did use them, they'd probably snap after only one use; considering the skull is the single hardest bone in the human body. I understand why it would seem like a good idea, but its more trouble than it's worth." Noah rebuked with hesitation as he knew she was only trying to be helpful while they were stuck in this puny convenience store without any means of an exit since wandering outside among the dead and hoping for the best was nothing less than a stupid idea.

"There's one thing more. I'm not stopping until we put as much distance between ourselves and that fucking school as possible. For all we know, they've already found out we escaped by now and are sending search parties as we speak; so the sooner we get moving, the better." Marcus grimly piped in, instantly leaving a heavy air of dread over the three of them as their already limited options had now become nonexistent.

"Dammit…I don't know, maybe we could actually try making a break for it northwards to the river. I mean, as long as we stay single file and don't stop, we may be able to avoid drawing any attention from 'Them' as long as the rain doesn't let up." Noah hesitantly relented as he could practically feel his whole body trembling at the idea of doing something he otherwise never would've even bothered pretending to consider.

As much as they all hated the idea of taking such a risky chance, none of them could deny the fact that they had no better options, so with a series of understanding nods, they all got into a single file line at the door; counting down the seconds for a handful of 'Them' to shamble by so they could have a clear shot for the street corner heading north.

"Alright, Miku-chan, I want you to hold onto my hand, and don't let go no matter what happens. We're gonna keep moving, understand?" Noah instructed as Miku immediately took his hand and gave him a single, courageous nod of understanding before he grabbed the door handle.

With not a second more to spare, Noah threw the door open and soon the three were bolting down the street in a single-file line through the dense pouring rain; barely managing to swerve their way around any obstructing undead standing in the middle of the road. Fortunately, luck was on their side for once as the deafening pour of the rain managed to completely wash out the sound of their footsteps. Now all the group could do was continue to run as far north through the city streets as they could; sidestepping 'Them', car wrecks, and managing to navigate their ways through alleyways and small parks alike, never once stopping to see if they were being followed.

After what must've been constant running for several kilometers northwards, the three survivors quickly realized that night was soon going to be upon them when the skies became darker with every passing minute. While they were able to avoid the sluggish undead and keep from running into any further trouble, they all silently it would be impossible to traverse the night with no flashlights or weapons on them; let alone survive any fight should the more active undead grab a hold of any of them.

"Quick; up there. We can hole up in that library until morning. Hurry on now." Marcus whispered as pointed out a rather large library on the bottom floor of a building standing on a nearby street corner. As Noah and Miku quickly made their way for it with him right on their heels, he could just barely hear 'Them' nearby, but just couldn't place exactly where 'They' were thanks to the thunder rumbling in the distance.

As the three stacked up on the door, Noah hesitantly reached for the doorknob, heart racing as he honestly had no clue what to expect inside this place. With the slightest bit of force, he let out a semi-relieved sigh to see the door was actually unlocked as it opened for him. The only problem now was that could've easily meant any number of 'Them' was lingering around inside just waiting for them.

The three teens quickly retreated into the library before softly closing the door shut behind them. They all struggled to see the inside of the library as it was unbelievably dark, and the interior was so spacious, with so many bookshelves standing around. Of course this put the three of them on edge, as this provided a myriad of hiding places for the dead…or worse.

"Alright, let's scout the place out before we do anything else. If it's clear, we'll barricade the door to keep out any unexpected guests, okay? Don't hesitate to run for safety if you do find anything." Noah whispered as Marcus and Miku both nodded as they all slowly proceeded deeper into the library; the thundering sound of the rain pounding against the ceiling several floors above and the windows echoing through the whole place.

Noah instinctively checked behind the librarian's desk, rooting through the drawers for anything even remotely useful. Fortunately, his eyes instantly came across a large flashlight, and upon inspecting it, the batteries actually worked as a blinding beam of light instantly extended as he flipped the switch.

"Thank god somebody here believed in being prepared." Noah muttered to himself as he proceeded to keep investigating aisle by aisle.

Meanwhile, Miku was carefully tiptoeing her way through the library on her own, keeping her ears open as best she could for any sound of shuffling feet or empty moans. Unfortunately, the heavy rainfall masked the light sound of her own footsteps, so it would do the exact same for any of 'Them' wandering around. She couldn't help but take a moment to silently curse her hastiness for not stopping by the armory so she could at least have gotten them some knives.

Just as she stepped around another corner, she was suddenly met with unexpected resistance as she ended up bumping right into what unmistakably felt like a person; causing her heart to skip a beat as she found her vision obstructed by the darkness.

Before Miku could instinctively scream and run, she felt a hand suddenly clap itself over her mouth, rendering her silent. For a split moment, her fear was amplified even more at the thought of this either being another of Shido's people that had somehow managed to track them, or someone else entirely.

"Shh, don't scream, it's just me." The comfortingly familiar whispering voice of Marcus reassured her as she thankfully felt all her flaring senses calm down at the sound. Once he saw she'd calmed herself, Marcus quickly removed his hand from her mouth.

"Oh, you scared the life out of me, Marcus-san." Miku gasped as the young Brit couldn't help but grin in slight embarrassment.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Wouldn't happen if we had some damn lights." Marcus apologized as he continuously looked for some kind of supply closet door or anything that he could at least hope had what they needed.

Just then, a single beam of light shone over the both of them, temporarily blinding them before they saw Noah's all-too welcome smiling face approaching them with flashlight in hand as though it were some kind of hard won war trophy.

"Well what do you know? Ask and ye shall receive." Marcus mused as his little brother quickly handed it to him.

"I already checked most of the left half of the library. Looks like we lucked out, no signs of 'Them' so far." Noah informed as Marcus slowly swept the light over as much of the library as he could see to make sure everything was clear on his end.

"Alright. Miku and I will check the back for a supply closet. In the meantime, see if you can bar the door with one of the chairs." Marcus instructed as he suddenly grabbed Miku by the wrist, pulling her along before either she or Noah could think to answer. Left with no reason to question his brother, Noah quickly left to make sure this place would be secure for the night.

Meanwhile, as soon as Marcus felt Noah was out of ear shot, he let go of Miku's wrist before checking around a nearby corner to see an extended hallway with a few doors to investigate.

"Any particular reason you brought me along? Surely if one of 'Them' was in here, it would've heard us by now." Miku asked as she rubbed her wrist due to Marcus' rough grip.

"Yeah, listen…I just…I wanted to thank you." Marcus reluctantly admitted as he already began making his way down the hall, forcing Miku to follow after him as she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What I mean is…well, I definitely didn't make any secret out of not trusting you after what those people did to us, and…I'll admit, even in the beginning of all this, I still didn't trust you. Hell, I'm not sure if I even fully trust you still at this point. But nevertheless, the fact remains that you put your ass on the line to get us out of that hellhole and…well, I really appreciate you taking that risk." Marcus went on to elaborate as Miku couldn't help but smile and slightly blush that she was actually being genuinely thanked for what she'd tried so hard to do.

"Of course. I…I didn't want to believe what you and Noah-kun were saying about Shido before, but…well, it's like you'd said before. I learned the truth about that man the hard way. Even when he had no reason to, Noah-kun just wanted to help me…and I at least wanted to know I did the right thing at some point before I die." Miku answered, her voice soon trembling with emotion the more she lingered back on how painful learning the truth was. All the while, Marcus carefully opened the first door only to reveal a small bathroom.

"Well, if I know Noah, you can bet he's going to be fighting tooth and nail to protect you from now on." Marcus revealed as Miku found herself once again blushing to know the youngest Lawson would actually continue to be there for her even after this was all finished.

"I see…Noah-kun, he…he is really brave, isn't he?" Miku asked rhetorically as Marcus had to hide a slight smirk to hear the almost dreamy tone in her voice when talking about his brother.

"Yeah. Always has been for as long as I've known him. You, uh…you really care about him, don't you?" Marcus asked with slight hesitation as Miku momentarily stopped in her tracks to be asked something so bluntly.

"Of course I do. Why would you even ask me that?" Miku asked less out of embarrassment and more out of defense as if she were being accused of something as Marcus opened the second door to find a small surveillance room.

"I'm not questioning you. I just thought you should know…he REALLY cares about you too. I've had enough crushes on girls in my time to recognize when someone is smitten with another, and well…I see that look in his eyes whenever he sees you. Hell, I saw it in him even before all this shit went down. He had this piece of paper in his pocket with your name and number written on it. When I talked to him about it, I'd never seen the little guy so flustered." Marcus recounted with a nostalgic smile as Miku felt her heart flutter for a second.

"Look, I'm not going to tell either of you what to do, if you plan on doing anything; I realize this isn't exactly the best time for that, but can I just ask you one thing?" Marcus suddenly asked, instantly bringing Miku back to reality just as they reached the last door of the hall beside the exit.

"Of course." Miku replied curiously, wondering what on earth he could possibly have to ask of her at a time like this.

"Please don't do anything to hurt him. You're the very first girl I've ever seen him actually like, and…well, I just worry that going about it the wrong way could break him emotionally. Shit, I don't know what I'm trying to say, just please be delicate with him for me, okay?" Marcus tried to explain, feeling like an utter idiot as he struggled to get the point across that had started festering in his head the more he thought about Noah and Miku together. Thankfully, the look in her eyes as she took in what he said seemed all too understanding.

"I understand, Marcus-san. I promise you, I would never do anything to hurt someone as wonderful as him." Miku vowed as Marcus couldn't help but smile in response to show his appreciation for her answer just as he opened the last door and smiled even brighter at the sight of a supply closet.

"Ah, here we go." Marcus whispered triumphantly to himself as he reached up to one of the shelves and pulled down two small electric lamps, handing one to Miku as he tested the switch for his own, only to be met with yet another blinding light.

"Oh man, whoever ran this library was a bloody genius. EMP-safe flashlight AND lanterns? Talk about a lucky break." Marcus nearly cheered as Miku turned her own lantern on; smiling in gratitude they at least had a little more light. Not wasting a moment, Marcus opened the exit door to check; only instead of being met with an alley, he was instead met with a stairwell leading up.

"Alright, this must lead up to all the other business on the floors. Hey, listen, I'm gonna go check it out, at least make sure all the other doors are locked. Can you check up on Noah and make sure everything's alright?" Marcus asked Miku as he already began making his way up the stairs.

"Of course. Please be careful." Miku requested as she immediately made her way back down the hall for the library. As soon as she stepped back in, she immediately spotted Noah fitting one of the chairs over the door handles, effectively sealing it shut.

"Oh, hey, looks like you two lucked out." Noah greeted her theinstant he saw the glowing lantern in her hand.

"Yes, we did. Marcus-san is checking the upper floors to just make sure all the doors are locked up safe for us." Miku greeted him back as they both let out a collective sigh of relief. As Miku looked at Noah's smiling face, she felt her heart flutter again. To know the young boy had such strong feelings for her after such short periods of time they'd gotten to know each other couldn't help but make her whole face go hot.

However, just as before, she soon felt that cold feeling of nagging doubt scratching at the back of her mind. What did she do to deserve the affection of someone so wonderful?

"Noah-kun, can I ask you something?" Miku requested as she spoke rather softly, her words filled with uncertainty.

"Y-yes, of course; is something bothering you?" Noah answered before the two of them walked off into what looked like the section for people to study given how many desks there were;the towering bookcases practically boxing them in. For a few seconds, Miku remained silent, keeping her back turned to Noah as she set the lantern on the center table; taking a deep breath to calm her nerves so she could properly share the one thing that was tormenting her the most in this moment.

 **[Mass Effect 2 OST - Reflections (Extended Version)]**

"It's you! I just…I don't understand you; no matter how hard I try to rationalize everything." Miku exclaimed with a frustrated sigh as she threw both her arms in the air in defeat; earning a respective look of confusion from Noah.

"Me? What exactly are you trying to rationalize me for?" Noah inquired as he genuinely had no idea as to why she'd be doing such a thing.

"Think about it, by now you could've easily ditched me after escaping the academy, or when we were entering the city at the bottom of the hill. Hell, you could've escaped just as easily without me to begin with. Please tell me the truth, Noah-kun: why are you really keeping me around? Why the hell are you risking your life for someone as useless as me?" Miku began to explain in greater detail as she started pacing back and forth; looking down as she couldn't even bare to look him in the eyes.

"Miku-chan...Stop it. I think you know quite well why I care about you. I got you out of there because you deserve so much better than those creeps. No one as kindhearted as you needs to think so low of herself." Noah said in a gentle, approachable tone as he reached out to her; watching her silently contemplate an answer as his touch seemed to calm her for a split second. She then formed a regretful look before slapping his hand away.

"But that's where you're wrong! Oh, Noah-kun...you think you know me even after all I've said, but you've yet to hear the worst of it!" Miku reluctantly announced as she looked ready to start crying once more from so much time running from her inner demons.

"Miku-chan, it's okay." Noah reassured before he tried to hug her, only for Miku to gently pull away as if she resented him for trying to coddle her; regardless of how sweet he might've seemed.

"No, it's not okay! Don't you get it; you're too good for me! You could do so much better, and it hurts that you can't even see why because I can't tell you!" Miku exclaimed in frustration as she could feel tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes again; hating it when he'd form a look of deep concern and genuine compassion for her.

"But Miku-chan, you CAN tell me. You told me about your past; so don't hold back this time either. I swear I'll tell you what I truly think of you afterwards…if that will somehow help you in the end." Noah said softly in a more direct inflection before he vowed to make his final judgment with crossing his finger over his heart.

"Damn it, Noah-kun...fine. Sit down here and just try to bear with me here." Miku sighed before having him retire to a large beanbag chair resting in the corner of the section they were in.

"Of course. Take your time." Noah said as he watched Miku pacing around nervously again, contemplating how she was going to express herself to him without losing herself in the moment.

"Alright, here goes nothing...back in the early days of all this; back when I was in Shido's group, still naive and loyal as can be,there came a moment where one of the other students wanted us to stop to find his family. Nobody agreed with him, but he just kept on insisting that we stop and went as far as defying Shido directly. Eventually, we all had had enough of his complaints and we tossed him out of the bus into the rain.

"He must've spent a good twenty minutes pleading and begging us to let him back inside, but we just ignored him and fooled around during what Shido called 'free time'. Eventually he was attacked by 'Them', but we didn't lift a damn finger to help him. His blood coated the side of the bus as we just kept on with our business like nothing happened. Worst of all, I was actually proud of what we'd done…for Christ's sake, I was the one who suggested we throw him out in the first place! That poor boy is dead all because of me, and I was PROUD of what I'd done; that I'd made our leader happy for being a loyal little pet and obeying his every command without any questions.

"He was just like you: young, small, practically defenseless, and very innocent. On the way up here, I kept seeing his face, remembering how much he begged for forgiveness and our help…and how I did nothing to help him myself or stop the others from throwing him out. I-I am NOT a good person, Noah-kun. Whatever light you might've seen in me, it was just a spark and nothing more. I can't be with someone as good spirited and sweet as you. I don't deserve to. How can I hope to ever better myself and be even remotely as good as you are?" Miku confessed through her gradually increasing sobs of despair and self-loathing as Noah sat there entirely shell-shocked by what he'd just heard. No matter how true it was, he couldn't imagine her doing something so cruel, leaving him truly stunned and silent for several minutes which in turn caused Miku Yuuki to bow her head in shame; knowing he couldn't handle the truth about her.

"Simple: redeem yourself through personal atonement. Live with the wrong you've done to others and work to never let it happen again. You can't fix anything that happened to that other boy, but you can at least help others that are still alive." Noah suddenly advised as she looked back to him, completely shocked that he wasn't even remotely angered or disgusted with her actions like she was.

"Perhaps I can do that, but what about YOU? Are you honestly telling me that after hearing such a fucked up fact about me that you're still gonna give a damn about me?" Miku asked in disbelief as she honestly couldn't tell anymore if something had to have been wrong with Noah for him to still think she had a chance at being a better person after doing something as twisted as what she did.

"Yes I am. You may have done wrong, but who hasn't in their lifetime? I'm not gonna judge you for being influenced by a mad, twisted sociopath that essentially feeds off of controlling others. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time;doing what you had to in order to survive. I still think you're really special though." Noah explained his reasoning as Miku's expression softened the slightest bit as she seemed to get it, yet she still looked somewhat unconvinced, as if she still felt like he was just trying to say whatever he could to calm her down; the doubts swarming her mind once more.

"You do not! Don't lie to me!" Miku then scorned as she towered over him with both her hands on her hips; staring down at him with a frustrated glare as she couldn't bring herself to accept that Noah was still able to feel anything towards her.

"You wanna bet on that?" Noah suddenly said in an equally annoyed tone as he was sick of her constantly doubting his intentions; let alone how much it bothered him to see such self-loathing for something she had little to no real control over; standing up so she wasn't standing over him as much.

"Yeah, I actually do-" Miku said in a challenge, cut off at the end when Noah suddenly leaned closer. Her beautiful orange eyes widened at the unexpected touch of his lips to hers. At first she was beyond surprised, but within seconds she no longer cared and felt her eyes closing to fully embrace his affection.

 **[]**

 **[Electric Light Orchestra – Don't Walk Away]**

Her body trembled all over as he pressed himself closer to her, his chest pushing up against hers; causing Miku to clumsily stumble back against a bookcase before finding Noah holding her up by her sides. It felt so right to have him kissing her, to feel his soft, innocent hands gently bracing her upright. Wanting more, she gasped his shirt collar and pulled him closer, forcing him to kiss her even more. Warmth and heat began to rise within her body as she began to let her hands slowly trail along his arms, feeling more muscle than anticipated despite the thin frame he had.

Noah on the other hand felt his hormones and desire for Miku skyrocketing beyond anything he ever could've imagined. For the first time in what felt like years, he wasn't even thinking about the world's condition, nor the looming threat of Shido and his followers; not even about his own family. Right now, it wasjust him and the girl he'd found himself so madly stricken with. His hands curiously ran along her waistline; playfully rubbing at her stomach, earning a soft giggle from Miku at how innocent he was acting despite being so feisty and bold at the same time. He then could feel her hands holding onto his butt, playfully giving his cheeks a squeeze before slowly pulling him even closer.

A soft moan escaped from her soft, sweet-tasting lips as their hips began to press and grind up against one another. While Noah couldn't feel much due to the thickness of his jeans, Miku on the other hand was in a skirt and had no problem feeling herself being rubbed in just the right spot to get her burning in the loins; pulling her head away before feeling herself uncontrollably biting down on her own lip out of enjoyment as it felt like her body was on fire now. The anticipation slowly ate away at her patience before she finally lost it and shoved Noah down into the beanbag chair with a very delighted smile on her face that had him practically melting where he sat. Now he could feel his manhood becoming trapped and squeezed against his own clothing.

"You just sit there. If you think this is over, you've got another thing coming!" Miku said between heavy gasps as if she was somehow out of breath, desperately trying to unzip her hoodie before tossing it over Noah's face playfully. While it did help her cool down a little bit, it still wasn't enough to sate the carnal desires she had for the youngest Lawson.

Just as Noah managed to pull the pink hoodie from his face, he felt his jaw drop at the sight of Miku Yuuki slowly straddling him in nothing but a red and black-laced bra with matching panties. His member ached and yearned for release, but unfortunately for him she noticed this as well and slowly straddled him; pressing down on his bulge as her hands grasped his shoulders for balance.

"What's wrong, my little bookworm? I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?" Miku suddenly asked in a playfully seductive tone before rocking back and forth; feeling his groin heating up through both his jeans and her panties, making her incredibly wet to know she was able to turn him on so easily.

"Not…at all! My sweet...just need to realign my-" Noah blurted out softly in a low grunt, doing his best to resist the obvious teasing before reaching down to adjust himself.

"Ah, ah, ah! Hands to your sides, Mr. Lawson! Allow me to do that for you." Miku said as she took the hand attempting to reach down into his jeans before pinning it above his head.

Not wanting to get on her bad side where she clearly had the advantage over him, Noah did as he was told and waited for her to do whatever it was she was going to do. However, instead of adjusting his throbbing manhood, she just grinned naughtily before grinding down even harder onto his bulge; enjoying his sighs and grunts as she felt quite good herself when she could feel him throbbing against her womanhood despite the clothes in the way.

"H-Hey! I thought you were gonna help me adjust!" Noah gently groaned as he was clearly on edge as Miku continued to sexually torture him with her delayed help.

"Ohhh, is someone feeling a little hot and bothered? Here, let me try again." Miku giggled before steadily bouncing up and down on his thighs. Noah was now grasping the ever loving shit out of the beanbag chair as she continuously bounced on his own beanbags.

Unable to handle it anymore, Noah suddenly reached up and grasped her voluptuous chest. His fingers pried and dug until they were under the lace bra, feeling and gently squeezing her amazingly warm and soft breasts to finally get even. Shocked to see Noah acting so in control and unexpected, Miku couldn't help but let out a moan of great enjoyment whenever his fingers would rub against her erect nipples. Noticing this delighted response, he then stopped randomly squeezing and fondling her huge fleshy globes and instead targeted her sensitive nipples; gently pinching and pulling on them between his fingers.

"Mmm! Mr. Lawson...for someone so innocent and good, you're being so naughty and bad!" Miku groaned in a lust fueled whisper as it was abundantly clear that she rather fancied his frisky side.

"Don't act like you aren't loving this." Noah suddenly responded in what had to be the most suave and manliest voice he'd ever been able to emit. Miku giggled at how quick he was to adapt before she reached back and unhooked the straps to her bra; letting it fall between his arms as he took a moment to gaze upon her beauty fully uncovered. Noah was unable to help swallowing a dry lump in his throat as he gazed at her large, supple breasts completely filling his palms to the point his fingers were almost sinking into the soft flesh. Slowly pulling her navy blue headband off, Miku carefully placed it on the back of his neck before pulling it towards her, causing Noah to sit up until his face was pressing up against her bountiful tits.

Her fingers gently began to fuss with his surprisingly soft and clean hair as his lips began to slowly suckle on her sensitive nipples. Noah made sure not to accidentally bite down on her small pink nubs, taking extra care in ensuring that she enjoyed every moment of this; his tongue slowly tracing every supple, delicious inch as he felt her writhing in pleasure at his loving touch.

"Okay...I'm done playing around. Hope can you say the same, Noah-kun." Miku suddenly announced in a sexually frustrated sigh as she could no longer hold herself back from taking things even further.

"I-I'm ready. Just let me get a little more comfortable." Noah shyly answered, as if he wasn't sure if he could keep up with her now; slowly pulling his drenched t-shirt off before gently setting it aside and looking up at Miku to see her reaction to his body. An intrigued smile formed along her soft lips as she playfully traced a finger along his rather well defined torso.

With only slight hesitation, Noah finally unbuckled his jeans and watched as Miku impatiently pulled them off from around his ankles only to then grasp at his warm bulge; now even more obvious to see without his pants to get in the way. Her hand began gently stroking it, with her smiling in anticipation as she could only be able to imagine his actual size now before her fingertips rested on the rims of his briefs. Without a moment to spare, Miku pulled his remaining undergarments straight down only to form a sly grin when she could see what he'd been hiding this entire time.

"Noah-kun...what in the world have you been doing to receive such a beautiful member? I don't know what I want to do with it first! Consider me impressed." Miku said as she found it hard to contain her excitement; slowly licking her lips as she grasped his shaft with both hands, stroking steadily in smooth rhythms while debating how to go further, enjoying the soft moans and whimpers of pleasure that escaped Noah's lips.

"Mmm, I think for waiting so long, I'm just going to put it in right off the bat. I need that beauty inside me right now." Miku impatiently said as she didn't even give him a chance to answer before she pulled her panties down, revealing her cleanly shaven slit; gleaming slightly from her love juices that had spilt out while grinding on him earlier.

Miku slowly straddled around on Noah before she was facing away from him. Her athletically toned ass looked so tempting to grab, causing Noah to blush heavily as she playfully wiggled it back and forth, knowing he'd be mesmerized by it before she carefully began to guide herself lower onto his thick, throbbing member that was just aching to be inside of her.

"W-wait...you're going to put it in like that?" Noah asked as he caused Miku to stop just seconds before she could properly align herself with him.

"Yeah; why? Is something wrong?" Miku responded curiously as she was uncertain what could've possibly possessed Noah to stop after the pace they were going at was seemingly perfect up until now.

"Well yeah...you're facing away from me. I want to see your face if I'm going to be doing this with you." Noah honestly answered as he caused Miku to momentarily pause, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing right now. She was so used to her partner being so quick to get it over with; it almost caused her to question Noah's thoughts.

"Noah, are you sure? I can still make you feel insanely good all the same in this position. Trust me." Miku attempted to confirm as she meanwhile began to rub the tip of his prick against her clit to keep him rock hard; meanwhile having to bite her lip to keep from moaning from the heavenly sensation.

"Oh, believe me; I have no doubts in your abilities! It's just…I wanna see your beautiful eyes when we're making love. It just feels right, you know?" Noah explained as he slowly rubbed her hips, noticing an emotional glimmer in her eyes now.

"Did…did you really just call it 'making love'?" Miku whispered as if uncertain if he was for real at this point or just messing with her.

"M-maybe...was it wrong of me to say it like that?" Noah nervously replied as if he truly had no idea what to say now; knowing he was heavily outclassed, considering this was his first time ever being with a woman, let alone one as attractive as Miku.

"No! Quite the opposite really...you're such a sweetheart to me; so kind and innocent. I don't know if I can do this now..." Miku replied in a rather touched voice, uncertain what she should do now as Noah had truly caught her off guard.

"We don't have to. I don't want you to ever feel obliged to do something like this for me. I-Mmm!" Noah began to explain before Miku suddenly leaned in and kissed him; silencing his words as her tongue slipped into his mouth, exploring all around before gently playing with his tongue moments before pulling back with a look on her face now that made it quite clear her choice was cemented.

"I've made up my mind. I'm making you all mine, you little smooth talker, and there's nothing in this world that can change my mind now." Miku whispered into his ear before she slowly grasped both of his shoulders, his hands in turn holding onto her finely shaped hips before both of them let out moans of immense pleasure.

Without a second to spare, Miku, now facing Noah directly while straddled over his lap, slowly sat down until his manhood was practically impaling her. She instantly let out a loud gasp and moan of incredible pleasure; enjoying every inch of him slipping deeper and deeper into her the more she pushed down on him. Her grip on his shoulders intensified when she thought she had it all in, only for him to surprise her with a sudden thrust upwards; causing her to wince at the extra meat she had to work with now.

 _'So warm...and wet! It feels so odd…and soooo good! The Internet couldn't possibly prepare me for this.'_ Noah thought in pleasurable ecstasy to himself as his number one goal right now was to keep himself from climaxing so early despite how it felt like he'd only last for a few minutes, and that was wishful thinking as it was.

Noah could practically feel her inner walls squeezing around his shaft, as if testing it and adjusting itself for him. The warmth was perfect; it made his burning member seem like a dim candle in the shadows in contrast to how hot it was inside of his newfound lover. The wetness that coated his prick made it such a smooth experience; no delays or stuttering as Miku proceeded to go up and down on him; riding his length with great enthusiasm. Noah couldn't help but look over every inch of her gorgeous body now glistening with sweat in the light of the lantern; watching her supple breasts bouncing hypnotically as she moved. He didn't even realize he was now blushing heavily as she would moan with incredible pleasure with every move; all while hoping she wouldn't see how much this all put him into a frenzy.

Miku on the other hand felt he was a perfect fit for her, his thickness truly something she had never encountered before. But beyond his more than acceptable size, considering his age especially, and moderately decent skills in thrusting up at the right moment, there was something more to all of this that made it truly magical for Miku as well. Noah's all too sweet words just kept buzzing around in her head. For the first time ever, she felt truly worthy of his love despite all she had said before. It was like he could really see what good was left in her, to the point she now could see it for herself, finally giving her a reason to fight on and change for the better. It was a second chance she had never even considered before until meeting this very special boy. A single tear of joy ran down her flawless face; prompting her to lean in and meet Noah with another passionate tongue kiss as she bounced her body up and down along his throbbing cock, all while feeling that he would probably cum any minute now, considering this was still his first time.

Just as she was about to go up again, Noah suddenly kept her down and pressed his cock as hard as he could into her body. Miku felt her eyes rolling back as she stared up at the ceiling,feeling like he was trying to split her in two only to then suddenly find herself on bottom and him on top of her. Both her long, toned legs slowly wrapped around his cute butt before he began to rhythmically thrust back and forth, his balls every now and then slapping against her; causing Miku to slightly giggle at how he was taking things into his own hands.

"For someone so new to this...you sure know-agh! You sure know how to handle yourself!" Miku complimented, moaning halfway as Noah thrust deep into her, causing the young teen to repeat herself again.

"Am I doing well, Angel? Hope I'm not disappointing you." Noah said more out of concern than playful banter as Miku pulled his face closer to hers so he could get a good look at her shimmering orange eyes.

"My sweet Noah-kun, don't you worry about a thing. You're doing excellent, better than a girl like me could've ever hoped for. Now don't stop on me now; give me everything you've got." Miku answered as she gave him such a look that only inspired him to fight on, his pace picking up as the heat and intensity only increased for the two of them.

Miku titled her neck back as Noah looked over her gorgeous figure, his body perfectly lined up with hers. Their fingers interlaced, his lips tenderly kissing her neck affectionately while he continued to pound her into the beanbag chair. The bag over time shifted around under the pressure of the two lovers making love on it until it left their body imprints on the surface. What were awkward and feeble attempts to synchronize with Miku soon became smooth rhythmic motions as Noah carefully studied and anticipated how she'd move whenever he'd pull back only to thrust straight back into her.

"M-Miku...I can't keep this up. I'm gonna burst any second now!" Noah groaned as he tried to hold back that uncontrollable urge to let himself stop holding back and fill her up with his own love juices.

"What? Now? Pull it out!" Miku whispered in a low hiss as she watched Noah pull out just in time before his penis twitched slightly and a long stream of thick white goo shot up into the air and over her shoulder; staining the carpet behind them as he sat on both knees, looking completely embarrassed at the fact he couldn't last as long as he'd hoped to for Miku.

As if hit by a sudden delay from his nervous system; Noah suddenly felt the strain of contracting his muscles and having to control his motions in such an unknown manner to him. Practically out of breath, he slowly collapsed beside Miku, who looked at him smiling. While she may not have been able to cum herself, she was still greatly satisfied that she at least had experienced something she never thought she would in her entire life: a special experience shared with another human being that genuinely cared for her. She then began to stand, only for Noah to turn his head and look up at her.

"Where are you going?" Noah asked as he was uncertain why she was gathering her clothes scattered on the floor.

"Giving you some space; it's how most guys are after that kind of thing." Miku explained as she was not just speaking from experience, forming a surprised look when Noah reached out and gently grabbed her wrist.

"Please don't go. Stay here with me." Noah requested in a soft sigh as she didn't know what to say to that; slowly getting on both knees before she found herself snuggling up to him.

 **[]**

Resting her ear against his chest, Miku listened to an all-too calming beat as Noah gently rubbed her back, their legs interlacing as she was still finding herself baffled at how wrong she was about his motives and intent for her. She slowly closed her eyes, a set of tears trickling down her face as a heartfelt smile was formed on her lips. For what felt like just a distant dream, for Miku Yuuki, she had finally found peace from a time so long ago.

Moments later, Marcus was approaching the back corner of the library the lantern light was coming from, eager to show Noah and Miku the flare gun he'd discovered in the emergency kit under a desk in the reception area of one of the upper floors. He quietly walked around the bend only to see both of them resting together in the nude, prompting him to back up slowly as he was completely gobsmacked to see such a sight at a time like this. However, he soon just smiled as he nodded in approval for Noah's self-initiation into manhood; feeling rather proud that he could find someone to love and care for beyond friendship in a time where it was so rare.

 _'Enjoy your rest, you little Romeo. You've certainly earned it after all the shit you've been through.'_ Marcus thought to himself as he went off to keep watch for any trouble, silently approving of both Noah and Miku's choices.

 **Z-Day+16**

For the first time in what felt like months, the morning came not with a bright yet cloud-draped sky, but rather a pleasant warm sun. The ray shone through the windows of the library onto Noah and Miku's interlaced naked bodies as they remained comfortably embraced in each other's arms.

Soon, the glow of the sun slowly stirred them both awake as they hesitantly opened their eyes in fear of being blinded. However, rather than the sun, it was each other's faces they immediately awoke to, and like a lightning bolt, they both instantly recalled what they had done the previous night. Only instead of embarrassed apologies or excuses of getting caught in the heat of the moment; they instead greeted each other with deep, loving smiles followed by a single lingering kiss to each other's' lips that seemed to silently communicate everything they both felt towards each other in this serene moment.

"Well, well, well, glad to see you two are up bright and early!" Marcus' voice suddenly greeted from around the bend, instantly causing both young lovers to nearly jump and scramble to cover themselves; instinctively grabbing the large blanket he had silently draped over them the previous night without their noticing. Both their faces were beet red as he couldn't help but give a slight chuckle at their embarrassment.

"Oh, Jesus, Marcus, how much did you see?!" Noah asked in a confused mix of anger and humiliation as Miku herself looked mortified at the thought of him peeping in on them while they were doing the deed.

"Don't worry, you both were long since unconscious by the time I found you. Only stopped by afterwards to make sure you both don't catch a cold while you're lying in the raw. Nothing more embarrassing than that, believe me." Marcus quipped as his jokes only seemed to embarrass them both more and more.

"But in all seriousness, good on you both. I know this isn't exactly the most fitting place in the world to enter the realm of adulthood, but I'm still happy for you both." Marcus suddenly congratulated; momentarily catching Noah and Miku by surprise that he was actually taking this opportunity to compliment them rather than keep making his humiliating jokes.

"Well…t-thank you, Marcus, but would you mind please pissing off so we can at least put some clothes on?" Noah demanded in great embarrassment as his brother did as he was told with that wide grin never leaving his face; leaving the two lovers to themselves as they decided to waste no more time and get back in their clothes.

"Noah-kun…thank you…" Miku softly whispered shyly once they were both halfway dressed, prompting Noah to stop midway through pulling his jeans back on.

"Well of course, you think I was just going to let Marcus watch us get dressed?" Noah asked with an amused smirk, softly chuckling to himself.

"No, not that. I mean…thank you for…last night. It was…it was magical." Miku admitted with a heavy blush as Noah instinctively found himself doing the same.

"No other time had ever felt nearly as incredible as it was with you, and…I-I just…I just want to thank you for making me feel loved…for once." Miku went on to describe as she could feel that familiar sensation of tears welling in her eyes. Only this time they were of silent joy.

As she pulled her skirt all the way back up and buttoned it, she felt the familiar gentle touch of Noah's hand on her shoulder as she turned to look him in his deep blue eyes.

"Miku…everything we did last night…that all came from the heart. Just because that night is over doesn't mean we are too. Everything I said, everything I wanted to show you that night…that was all real, and it still is." Noah attempted to explain as the two found themselves quickly becoming lost in each other's eyes again.

"I want you to come with us because I want to be with you. I want to be with you in every sense of the term. I know it must sound so idiotic to be saying this so soon, but I don't care. I couldn't see myself being able to keep going through all this without you by my side, Miku." Noah continued as he tried to fight back the overwhelming surge of emotion creeping up his throat the more he spoke. All the while Miku already had shimmering sets of tears streaming down her face as if she could already tell what Noah was struggling to just come out and say.

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever known, and I mean that in your heart. You belong with us, I just know it; and I know my brother Frasier might object to it, but I've made my decision. I've never been as sure about something before as I do right now." Noah finally brought himself to admit as his hands instinctively took Miku's gently as he had to work up the courage to look into her eyes once more as the final words slowly formed in his mouth.

"I love you, Miku Yuuki. Please know that I mean those words with every fiber of my being. I've never loved someone before like I love you…and that's why I wish what I know we both felt last night can continue forever." Noah finally confessed, letting his own long-restrained tears flow as Miku's lip began to tremble as she had to constantly replay those three wonderful words in her head: the words she never felt deserving of receiving from anyone, finally being spoken to her by the wonderful young man who'd brought light back into her life and her heart after what felt like a lifetime of loneliness.

Unable to think of the words to say, Miku took Noah's face into her hands and eagerly pressed her soft, warm lips to his in an emotional kiss he instantly returned as the two young teens held onto each other for what felt like a lifetime of endless bliss.

As their lips parted, Miku brushed the tears from her eyes as she gave Noah the warmest, most loving smile he'd ever received from another person.

"I love you too, Noah Lawson…if you only knew how much. You…you make me so happy!" Miku finally confessed herself before wrapping her arms around him in a tight, loving embrace as he slowly brought his arms back around her as well.

All the while, Marcus remained just around one of the corners with his arms crossed; listening in with an immensely pleased smile on his face.

 _'I completely misjudged you, Miku-san. Looks like Noah really was right about you all along. Well, as far as I'm concerned…welcome to the family.'_ Marcus thought satisfactorily to himself as he looked out the window to the rising sun. If what he'd just heard between the two lovers was going to be any indication, today may prove to be an incredible one.

After a few more minutes, Noah and Miku both stepped out completely redressed and ready to roll. Not needing to say another word, Marcus led them back to the rear hallway.

"I last checked this exit earlier this morning and there weren't any of 'Them' lingering around. I'm betting 'They' all got lured away by all the rain. Thankfully I scoped the area out from the roof as well, and we don't have much further to go until we get to the river; and then from there it's just a straight shot to the hotel." Marcus explained as he slowly opened the door labeled as the exit, carefully checking both paths of the alley to make sure they were in the clear.

"You don't think Shido might've sent search parties to look for us by now, do you?" Miku asked nervously as just the thought of facing that madman's wrath if she were to be brought back to him gave her horrible chills.

"I seriously doubt it. We ran for quite a long ways through that storm, and if 'They' are still dispersed throughout the city, it'll take those guys quite a while to get this far in. But regardless, I also found this handy flare gun, just because we've got fuck all in terms of any other weapons." Marcus attempted to reassure her as he pulled the flare gun from his waistband, holding it at the ready just in case.

"Alright, let's get moving." Noah recommended as they all three began to carefully make their way down the alley to the nearest exit with Marcus taking the lead.

"Noah…do you think the rest of your group will really be okay with me?" Miku asked in a nervous whisper as Noah was momentarily stopped by her question.

"I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't. What makes you suddenly ask?" Noah asked curiously as Marcus stopped as well so as not to leave them behind.

"It's just…you said your oldest brother might object to me coming with you, and that might already be if he doesn't know I was with the people that imprisoned you. If he and your group were to find that out, there's no telling what they might do." Miku continued, unknowingly giving both Lawson's an equally nervous feeling. Frasier was hostile enough to strangers as it was, and there was honestly NO telling what he might do if he were to find out the truth about her.

"Well…I know this isn't exactly the best answer, but we'll cross that bridge if we ever come to it. I swear I won't let anyone hurt you though, no matter who they are." Noah reassured her, only able to give her the most honest answer he could.

"That's right. And if the group does find out, I'll personally vouch for you myself. I know I had my doubts about you before, but with everything that's happened and the time to think having come and gone, I feel confident in saying you're okay in my book." Marcus added in as Miku couldn't help but smile in relief to know she had both of them on her side.

"Alright, we're almost to the mouth of the alley. We still don't know exactly what we may be walking into, Miku, so I want you to say back here until I give you the signal it's okay to come out, alright?" Noah instructed her as Marcus began to continue on his way to the street. While the look in Miku's eyes had clear hesitation to staying behind, the eventually nodded in understanding as Noah gave her an appreciative peck on the lips before quickly catching up to his brother.

As Marcus and Noah began to step out the mouth of the alley; for a split second, everything froze, as if their senses suddenly picked up the impression that they weren't alone. And it was in that fraction of a second, they both just barely made out large black objects like rifle butts flying right for their heads. And it was once that single second had registered to them, both brothers were instantly slammed right in their faces; knocking them both off their feet, with Marcus' rough impact with the sidewalk causing his arm to jerk enough to fire his flare gun blindly into the sky.

"SURPRISED TO SEE US, MOTHERFUCKERS!?" the familiar voice of Teru snapped with an aggressive excitement as he and three other men quickly started to stomp both Lawson's into the concrete before grabbing them by their collars.

"Oh man, what goddamn luck have WE got, huh? That didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. See, didn't I say this would be a good spot to check first?" Teru gloated as the three other men couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"Line those fuckers against the wall! They're not worth the trouble keeping alive, no matter what Shido might say!" Teru snapped like a personality switch had been flipped inside his head as he watched Noah and Marcus being shoved up against the wall of the library.

"We shouldn't go against his word though. He knows best after all." one of the men he'd brought along said in disagreement; earning an annoyed glare from the young man.

"Believe me, I'm all Shido needs for protection, not these fucking kids! Now do as I say!" Teru growled as he grasped the man's collar; shoving him back a bit when there seemed to be no further resistance to his change of plans.

Meanwhile, Miku turned away, tears trickling down her cheeks as she did as Noah had instructed by remaining hidden away, unable to watch though as the three followers Teru was accompanied by took aim and prepared to execute Noah and Marcus on the spot. In that instant, a spark of resolve ignited within her chest. Knowing life wasn't worth living without her precious Noah; Miku broke from cover and ran out onto the scene, throwing herself between them and the Lawson's.

"Well, well, if it isn't the little whore herself?! Come to die with them?" Teru chuckled as he was delighted to see he wouldn't have to go searching for Miku after he'd dealt with Noah and Marcus.

"Actually, don't bother answering that; considering how it won't really matter in a second anyhow." Teru then said before she could respond, pulling out his handgun and aiming it straight at the brave yet defenseless Miku.

The sound of heavy footsteps was suddenly heard from above;causing Shido's followers to look up out of reaction. Without warning, a blur of a figure suddenly pounced from the roof and landed on one of the followers; ending with a horrid piercing sound. Warm, wet spurts of crimson-colored liquid splashed everyone nearby as they were all horrified to see a machete jutting out of the man's neck; the steel blade jutting up through the lower chin all the way up into the roof of his skull. The follower next to him attempted to take a shot but the interloper was way ahead of him.

Pulling the machete free from the first man's skull and placing the blade against the barrel of the rifle in hand, the assailant pushed it straight up; shoving the follower's arms in the air only to then take a combat knife from its holster and diagonally carve upwards against the stomach. More blood gushed out as the second man could only let out a rough gasp of searing pain seconds before being shot several times by his own allies in the hopes that one of the bullets would go through him and hit the frenzied killing machine in the crossfire.

The bullet riddled body was shoved straight into the third follower, pinning him to the floor under the corpse's weight. Teru knew exactly where this was going; and not wanting to be killed like this, he bolted from the scene as if there was no tomorrow, not even turning his back to watch as the man he'd left behind attempted to block the machete with his own rifle. The firearm was split up into two parts as the razor sharp steel cut right through it. Another blood-curdling scream rang out as ahand had been severed from its socket in the brutal strike. The agonized cries were quickly cut short though when the machete was then swiped horizontally into his skull, nearly cleaving it in half.

All throughout the carnage, Noah and Marcus were too paralyzed to look back; but after several seconds, they hesitantly glanced back over their shoulders. They both felt their eyes widen as for a split second, they saw Frasier's all too familiar gaze looking straight at them before taking off after the retreating Teru. Never before had they seen him act so explosively violent against an opponent living or otherwise. The dead were one thing, but to see how quick and decisive he was when taking another's life left them entirely speechless.

Just as Teru made it around the bend of a nearby alleyway, the bloodthirsty Brit wasn't too far behind him. Frasier practically leapt through the air with his arm outstretched before grabbing and throwing Teru down into the rough turf. Meanwhile, Noah, Marcus and Miku listened in both shock and absolute horror to Teru's resulting screams; too terrified to actually look and see whatever Frasier was doing to him. Teru tried to beg for mercy as Frasier's two hands reached directly into his mouth, a single hand hooked on the lower jawline while the second grasped the roof of his mouth. Between the sound of angered curses and snarls, the three could hear Teru's desperate garbled pleas for mercy as he tried to resist.

However, there was only a momentary struggle before both of Frasier's hands viciously pulled Teru's mouth in opposite directions. A stomach-twisting ***CRACK*** rang out that sent chills down the spines of all three petrified teens forced to listen to the eldest Lawson's impromptu execution of his last standing foe. With that horrifying crack of Teru's head virtually being split in half still echoing in their heads, they all three remained glued to where they stood in chilling fear.

The sound of Frasier's footsteps could then be heard growing louder and louder; his figure casually wandering out from the alley like he didn't even recall just butchering four human beings to pieces. Miku, Noah, and Marcus stood there paralyzed from the very thought of what he'd do next. Both his fists clenched tight before slowly releasing what looked like bits of teeth fragments that clattered against the street. The blood that covered his face and sage green jacket slowly became more and more noticeable the closer he came to them. This was the cold blooded killing machine the Lawson brother's father always wanted: no remorse, no regret, and certainly no restraint or mercy to be found in those cold blue eyes.

Frasier soon towered over his siblings when he returned to the morbid scene, his head looking straight while his eyes shifted downwards to address his terrified brothers. Noah and Marcus braced themselves for what should've been the loudest and most traumatizing lecture of a lifetime, expecting Frasier to practically use every curse word his vocabulary could muster up.

However, what happened next was the most unexpected thing they'd ever seen of him. He just remained silent, wrapping his arms around both of them before pulling his little brothers into his chest. The stench of death might've been strong, the sight might've been grisly, but nothing was more overpowering to their senses than to hear the sound of him sniffling, as if Frasier was now genuinely crying of out relief to see his brothers were still alive. The younger Lawson's began to sob themselves as they never thought they'd miss him as much as they did right now. His heartbeat pounded against their ears as he felt warm all over; his slow breathing felt heavy and rough from the explosion of emotions he couldn't hope to repress right now.

"C'mon; let's go home." Frasier then grumbled in a low, yet completely approachable, sigh; not even questioning who Mikuwas or why she was now following them back to the hotel the instant he started walking his brothers back.

"Mind if we bring a friend with us?" Marcus asked hesitantly as he motioned to Miku, who just nervously waved to him when his gaze looked over to her again.

"For now; we can talk about this later. You've been through enough, I'm certain." Frasier acknowledged as all he could care about now was what that his two most vital reasons to live were now safe and back under his immediate protection.

"Well, it's about goddamn time. Can we finally go to the hotel now?" another female voice suddenly called out as Noah and Marcus instantly flinched when they saw Rika had managed to get so close without them hearing her approach at all; almost as if she were a full-blown ninja. Neither of them could even comprehend where the hell she'd even come from; and of course the introduction of a completely new face had them both more than a little on edge.

"Frasier, do you know this woman?" Noah whispered as he seemed rather intimidated by her emotionless stare. The only thing he knew for certain was that she meant business by the way she carried herself, let alone the attire and weapons she had on her that even left him amazed.

"Kind of; apparently she knows Marikawa-sensei, so she's coming back with us. Let's just go home before the dead swarm this place." Frasier answered as he didn't seem too keen on Rika's company either.

The sun continued to rise as its pleasant warmth shone down on the five walking the desolate streets. After spending half the trip filling Frasier in on the details of what had happened over the last two days, Marcus slowly stumbled over from exhaustion, only for Frasier to then assist his walking by holding him up as they walked side by side. Noah smiled to himself to see that even after such a rush from combat, his eldest brother could still come back from it all to remember what truly mattered most to him: family.

After roughly twenty minutes of nonstop walking and no further interruptions, the five survivors approached the blessed familiar sight of the hotel; each one feeling some form of relief knowing that they were finally able to drop their burdens here. Several figures could be seen standing outside watching them, whom the Lawson's could immediately identify as Saeko, Takashi, Saya, Kiriko, Rei, and Kohta; who all most likely were returning from their own search for the missing siblings.

"Frasier-kun; you found them on your own, huh?" Saeko suddenly announced aloud for all to hear before she formed a relieved smile; happy to see that he could finally be at peace,knowing that Frasier could finally settle down after what must've felt like days of nonstop fighting.

"Indeed I have." Frasier said in a rather distant response to the group's swordswoman as he seemed to be distracted by something else entirely.

"So what happened to them? Are they going to be alright?" Kohta asked out of concern when he noticed the cuts and bruises on Noah and Marcus' faces, while still at least feeling relieved the group hadn't lost two of their closest friends.

"From what they shared with me, they were apparently kidnapped by another group. They're safe now though and in one piece; and that's all that matters. They just have a few cuts and bruises; but nothing that could keep a Lawson down." Frasier answered based off what little he'd been told. His confidence showed though, knowing that his brothers were tough enough to fight despite their injuries.

"Damn...well, at least they're safe now; and I'm sure Shizuka-sensei can patch them up no problem." Takashi said as he watched Kiriko helping Marcus walk, allowing Frasier to walk properly now that he didn't have to support his little brother's balance.

"Oh, thank goodness. We were so worried about you two! Let's get you both inside and under some blankets. You poor boys are going to catch your death of cold in soaked clothes like these." Kiriko said out of maternal instinct, feeling bad just for seeing them in such a rough state and overcome with an immediate need to take care of them; both her and Takashi now helping Marcus back inside the hotel where he'd be taken care of.

"And that woman over there; is she a friend of yours or something?" Saeko asked as she peered over at Rika, whom was standing quite close to Frasier; a bit more than to her liking. Whether it was a matter of trust in a stranger or jealousy was quite uncertain.

"This is Rika Minami. She's an officer of the JGSDF, Special Forces Group. Apparently Marikawa-sensei knows her from a long time ago." Frasier answered as he was still uncertain how Shizuka of all people could possibly know a woman like Rika.

"Damn right she'll know me. Oh and here's your little toy back. I just had to be sure that everything was on the up and up. This place looks pretty damn fortified. Did you do all this by yourself?" Rika confirmed before handing him Mark's handgun. She then proceeded to take observation of the defensive constructs this hotel now had.

"Affirmative; while I did have some help putting these barricades together, the overall design was mine. Nothing is getting inside without my knowing about it." Frasier acknowledged as he motioned towards the strategic barriers placed around the hotel's main hub to slow down the undead before then pointing up at the barbed wire looped around on almost all the window sills of the first and second floors.

"Good to know; very impressive actually, for a young man such as yourself anyhow. Care to show me inside or should I help myself?" Rika said as she was genuinely impressed at the display of ingenuity; her tone a little too welcoming for Saeko's taste as she quickly approached them.

"That won't be necessary. He's been out since yesterday and needs to recuperate. I'll show you the place myself." the group's sword wielder intervened, answering for Frasier before volunteering to show Rika around the hotel herself. Before either Frasier or Rika could respond to Saeko, Saya began to look past them before letting out a greatly surprised gasp.

"H-hey! That's Miku Yuuki, isn't it?!" Saya suddenly exclaimed in alarm as Saeko, Rei, and Kohta instantly seemed to notice her as there appeared to be a unanimous look of distrust and disgust amongst them when looking over at her.

"You guys know her?" Frasier questioned as he raised an eyebrow to their alarmed reaction to the girl Noah and Marcus were with.

"Yeah! She's with Koichi Shido's group! What the hell is she doing HERE?!" Rei exclaimed as she demanded to know what was going on; speaking in a very reactionary tone as if feeling threatened by Miku's very presence.

"And who exactly is that?" Frasier asked as he had no idea who they were referring to; but if the others having such a volatile reaction to this strange girl were any indication, he was more than determined to find out.

"Someone you'll NEVER want to meet in your life. Trust me;that man is incredibly dangerous. She was one of his crazy followers last time we met. If there was ever a time for you to trust me, this would be it." Rei answered with deep scorn and resentment hanging from her words; glaring at Miku as she could practically envision Shido's figure standing behind her with that all too chilling smile of his.

"Noah, Marcus said she was a friend of yours; someone that we could trust. He didn't lie to me, did he?" Frasier questioned with a curious hum before he formed an inquisitive look; anxious as to who was telling the truth now.

"Well...I-I mean she technically WAS with them before, but trust me, she's on our side in all this now; she helped us escape from that psycho's clutches." Noah answered as it was quite clear to him lying wasn't a viable option anymore.

"So it is true then...one of them originally, but then she decided out of nowhere to help you escape, huh? Interesting…" Frasier said in a low sigh, slightly cocking his head as his emotionless eyes shifted from Noah all the way over towards Miku, never blinking once. A strange feeling rose in Noah's stomach as he tried to recall where he'd seen that ominous look before.

"That's right. You aren't mad, are you?" Noah replied hesitantly, now feeling quite uneasy when Frasier seemed to be moving closer to her with every word he said; Miku standing there looking at both of them as she was extremely nervous why Frasier was so keenly staring at her without saying a word.

"No, I'm not mad. Just had to be sure is all." Frasier said in a calm voice as he then reached back behind him. Noah suddenly came to the horrid recollection that he was reaching for the handgun at his hip; doing so in the same exact manner he had when he executed that convict.

 **[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST - Clash]**

"NO!" Noah cried out as he was barely able to dart over in time to push Frasier's right arm aside, a single gunshot ringing out as he had to use all of his might to keep his eldest brother from realigning his aim.

"Noah?! Get off of me! She has to die! She's just a spy for them!" Frasier growled as he began to slowly outmuscle his young brother, steadily aiming again at Miku who stood there completely petrified by the two fighting siblings.

Absolutely refusing to allow Frasier to kill her, Noah suddenly hit him as hard as he possibly could across the jaw. Neither of them expected it, as Frasier dropped the gun to the ground and was sent tumbling to the street with it; rubbing his sore mouth before narrowing his eyes at the fact his little brother just managed to deck him. Noah too realized just how big of a mistake he had made as he could see the fire burning in Frasier's eyes now.

"Stop, please! She's NOT a spy! She wouldn't do that to us, I swear it!" Noah pleaded as tears rolled down his cheeks, knowing he couldn't hold his brother back much longer; unable to even think about grabbing the gun or taking another swing before Frasier could react and swoop up the handgun with no resistance until aiming for Miku again. Noah's little hands then clamped hard around Frasier's thick wrist, pushing up with what remaining energy he had left. A second gunshot went off, ringing in his ears as he felt his vision spin a little from disorientation.

"Shut up! Your emotions and naiveté blinds you from the possibility! Just...get...out...of my way!" Frasier snarled as his temper grew even shorter as he then slowly pried Noah's fingers off of his wrist before taking aim once more.

"No! Don't you dare touch her! You're a soldier, not a killer, Frasier...don't let your fears turn you into a monster! You're better than that!" Noah said as he pushed Frasier's arm straight up, the shot barely curving up in time to miss Miku again as she ducked at the sound in terrified panic.

Without warning, Frasier's free hand suddenly slugged Noah's stomach; causing him to keel over for a second. The pain was so unexpected and he found it hard to get the air back in his lungs. Noah felt spit trickling out past his lips before he had no other choice but to resort to one last move to dissuade Frasier's murderous intent.

As Frasier managed to finally line up yet another shot, he delayed himself from firing when Noah suddenly leapt in with both arms held straight to the sides, his body shielding Miku. Frasier just scowled as his little brother stood there, glaring back with a defiant stare to show he wasn't about to give up so easily.

"Move, Noah…now!" Frasier demanded without any hint of humor in his voice. Both crystal blue eyes glared intensely as Noah shook his head and remained strong by standing his ground.

"I said I wouldn't let you hurt her, Frasier. You still wanna try though? Fine; but you'll have to shoot me first." Noah replied in a huff as he was breathing hard after receiving that rough blow. Nevertheless, he was hell-bent on keeping Miku safe no matter what, even if it meant fighting his own flesh and blood to do it.

"Oh yeah? You really think that's going to stop me?" Frasier said almost out of amusement to this deadly gambit Noah was playing with him now; seeing it almost as a challenge he couldn't back down from. Noah then watched in horror as Frasier pressed the barrel of the handgun against his stomach before moving it around as if searching for something.

"Right there; at this angle, I'll miss your vital organs and the round will have no trouble passing through you and into her. Word of advice: don't ever question how far I'll go to do my job, Noah." Frasier then explained as Noah was genuinely disturbed to hear such words; let alone the fact he was most likely right about the possibility of the bullet being able to penetrate him with minimal damage and kill Miku still. At first Noah was horrified to see how fast it took Frasier to calculate such a shot, let alone show such a display of no remorse to shooting his own family.

"I thought your job was to protect your family at any cost. Is this how you intend to keep me safe? By shooting me because you're so afraid of trusting another survivor? You're pathetic." Noah questioned as he could see the conflict that was now clear as day in Frasier's eyes; hoping that he'd back down when realizing how hypocritical he was acting.

"Shut your fucking gob, Noah. Do you have any idea how obviously this is going to play out? She's one of them, she gains our trust, makes us think she's one of us, then one night she either starts slitting throats or giving this Shido character vital information to bring us down when we least expect it. I won't allow it! I can't allow it!" Frasier growled in barely restrained rage, trying to explain himself as his temper was clearly about to go critical.

"You were able to trust Johann and Hitomi eventually. You seem to be able to trust Takashi's group just fine. Now trust me, your own little brother, and let me show you that Miku Yuuki isn't as bad as you might think. Surely even you believe in redemption, Frasier? You of all people seem in need of it." Noah argued in a stubborn tone as he tried to break through to any sense of faith in his abilities that Frasier might still believe in. If he hadn't fired yet, there must've been something Noah said to delay him.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Move aside and let me do what I must to protect our group." Frasier ordered in a low voice before Noah bowed his head only to slowly shake it once again in disappointment.

"I thought you were above killing innocent people. I guess they were right about you after all. You're just looking out for yourself under the guise of protecting us all. You let paranoia drive your every action, your anger blindly leading you down a path you might one day never be able to return from, and in the end you'll have nothing but your own miserable self to blame for it all." Noah then lectured as he watched Frasier's face boil with anger and frustration; knowing the one thing Frasier absolutely detested was when his motives were brought into question.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!" Frasier suddenly bellowed out as he fired a single shot, the trigger squeezed hard as Noah and Miku's eyes widened from shock as there was then just a flash of light from the muzzle of the handgun.

Both looked down at their torsos, and then at each other to see if they'd been hit. Between his aggressive roar and the gunshot that quickly followed, both flinched and didn't hear the nearby car window shatter from Frasier diverting his aim at the last second before taking a random shot out of impulse and rage. Frasier's arm remained extended as the smoke from the barrel slowly fumed up into the air. His breathing was heavy as Noah and Miku watched how red in the face he was before calming down long enough to holster the weapon at his side.

"Just get inside. We'll talk about this without a bloody audience peering down on us, Noah." Frasier then warned before he stormed off and retreated into the hotel to hear more about this so called Shido that had now placed everyone so on edge.

 **[]**

Everyone else who had just witnessed that volatile confrontation stood there, completely shaken in awe from the sudden conflict between siblings boiling down to one nearly shooting the other. However, it wasn't long before they all regained their nerve and began to follow Frasier back into the hotel without saying so much as a peep; all knowing that there was bound to be more tension when Noah and Marcus would eventually explain what had happened to them, and why someone from Shido's group was openly traveling with them, let alone the fact she was actually being let in and so willfully protected by Noah.

Before heading inside herself, Miku stopped at the doors, spurring Noah to turn and face her to see what was wrong. An atmosphere of doubt practically emanating from her was all he needed to know she didn't feel safe at all staying with them and for good reason too, seeing how off the handle Frasier was just moments ago.

"I don't think this will work. They'll never trust me, Noah-kun. I'll be alright…please, just go on without me." Miku said with great doubt and fear, completely terrified of his older brother after what had just happened.

"I know it won't happen overnight, but everyone, Frasier included, will eventually see you the way I do. Please, just give it a chance. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." Noah explained as Miku still had some of her doubts reserved, but yet she couldn't help but believe in him. She leaned in and gently kissed his lips unexpectedly before he took her hand gently and walked her into the hotel lobby to see the others in his group; knowing that he couldn't let anything happen to his sweetheart now that she was finally free from Shido's toxic influence.

As they entered into the lobby, Hitomi shot Noah a friendly smile to show her personal relief to see him still kicking it before she locked the doors behind them to secure the perimeter. Without giving him a moment to catch his breath, Frasier suddenly pulled Noah over by his wrist before anyone could take notice as they were focused on Marcus being taken care of by Shizuka.

"You keep your mouth shut and you listen good, got it? I've already come to a conclusion about her. She can stay with us for now, but heed my words, Noah: if this Miku bitch so much as looks the wrong direction, shows any hint of betraying us, or gives me virtually any reason to suspect her of anything, I WILL kill her, and there will be NOTHING you can do to stop me. Even if you have the balls to get between us again, I'll just shoot you in both your kneecaps. I intend to bring you and Marcus back home alive, whether on your own two feet or by a stretcher. It's your choice." Frasier forewarned as his voice was low and threatening as always, but the intent he had made it even more intimidating than usual.

"Got it." Noah gently muttered as he slowly nodded to show that he acknowledged Frasier's conditions for letting Miku stay.

"Do you? Because you should also know that if you're wrong here, then whatever happens to us, whoever is hurt or killed because you didn't listen to me; that will all be on YOU. Hope you can live with that kind of guilt and failure, Noah. Dismissed." Frasier questioned in a low growl with strong doubt lingering within his words, looming over Noah before pulling away to wash the dried up blood from his hands and face. Noah meanwhile felt himself breathing hard from the thick tension as the possibility of Frasier being right now gripped at his heart before looking back to Miku, who had no idea what the two just went over; although given his expression, it wouldn't be hard to take a wild guess.

Marcus meanwhile was lying on a couch with Shizuka; the nurse more focused than ever to make sure none of his cuts were in need of stitching up. Her soft, caring hands gently guided up and down near his wounds; not even noticing that Rika had come into the lobby herself and was now slowly walking up behind her.

"Ahem, I don't suppose you'd know where my best friend would be?" Rika said with a sly smirk, speaking so softly, yet Shizuka's head immediately sprung up as she couldn't believe what she just heard.

The ditzy blonde slowly turned around just in time to see what must've looked like a ghost to her. Without warning, the entire hotel was practically filled with a grown woman's excited squeal before she jumped up only to slightly tower over Rika, wrapping her arms tight around the SFGp sniper only to squeeze as hard as possible; tears of pure joy flowing down her cheeks as Rika couldn't help but embrace the overwhelming affection of their reunion.

"Oh my goodness, Rika; it really is you! I was so worried about you when the phone died on me back at the estate! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Shizuka squealed as Rika just stood there and chuckled at how emotionally worked up her friend was getting; although she appreciated it all the same and felt herself smiling more than ever because of it.

"And yet you stayed alive all on your own. I'm so proud of you, Zu-Zu." Rika said in a proud sigh as she held Shizuka closer to her; feeling a million times better now knowing that she was able to protect her dearest friend.

"Pfft, haha! Zu-Zu? Who came up with that ridiculous nickname?" Marcus suddenly chuckled as he couldn't help but cackle at the rather adorable name for the well-endowed nurse who blushed a soft red at his laughter and playful teasing.

"I did. Got a problem with that, kid?" Rika said in an unamused growl as she stared straight down at him; watching him instantly stop laughing and falling silent.

"Er, no...not at all, ma'am!" Marcus stammered nervously as Rika then just grinned at how intimidated he seemed to be by her.

"Rika, be nice to him! He's hurting, you know! The poor dear has been out there with his little brother for nearly two days now!" Shizuka whined as if having to reel in her friend from going off on Marcus for something so harmless.

"Besides, he wouldn't be able to put up a fight against you, you big meanie!" Shizuka then teased as Marcus grumbled to himself; thinking that Rika didn't seem so tough at first glance, as if actually confident that he could take her one on one if he wasn't so tired and beaten already.

"You're no fun, Zu-Zu, but fine. I'll let him go with a warning this time." Rika responded with a sigh before passive aggressively tussling Marcus' hair as if intentionally trying to mess it up just to peeve him.

"So Rika, just how was it that you were able to find me?" Shizuka then pondered aloud as she was quite curious to see how Rika, even given her military talents, could track her down in the middle of an infested city.

"Yeah, what miracle allowed you to find our group?" Marcus sarcastically added as it was quite clear he didn't really approve of Shizuka's overly defensive friend who just glared at him before she looked around the lobby.

"Your leader over there, the tall one with blue eyes. Put up a bit of a fight before telling me though." Rika answered before pointing over to Frasier who was now sitting alone in the corner while cleaning his combat knife.

"Is that so? Ohhhhh Ffffrrrraassiieerr!" Shizuka pondered softly before letting out a gentle coo that instantly caught his attention more out of surprise than curiosity; putting his knife away before realizing she was towering over him with a rather mischievous look on her face.

"What is it?" Frasier asked as he tried to remain completely calm; uncertain what could possess those big yellow eyes to be staring at him with such intrigue.

"I hear you brought my best friend here. You have no idea how happy you've just made me. I think you deserve to be rewarded for your efforts." Shizuka said as she leaned over him, her massive chest pressing against his arm as he simply shook his head in response.

"No need to thank me. Your friend appears to be quite skilled in combat, so her being here is actually a valuable asset to me." Frasier said dismissively as he tried to casually ignore the fact her insane chest felt extremely soft pressing again his elbow.

"Oh, but I must insist that I reward you for being such a good boy. Maybe later when you bathe I can join you!" Shizuka suddenly whispered into his ears in a seductive sigh, her warm breath going down the side of his neck before one of her hands trailed up his thigh. Both of Frasier's eyes widened out of surprise as he practically jumped out of his seat out of embarrassment. If no one was watching the scene at first, then they were certainly watching now when they could see Frasier practically backing away with a nervous look to him they'd never seen before.

"Oh, that's not necessary! That's DEFINITELY not be necessary!" Frasier stammered out flustered as he backed up into Hitomi's path, who smirked to herself knowing that Shizuka must've said something lustful to have him acting like such a complete spaz. Knowing his reactions were too much to pass up on, she put her foot out and watched him stumble and trip onto his rear.

Without any time to react, Shizuka practically pounced on top of him. Her long legs wrapped around his body as she leaned over and started planting her lips all over his cheeks and neck. Knowing that he couldn't fight back or retaliate against her the way he naturally would, Frasier had no choice but to accept his humiliating fate; listening to everyone else giggling or laughing at how powerless he was to stop Shizuka from showing some appreciation for his deed. Even Marcus, who naturally should've been jealous beyond reason, was laughing at the sight; knowing it was completely worth it to see Frasier truly helpless and humiliated before the people he'd so desperately tried to keep in line.

"Okay, listen, as much fun as this is; we would all really like to hear where you two have been. We've all been worried sick about you." Rei brought up to Marcus and Noah directly; effectively silencing everyone else in the lobby as it was quite clear their curiosity for the two Lawson's misadventure was something they just had to hear now; especially if it would explain their least welcome new arrival Miku.

"Oh...right. Well, can you give us a minute? It's been pretty rough for us while we were gone." Marcus said as he looked over at Noah, knowing that he'd be somewhat hesitant to already be talking about their situation openly.

It was only minutes later that he and Marcus were sitting in the center of the room, sitting in their favorite chairs as they began to recollect and detail everything that had happened to them. Everyone was keenly listening in and completely silent while trying to imagine all the terrible things that they must've went through when looking over their injuries.

"These people; their leader's name was Shido; sharp dressed man, real smooth talker, real cult of personality type. He was real friendly at first, but that tune changed rather quickly when we tried to leave. He's amassed a group of roughly forty survivors, and they've all taken refuge in Fujimi Academy. Aside from having a decent setup of supplies and defenses, he's managed to procure the arsenal of firearms and munitions we didn't take from Buck and Joe's cabin site. In short, there's a mad man out there with a personal militia ready to do whatever he asks of them, and he may or may not know where we are." Marcus proceeded to explain as he could see the more he went on, the more this was gripping at the whole group's hearts and fears, Takashi's group especially feeling the worst of it; knowing their former foe was still a lingering threat that had only become twice as dangerous over time.

"Umm, it's not just that. There's something else that's very important...Rei, we found someone being held there. I don't know how to sugar coat this, so I'm just going to say it. Your father was there: Tadashi Miyamoto, and he's being held captive as we speak. There's no telling though how long he'll last,knowing Shido's short temper." Noah began to nervously explain as he was uncertain how to tactfully explain Tadashi's fate to his family; well aware of the emotional fallout it would cause amongst them.

"Is there any way you can prove this? He would've given you a sign or something. Please, we want to trust you, but we need to know to be sure." Kiriko suddenly asked as she seemed to be completely on edge after hearing such a serious claim. Rei meanwhile sat there completely stunned to hear any word of her father, let alone the dire situation he was now in. Noah reluctantly nodded in response, reaching into his pocket before handing her his badge.

"My God...t-that's his badge alright. Oh, Tadashi..." Kiriko softly muttered as she held it to her heart. Several tears trailed down her cheeks as Rei on the other hand seemed to be filled with both anger and determination; her hands clenching into fists to the point her knuckles were turning white. Noticing the sudden air of intensity this reveal had provoked within her, Johann silently tried to reach out to her to help her come back to reality, but like a shot she was out of her chair and bolting for the door to the stairwell. She began to walk down the stairs, Takashi and Saeko quickly following after her.

"Rei, where are you going?" Takashi asked as he lightly grasped her wrist only for her to abruptly pull away with a fierce look in her red eyes.

"Where do you think? I'm going there and I'm going to get my father back!" Rei exclaimed, making it quite clear she wasn't going to let anything in this city stand in the way of reuniting with her father now after all this time.

"You can't go alone, not against so many! We have to coordinate a plan or something before we just rush into the fray head on. Getting ourselves killed…or worse isn't going to change Tadashi-san's situation." Takashi warned as Rei seemed to be completely infuriated that she was once again being told to stay put now of all times.

"I can't just stay here! We all went out to look for Noah-san and Marcus-san! Why can't we go find my dad when we know EXACTLY where he is?! This is such bullshit...!" Rei fumed as she felt completely betrayed at how nobody else was speaking up on her behalf, not even her own mother who she thought would support this idea. She just stood there with a somber, even emotionally desperate expression on her face.

"That's exactly why we can't go now! We only have a vague idea of what's waiting for us over there, and it isn't looking good for us; let alone the fact we're all tired from searching today. Rei, please, just think what would happen if that freak managed to catch us and have us at his mercy? What then?" Takashi argued as he attempted to have Rei seriously reconsider her plan of attack; that if she were to fail, it would be catastrophic for all of them.

"I-I...Takashi...please...help me...I've come so far now, I can't just wait..." Rei pleaded in a weak mumble, hardly able to keep her sobs silent as she needed some reassurance that all would be alright in the end for her family.

"It's gonna be okay...we just need someone to...to…" Takashi began to say in a soft whisper before he suddenly went completely silent; his eyes closing shut before he collapsed on the staircase before Rei.

"Oh crap, did he just blackout again?" Johann asked out of concern as he peeked into the stairwell and saw Takashi's unconscious body; instantly recalling how Rei told him that he had a similar incident about a few nights ago.

 _'Komuro-kun...what's going on with you?'_ Saeko thought to herself as she knelt beside him, trying to hold him upright; her heart filled with concern as her mind didn't know how to handle this baffling situation while Shizuka came rushing down to investigate.

"He's breathing, but he's unconscious nonetheless. Best we get him into a bed." Shizuka analyzed before deciding how they should handle his unknown condition; knowing she'd have to examine him to have the faintest idea of what was going on with him.

The rest of the group silently stood there out of uncertainty for Takashi's fate, only for Frasier to suddenly let out genuine laughter. What made it strange was it wasn't his usual chuckle on the rare occurrence that he'd find something to be funny, but rather uncontrollable laughter that could only send terrified chills down their spines; his face expressing what could only be interpreted as twisted joy for the whole situation.

"What the hell could you possibly be laughing at?" Saya demanded to know as she spoke in a firm tone; glaring at him with unease in her words as he continued to laugh before shifting his attention towards her to answer in a more composed manner.

"Oh, nothing, just that this Shido person and his little cult are all going to feel quite foolish when they figure it out." Frasier softly replied as he tried to restrain that ominous laughter long enough to answer the nervous teen who could only narrow her eyes as she tried to think what he could've possibly meant by that.

"F-Figure what out?" Noah asked out of concern for Frasier; the rest of them looking back and forth amongst each other, uncertain what was going to happen now between the two rival groups, watching as Frasier then spoke in a low growl, his accent thicker than ever, his crystal blue eyes never blinking once when he finally answered after what felt like an eternal pause of anticipation.

"They're fucking with the wrong people."


	13. Chapter 13: No One Left Behind

**Z-Day+16**

 _Fujimi Academy_

Earlier that day before the Lawson trio had been reunited; Tadashi was in the middle of enduring Shido's wrath. His wrists were tied together directly over his head; forcing him to remain standing up, his bindings connected to an overhead rafter.

"For the last time...those kids never told me where they were going! For all I know, they're being extracted by the Self-Defense Force as we speak!" Tadashi announced in a defiant huff, only to be backhanded by Shido, who seemed to take more pain from that swat of the hand than the badly beaten up detective himself did.

"If there's one thing I can spot, it's a liar! Don't try and play me for a fool, old man...hmm, I fear I'm not making this clear enough for you." Shido exclaimed in a loud bark as he held his other hand to feel it throb from the surprisingly hard impact. His voice then lowered as his snake-like eyes swiftly looked back up to meet Tadashi's worrisome gaze.

"Listen, I'm trying to be merciful here and allow them to integrate into our little family. One way or another: those kids, your daughter included, will be ours. Its youth that will inherit this dying Earth; I must make them strong and understand the ultimate truth of nature now: that only the strongest may live and dictate what goes. Everyone bellow that is just an afterthought." Shido began to explain only to go on to start a small speech about his ultimate intentions for his group/cult.

"Only the strongest may live and dictate, huh? So why exactly are YOU in charge then?" Tadashi questioned, forming a sly smirk as he could see the hatred and disgust boiling in Shido's eyes before the man clenched both fists as if ready to explode at such an insult.

However, Shido soon released his clenched fists and ran his two bony hands through his silky black hair; forming a devilish grin before his gaze fixed upon Tadashi; making the detective rather nervous of what the teacher could possibly be smiling about despite still not having the information he wanted.

"You must think you've won for keeping your silence, yes? Well, I can guarantee you that I'm the one you want to be talking to, because my most recent addition to this group can be most unpleasant indeed. Wouldn't you agree, Tatsuya-san?" Shido suddenly announced in triumph as he began to pace around Tadashi only to point out a figure standing in the corner of the room wearing what looked like a white suit with a red dress shirt underneath.

"Did you just say 'Tatsuya'?" the detective gasped in recognition; his eyes widening as the man stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves to reveal both arms were covered in a sleeve of traditional Japanese tattoos. His head was completely shaved; his eyes were a dark orange that practically pierced into Tadashi's soul. Without a doubt, this man couldn't have been anything other than a hardened Yakuza enforcer.

"Koichi-san, you never told me I had a fan here. I almost feel bad for doing this now…ALMOST anyhow." the man known as Tatsuya chuckled in mock surprise before slowly reaching into his right pocket only to then slide onto his fingers what appeared to be brass knuckles.

"Oh, you know each other? How serendipitous! I bet you two have a lot to catch up on!" Shido said with surprise before finding absolute delight in how his new associate clearly wasn't going to be pulling any punches if his demeanor was any indication.

"Oh yeah; this dog has put away some good friends of mine in the past. This is some much needed payback!" Tatsuya exclaimed as he spoke with such energy and excitement whilst Shido appeared to be quite thrilled himself to see the mobster in action without having to get his own hands dirty.

"Hold it! Before you can have your fun, we need to know where his friends are. This is your last chance, detective." Shido said with spite dripping from his every word, clearly wanting nothing more than to see Tadashi's spirit broken. Yet the former teacher was still able to compose himself long enough to know that ultimately he'd want to find where the Lawson's group was located.

"Go to hell, you sick son of a bitch!" Tadashi grumbled, managing to muster enough force to spit in Shido's face despite him being well over several meters away. The twisted leader stood there completely in shock at such an insult, slowly wiping it from his cheek before flicking it aside.

"Do it." Shido snarled as that growl of barely restrained rage began to surface again in his tone; both his yellow eyes nearly bulging as he began to grit his teeth together.

"I thought you wanted the information first?" Tatsuya began to question only for Shido's foot to suddenly slam down like an impatient child.

"I SAID FUCKING DO IT!" Shido then snapped as his voice carried over throughout the adjacent rooms, his face completely red as his eyes looked ready to burst out of their sockets. Such a personal insult had pushed the man into a frenzy that made it crystal clear to Tadashi that he'd struck a nerve.

Without hesitation, Tatsuya suddenly slammed his fist into the middle-aged detective's ribs. A horrid bone cracking sound echoed out as it sounded like one of his ribs had been snapped by the tremendous force. Tadashi's eyes widened as he couldn't help but let out a painful yelp, completely incapable of defending himself in the slightest.

Tatsuya then began to unleash a savage series of hits, both fists pounding into Tadashi's rib cage like he was a personal punching bag. A sadistic grin formed across Shido's lips as he enjoyed watching every ounce of pain being inflicted unto the man who dared defy his will; licking his lips as blood and spit was suddenly coughed up by Tadashi as his head hung in painful exhaustion. Tatsuya then grasped Tadashi's neck and forced him to look him straight in the eyes.

"Feel like talking yet? It all ends the moment you give us a location." Tatsuya said as he watched Tadashi try to form a sentence, breathing heavily after receiving that flurry of brass knuckle punches.

"That's the best you've got? I expected more from someone who's chosen to be scum for a living." Tadashi said before Tatsuya grinned at the still defiant spirit.

"Oh, believe me. I'd be disappointed in myself too if that was all I had in mind." Tatsuya replied calmly only to then walk behind the restrained man, grasping one of his fingers only to suddenly take a pair of pliers and clamp it around the tip of the fingernail.

While the motion was rapid and there was virtually no sound behind it, Tadashi suddenly let out an agonizing shout of pain when the Yakuza soldier had snapped off one of his fingernails. Blood dripped from the tip and the fractured nail as all the nerves in his finger felt like they were on fire. Without hesitation or mercy, Tatsuya did it to the next one. This time he didn't even break the whole nail off, leaving one splintered and twisted; causing the detective to writhe around in his restraints.

"That's...that's quite something; even more so that you choose to continue this futile resistance of yours. No matter though! Tatsuya-san, Teru-san should've been back by now. Take some people with you and see if he's still alive. With any luck, those brats he's chasing have led him to where they're currently residing. Afterwards, we'll come up with a plan to subdue them." Shido said in an almost shocked response as he stared at Tadashi's splintered fingernail, feeling somewhat unnerved by the vicious torture before quickly reverting back to his usual calm self; noticing the horror in the detective's eyes when he mentioned their group, uncertain and horrified what he could've possibly had in mind for them were he to get his wretched hands on them.

"That's right, detective; when we find those boys' group, all of them will be my little playthings, especially that disrespectful bitch daughter of yours. I'm sure you know what we do in our free time. I'll be sure to give you a front row seat when the time comes for HER turn, but for now I'll leave that to your imagination." Shido began to cackle as he was most pleased to see he'd finally broken through Tadashi's otherwise unbreakable nerves of steel; taking great delight in his victory without a hint of shame in using a man's daughter against him.

"And what about that other girl: Miku Yuuki? She helped them escape, didn't she? Want me to remind her of the price of betrayal should I find them first?" Tatsuya piped in as he crossed both arms, wondering just how much free range Shido would be willing to give him.

"No! She's not one of them, not really. That girl is quite subservient and will inevitably come crawling back to me in due time. The others though, those two pesky Lawson brothers...kill the older one, but keep the younger one, Noah-kun, alive. I want to SEE that steadfast will and confidence of his break by MY hand. His intelligence will come in quite handy for what I've got in store for this place." Shido announced as he still had faith in Miku's loyalties whilst housing his own intentions for what he'd do with Noah.

Tatsuya reluctantly nodded in acceptance before taking one last jab at Tadashi, this time striking his stomach; watching him cough up blood before storming off to carry out his orders. The lights in the room suddenly turned off after Shido left shortly afterward, leaving Tadashi in absolute darkness as he bowed his head in defeat; trying his best to fight the soul-crushing thought of Rei being captured by these vile psychopaths.

"Please...hurry up, Noah-san..." Tadashi grumbled before the pain finally rendered him unconscious. His fate was now left in the hands of those two brave boys' group and whatever god was willing to listen.

 _Back at the hotel_

"You're abso-bloody-lutely right they're fucking with the wrong people! So how are we going to get Tadashi-san out of there? Infiltration or do we just start kicking ass left and right?" Marcus announced as he couldn't possibly agree more with Frasier than this moment right now; eager to see what his older brother had in mind for rescuing Rei's father from that wicked place.

"'We'? As in the Lawson's? No, you misunderstand, Marcus. Should they choose to attack us any further, then they'll be taking an early trip to the grave. For now though, we are to avoid this Shido character like the plague and await his response to four less men coming home. Tadashi-san is a good man, but he is NOT our problem." Frasier clarified as that feeling of hope that began to fill the others was quickly dashed the more he explained how they were NOT going to do anything to help the man who'd allowed him and his brothers to reunite in the first place.

"What?! B-but he needs our help! THEY need our help! Surely you'd be willing to lend some kind of aid now when they need us more than ever?" Noah stammered as he was baffled at how cold and uncaring his eldest brother was acting right now. Towards complete strangers, he hated to admit it, but he could partially understand. But THIS was a man Frasier knew, an ally, a comrade, and he was STILL refusing to help?!

"I almost lost you both to that monster. I can't risk either of you going back there, and I must stay here to ensure your safety until extraction eventually arrives." Frasier answered as he just shook his head, not even noticing how heartbroken Rei looked as she didn't even seem to have the energy to chastise him for his selfish behavior.

"Can't you do it for me? Please, Frasier?" Noah then pleaded softly, as if trying to sound more innocent and helpless to persuade Frasier into helping. However, he was only met with a scowl that made him fold instantly.

"YOU of ALL people should NOT be asking me for a favor, Noah! It's bad enough you had me let HER in here! This isn't up for debate anyhow...the Lawson's are not to be involved in any of this and that's FINAL. Now go get some rest. You two have had a long day." Frasier said, effectively chastising Noah into silence as he recoiled back slightly; looking over to Miku who was now standing behind him as if half expecting Frasier to draw his gun on her again, watching the callous leader storming off until all that could be heard was Rei's shaking breaths as she was trying so hard to fight back the overwhelming tears.

"That miserable bastard...of course he'd walk away when I actually need his help." Rei said in barely a whisper as she couldn't even muster up the energy to display her full anger against Frasier's choice; clenching her fingers tight as her nails dug into her own two palms. It wasn't fair. They had everything they could've possibly needed for this to work, and they finally KNEW where her father actually was. He was practically right there in front of them to reach out and take, and now Frasier had literally put the most impenetrable roadblock right in front of that hope, and for WHAT?

"We'll just have to do it ourselves then. We don't need him." Kiriko said as she tried to show some support and maintain what little morale her daughter had left.

"It won't be nearly as easy though, especially considering that Shido has both numbers and hardware against us; but if we catch them off guard, maybe we can even the odds. Any suggestions?"Kohta pondered as he looked around only to be met with uncertain, increasingly nervous looks.

"I think we should all get some rest and pool together our thoughts in the morning. There's no use going out there half-cocked only to wind up dead." Saeko calmly advised as the survivors around her couldn't help but agree. Even Rei, despite how much it hurt to admit it for several reasons, nodded her head before she made her way upstairs.

"So, how's Komuro doing, Shizuka-sensei?" Saya suddenly asked as she turned to see the blonde nurse carefully examining him, her hands checking over his pulse before putting a stethoscope to his chest.

"I don't know how to put this, but I think our Komuro-kun can't take much more of this." Shizuka expressed in a soft sigh as she looked at Takashi's unconscious figure with great concern; her hand gently brushing his hair aside to reveal the seemingly tranquil look he had on his face.

"W-what are you trying to tell us? Is he sick or something?" Saeko pressed further as she rushed over to make sure this wasn't as bad as she feared it was.

"No...Well, kind of...the way his eye has been twitching involuntarily the last couple days, the blackouts, the increase in his heart rate...I can't help but feel he's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder." Shizuka revealed as she bowed her head, unable to see how horrified and despaired the others now looked after hearing such unwanted news.

"Makes sense; there's nothing that could've prepared these kids for all the things they've no doubt had to witness and endure over the last seventeen days. Honestly, I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner." Rika suddenly piped in; shaking her head before lighting up a cigarette and blowing it straight up into the air after several seconds of taking a long, uninterrupted inhale.

"It almost did for Hirano-kun, but I think he was lucky and pulled through thanks to a certain someone." Shizuka replied as she briefly looked over at Saya who raised an eyebrow to those last few words, as if completely unaware she was the one being referred to.

"So what can we do for him?" Saeko asked as she felt completely powerless to do anything to help him. A sinking feeling took hold of her heart as she felt more helpless than ever before now.

"If there even IS anything we can do for him." Saya commented,only to earn an annoyed glare from the swordswoman before she looked over to Shizuka to see what, if anything, she had to say about it all.

"For now, the best we can do is to keep him away from all of this. Komuro-kun simply can't take any more responsibility or stress. We've relied on him so much; it's proved to be more of a burden than he cared to show." Shizuka suggested as her words seemed to be said with a tired sigh, as if the weight of everything the group was now facing was starting to finally wear on her shoulders.

"So if he just relaxes and no longer makes the calls around here; that should help him recover from all of this?" Saeko softly asked as she gently ran the back of her hand against Takashi's cheek; uncertain how she didn't realize sooner that he had been under so much pressure and stress to put him in such a state.

"It's a step in the right direction at least." Shizuka acknowledged before letting out a gentle yawn, barely able to cover her mouth in time before the others began to feel the weight of the last twelve hours of searching finally taking its toll on them.

"That's all I needed to know for now. Thank you, Marikawa-sensei." Saeko said in a grateful sigh before sitting beside Takashi as if planning to stay by his side the entire day while he rested on the couch.

"C'mon, munchkin, it's way past your naptime!" Saya suddenly announced the moment she noticed Alice was still downstairs with the few remaining others that didn't immediately retire to their rooms.

"But I'm not tired yet. Do I really have to?" Alice whined as she was hoping to stay up. However, her bold resistance was swiftly crushed when Saya just shot her that signature glare of annoyance. The young genius then smirked to herself when Alice did exactly as she was told and marched up the stairs; prompting the bespectacled girl to quickly follow behind the little girl to make sure she didn't find any further distractions along the way.

"Will you be alright down here? Should I ask the boys to help move him up to your room?" Shizuka asked as she looked over at Saeko, who seemed to be preparing to settle down in the lobby for the night as she watched over Takashi like she was his personal bodyguard now.

"I'll be fine. Your concerns are appreciated though." Saeko thanked as she bowed to Shizuka out of respect before watching the nurse form a rather touched smile at the old-fashioned gesture; walking up the stairs and leaving the young samurai to herself and her unconscious boyfriend.

Saeko knelt down beside Takashi, gently stroking his hair as she could only imagine how hard all of this had been on him to break him this thoroughly. She knew that no matter what, she had to protect him from the world now. A strong sense of duty was overflowing within every fiber of her being as she then rested against his warm body; her ear to his chest as her eyes began to close; drifting off into slumber after being lulled by his heart beat, the rhythm all too calming for her.

Suddenly, Saeko lifted her head up when she could've sworn she heard someone moving around near the front entrance. She felt dazed as her eyes desperately tried to close themselves; indicating she was asleep for a short period of time but still needed more rest before doing anything else.

Her curiosity however overpowered the desire to continue her rest long enough to focus and see Frasier himself messing with the door. Knowing he was up to something, she carefully got up and began to tip toe her way to him; making extra sure that he couldn't hear her approaching from behind.

"Going somewhere?" Saeko suddenly whispered, slightly grinning to herself as she watched Frasier flinch so hard his shoulders practically pumped up into the air as his keys to the twin doors dropped to the floor with a slight rattle.

"Ah...Saeko-san? W-what are you doing down here?!" the startled Brit demanded in a low hush as he tried to compose himself.

"I asked you first." Saeko briefly replied, folding her arms around her sides with an eyebrow raised at his sneaky behavior. Her face showed no humor behind it as she was determined to find out what he was getting up to at this time of day. She knew he was hiding something from her considering how nervous he appeared to be.

"Me? Erm, well...I was just going to get some fresh air!" Frasier awkwardly answered as he avoided looking straight into those deep blue eyes of hers that always made his knees wobble at times like this. Her intense glares were bad enough, but her soothing voice speaking to him like this was an inquisition made it all the harder for him to resist answering honestly.

"If that's true then why didn't you just go up to the roof?" Saeko then asked as it was quite clear to Frasier that she knew he was lying.

"Fine! If it means so much to you, I was going to do some recon; see just how well fortified this Shido's base really is." Frasier confessed as he no longer saw the point in hiding his true intentions from her.

"And you were going to go out there alone? Why must you insist on doing everything alone?" Saeko scorned as it was quite clear his arrogance and headstrong attitude was really starting to wear her patience thin after all this time.

"Because I operate better on my own for tasks such as these; I'm less likely to be detected that way, and it makes it even less likely for things to go wrong." Frasier retorted as it was abundantly clear he was set on doing things his way.

"And if something DOES go wrong? What will you do then?" the violet-haired teenager said as she continued to prod him with questions as if trying to help him see an error in his thinking. Her voice however was starting to fill with frustration as he just shook his head in denial.

"It won't. But say it does: either I make a tactical retreat and come back here, or I dig in and prepare for whatever comes my way." Frasier answered as he was quite confident in his abilities and training to carry him through any situation he'd encounter out there. Saeko closed her eyes as she formed an irked expression and let out an especially heavy sigh.

"I really wish you'd stop trying to do everything on your own, Frasier-kun. You keep acting like you have to prove something when you really don't. Please, just reconsider this before you do something we'll all regret later. Let us in so we can understand you better." Saeko sighed, her voice brimming with both disappointment and genuine care for Frasier that made him turn away shyly. He just faced the door as his confidence was reduced to a low mutter.

"I will always have something to prove, not just to my father, but to myself as well. Just...let me go so I can determine how serious Shido really is. I'll be back in a few hours." Frasier sighed as he spoke in a lower tone, looking down at his shoes as it was impossible to look his crush in the eyes whenever she'd try to learn more about him or prod at him like this.

"I don't understand, you said you didn't want to be involved in any of this. Why are you going if you don't wanna help us?" Saeko questioned as it was hard for her to understand the logic behind him leaving.

"I'm not going there for Tadashi-san's sake. I'm just going to observe and take note of anything that might be worth knowing." Frasier corrected, showing no concern for the captive detective or the rest of Takashi's group.

"We need you HERE though. If anything happens to you, we'd be entirely without leadership." Saeko explained as this caused Frasier to perk up, somewhat confused now at what she was saying.

"Huh? What about Takashi-san?" Frasier asked, motioning over to his figure resting calmly on the couch nearby.

"You weren't here...but after you went upstairs, Shizuka-sensei examined him a bit more thoroughly. She came to the conclusion that he's suffering from PTSD, that if he tried to keep making hefty decisions around here, that it would break him even further. I hate to put this on you...but I think you'll have to take charge…of all of us." Saeko explained as she filled him in on the missing details, watching as he was visibly shocked to hear her even suggest such a thing.

"Me? I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. Your group doesn't like me enough to accept that notion, let alone trust me." Frasier denied as he shook his head at the idea of him being the leader of both groups.

"Then help them learn to trust you! Help us get Rei-san's father out of there! I know you are more than capable, and I believe in you! Frasier-kun, I know you've been through a lot, even before the outbreak, but this is your chance to show everyone what you're capable of; to show that you do care about them despite your efforts to conceal it." Saeko expressed in a low hush as she suddenly placed both of her hands on his shoulders, practically forcing eye contact as he just looked at her with uncertainty. Conflict swirled around in his brain as he eventually bowed his head only for her to lift his chin up.

"I'll think about it." Frasier whispered before he walked over to Takashi's body; observing him for a moment, still astonished that a civilian managed to last this long before the pressure became too much for him to endure. He then hoisted Takashi up and began to carry him up the stairs, Saeko following close behind as she could only hope now that her best friend would truly consider the possibility of leadership for her group.

 _'You can do this, Frasier-kun. I just know it.'_ Saeko thought to herself as she watched him going up the stairs; an overpowering feeling of trust and faith resonating within her as she knew he was the right man for the job, even if he needed a push in the right direction to realize that himself.

 _Meanwhile…_

As Frasier helped Saeko carry Takashi up into their room, Noah showed Miku his room. Both young lovers watched as Marcus packed up the last of his stuff, knowing they'd want a room to themselves without him to walk in on them a second time. He stopped in the doorway with a suitcase in hand, turning to say one last thing before taking an unoccupied room for himself.

"Try not to break the bed now, you two!" Marcus announced with one last sly remark before a flustered Noah slammed the door behind him; Miku trying to keep herself from giggling aloud as Noah was clearly blushing now. She then sat on the edge of the nearest bed, her knees slowly curled up to her chest.

"Cheeky bugger..." Noah grumbled before he then looked at Miku whose demeanor suddenly made a full 180 when her smile shifted into an expression of what could only be described as sadness.

"Are you alright, Miku-chan? He was just joking..." Noah said in an attempt to console Miku as her eyes just stared at the ground. He calmly walked over before gently planting himself beside her on the edge of the bed.

"It's not Marcus-san that has me down...it's...you know..." Miku explained in a soft sigh as she crossed both of her arms; Noah then realizing just who she might be talking about.

"Frasier?" Noah gently asked as he watched her head give a slight nod to confirm his suspicion.

"Yes...he terrifies me. I know he loves you both dearly, that much is clear as day, but the way he looked at me and reacted when he found out who I once was with...how do you know he'll stay true to his word and not just kill me when you're not there to talk him down?" Miku began to confess out of genuine fear; her voice progressively trembling the more she spoke, looking at Noah with tears threatening to form in the corner of her eyes.

"If there's one thing I can count on, it's that Frasier will always stay true to his word. He'd have to have really lost the plot if he'd go as far as breaking a promise." Noah answered with undeniable confidence in what he'd come to expect from Frasier for the longest time now.

"And if he has, as you say: 'lost the plot'?" Miku asked as she sniffled a little, her voice somewhat more relieved as if he'd managed to instill some hope within her, but still unable to completely shake free from her nagging doubts.

"Well...the others might not approve of you just yet, but they certainly won't tolerate open and unprovoked executions. We've got your back, Miku-chan. Just let them see what I can see in you and everything will be just fine in no time." Noah said in such a compelling way that the troubled girl couldn't help but smile at such confidence in both herself and his friends.

"And what is it that you see in me, again?" Miku asked coyly as her left leg gently brushed up against Noah's right one.

"You know exactly what I see in you, Angel." the youngest of the Lawson trio sighed back as he could see that she had that look of longing in her beautiful orange eyes again. One hand gently caressed his cheek as the other began to tug on the collar of his slightly torn shirt.

"Maybe I like hearing those sweet little words from your sweet-tasting lips." Miku playfully teased as her hips suddenly swerved around until she found herself sitting in his lap with both legs wrapping around his waist.

"Maybe I forgot?" Noah replied with a cheeky grin on his face, earning a soft giggle from Miku before she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips; gently tugging on his lower lip before pushing his upper body back while she continued to straddle his lap.

"So...I don't suppose you would know how loud these mattresses creak?" Miku then asked, watching Noah blush hard before forming a desiring expression that practically dared her to test that very theory out; her soft lips pursing into a hungry smile before the zipper to his dirty jeans came straight down.

 _Meanwhile…_

Marcus on the other hand found himself lugging his newfound suitcase stuffed with all his personal belongings across the hallway until he reached the door to a vacant room. Just as he turned the doorknob, it was then that he caught a figure standing in his peripheral vision.

"Hey..." Hitomi's voice suddenly sighed as she was leaning against the wall, staring at him with an almost vacant gaze. In her hand was a small bottle of what looked like beer.

"Hitomi-chan...Are you alright?" Marcus questioned concernedly before she stumbled forward, making it quite clear she'd had a drink or two herself before approaching him. His hands gently clutched around her arms as she tried to balance herself upright.

"Me...? I-I'm fine! It's... it's you who isn't fine, mister." Hitomi suddenly announced with little to no control at how loud her voice was projecting, causing Marcus to mentally recoil from the little outburst.

"Hitomi-chan...You've been drinking, haven't you?" Marcus asked as he was uncertain what had spurred such a response from her; somewhat caught off guard by how shaken she was right now. Something clearly had been on her mind that the alcohol helped drag out.

"Mmmaaayyybbbeee, hehehe!" Hitomi responded in a childlike hum before giggling like she was a school girl again. Marcus' face turned a soft pink as she then hugged him tight and buried her face into his chest.

"Marcus-kun...can we go sit down? My head is spinning." Hitomi suddenly requested as he gave a short nod before helping her walk over to a nearby bed and helping her sit down at the edge of it before he went back to drag his suitcase in; closing the door behind him as she watched him the entire time.

"Something's clearly been bugging you if you've resorted to drinking like this. What's going on with you?" Marcus suddenly asked as he looked over his shoulder at Hitomi, who just looked away as if she'd been shunned for her sudden behavior. She then clenched her hands and formed an irritated frown.

"You wanna...know why I'm so off? Because of you! I've been worried sick! I...I thought I lost you...!" Hitomi suddenly exclaimed in a rough outburst as she shot Marcus a stern glare. He just stood there in shock as she then stood up, staggering towards him with the full intent to continue her drunken rant.

"I was half c-convinced...I'd never see you again! That I-" Hitomi began to go on in a hysterical stammer only to be stopped mid-sentence when Marcus suddenly put a single hand on her warm cheek.

Her beautiful eyes stared at him with tears trickling down her face before both her hands reached forward and grasped his cheeks; pulling the middle Lawson in for a most unexpected kiss as she clenched her eyes tight. She was well aware that despite her decision to remain friends, her innermost feelings couldn't stop her from doing this. Her heart fluttered as she had missed those soft lips of his, warmth beginning to fester in her body as she then looked up at Marcus to see how he'd respond to that.

"H-Hitomi-chan, come here." Marcus gently whispered as he held both arms open, watching as she was able to form a half smile before instantly wrapping herself around his torso. He then formed a sly grin and hoisted her up earning a playful squeal from Hitomi.

"H-Hey! I'm afraid of heights! Put me down, you ass!" Hitomi whined as both her legs started kicking out as she shook her head like a stubborn child.

"What? I can't hear you from all the way up there!" Marcus teased as he then begun to spin around while keeping Hitomi up in the air, more than pleased to see her happy again. He just couldn't stand to see her so down, especially not over him of all things.

"No...Seriously...I'm gonna..." Hitomi began to groan as she formed a nauseous expression; covering her mouth as Marcus didn't seem to catch what she was hinting at.

 _(Five minutes later)_

"I'm still really sorry..." Hitomi said regretfully as Marcus ran a towel across his face; all while she was looking at him with a mixed look of concern and shame.

"For the seventh time it's alright, Hitomi-chan! I should've expected you to throw up considering how much you've been drinking. Me spinning you about sure as bloody hell didn't help..." Marcus said in a calming hush as he wanted to reassure her that none of this was her fault.

He then wiped off the last of it before tossing the small wash cloth across the room; watching it land near the bathroom door before the back of Hitomi's head found itself resting in his lap. Marcus then looked down to see she was staring straight at him again.

"I couldn't die back there; not while knowing I'd be leaving so much behind if I did: my brothers, you, and everyone in our group. There were plenty of times I wanted to just give up, but I refused to take the easy way out." Marcus began to explain with a grim determination as Hitomi gently nodded as she knew he wasn't done just yet.

"Despite how scared I was I couldn't let fear get the best of me. We barely made it out, and it resulted in someone being left behind. I know you and Frasier won't want to hear this, but I have to go back and save Tadashi-san. Noah and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him." Marcus finally stated as Hitomi sat up and placed one of her hands over his own.

"I know it isn't easy leaving someone behind, Marcus-kun. Trust me, I was there when everything started going to hell...but I think Frasier-san's right on this one." Hitomi admitted as Marcus gave her a rather surprised look as if she had just spoken in tongues.

"Since when did you two start agreeing on things? Has Hell really frozen over already?" Marcus questioned with a slight grin as Hitomi lightly blushed knowing he was making a joke at her expense. She formed a slight frown only to then playfully punch at his shoulder; earning a soft chuckle from the young Brit.

"Hahaha. I mean, don't get me wrong, we should save him as soon as possible from those bastards, but we can't go in all half-cocked. Going headfirst into a brick wall won't get us anywhere; and I'm not letting you or Noah-kun anywhere near that place again." Hitomi corrected as she made it quite clear she wanted to help Tadashi instead of remaining entirely neutral to the situation as Frasier was. Her voice sounded quite protective near the end though as she then sat up only to cling onto Marcus' hips again; her words a little more coherent this time around.

"Hitomi-chan, you don't need to worry about us. Luckily everything worked out in the end." Marcus said in an attempt to dismiss the focus being set on him and Noah.

"But what if it wasn't alright? What if you never came back? To lose...to lose someone as special as you? I lost my parents a year ago…thank God they aren't around to see things now. My brother was taken from me; most of my friends were eaten alive on the first day of this nightmare alone, and even that cheating asshole Masanori-san would call every now and then to check up on me...I have nothing left now, except for you." Hitomi expressed weakly, her words strained and slightly muffled by the sound of her gently sobbing.

Unable to think up a response for what felt like the first time in his life, Marcus remained completely silent before his arms began to hold Hitomi close. He made a calming hushing noise whilst gently cradling her back and forth. Her grip became even tighter now as she refused to let him go, her breathing becoming heavier with each passing moment.

"Please…stay with me today. We might not be dating, at least not yet, but times like these I think we can make exceptions." Hitomi suddenly said, earning a nod of understanding from Marcus before she pressed into him; feeling his body leaning further back until it collapsed onto the mattress, both now cuddling together in his newly claimed bed. Her head gently rested on his chest to hear his heartbeat as if she needed to be reminded that he was still alive, bringing the drunken officer some momentary (and much needed) peace that allowed her to finally get some rest after the past few restless nights she had spent up worrying about Marcus' fate.

While it might not have been the kind of relationship Marcus was hoping for with the young officer, it was at the very least better than nothing. He just stared at the ceiling for the longest time, constantly contemplating what would become of their group. He thought of Frasier's sudden lack of wanting to fight back despite what this group did to them; he then began to think of Tadashi and the hell he must be enduring right now. That eventually made him ponder on how Rei was handling the knowledge that her father was still alive, but left in the lion's den with a madman. Luckily he was able to drift off into slumber within a few minutes and get a decent amount of sleep that didn't leave him with one eye open at all times for once. Greatly enjoying Hitomi's warmth as she cuddled up even closer to him with both arms protectively wrapped around his aides.

 _Meanwhile…_

Johann stood in the doorway to Rei's room. He just stared at her, seeing his shattered friend hopelessly curled up in a ball on her bed. Soft sounds of weeping could be heard as she couldn't hold the pain back anymore. At first he felt she should be left alone, but the more he tried to pull away the closer he ended up getting to her until he was at the foot of her bed.

"Rei? I know this is so hard for you...B-but do you want to talk about it?" Johann suddenly asked as he reached out for her; his hand gently resting on her shoulder only for the young teen to pull away slowly as she continued to sob over her father, lamenting over what was going to become of him the longer they waited to do something.

"I'm sorry...I-I just need to be alone...please, don't look at me right now..." Rei requested in a soft whimper, sniffling between each pause as Johann felt a painful twisting in his gut seeing one of the more active and optimistic spirits of the group acting so lost and somber.

"Okay, I understand. I'll...I'll be in my own room if you need me." Johann explained as he watched her slightly nodding in understanding; refusing to even look at him as he began to pull back.

Johann slowly closed the door behind him, knowing there wasn't much else he could do right now. The young German bowed his head; angry for not only feeling so helpless, but to see someone as sweet and kind as Rei having to suffer like this. A fire then began to burn in Johann's chest: a sense of strong and newfound determination as he clenched a fist, knowing that no matter what, he'd find a way to rescue Rei's father and return him to her in one piece. For what felt like the first time in years, he felt legitimately ready to do whatever he must in order to restore that optimistic smile he'd become so fond of.

It was then he realized it was best that he allowed himself to rest despite it only being the middle of the day. He felt certain that if any attempt was going to be made to rescue Tadashi from this group, it was going to occur when everyone was well rested. Most likely after sundown they'd launch some kind of rescue mission.

A part of Johann now felt confident enough to confront Frasier himself at this very moment in order to help Rei out. After all, she was the reason Johann himself was still alive; getting their strongest member of the group to lend his aid was the least he could do for her. However, when he approached the eldest Lawson's door, he could hear that the shower was currently running. Johann then let out a sigh; knowing that he'd need to wait a bit longer before attempting to persuade Frasier into helping them out.

 _Meanwhile…_

While everyone else was proceeding to get some much needed rest after such a hectic last couple days, the eldest of the Lawson trio just finished setting up the shower in his room. His dirty clothes remained piled loosely together, crumpled up in a corner of the bathroom as he pulled the glass door aside only to immediately slide it shut behind him. The steam surrounded his figure as he took a moment to adjust to the hot water raining down against his strong back. He then held his hands out, watching the blood and grime slowly but surely wash off into the drain. Still able to freshly retain the carnage filled memories in his mind, an all too good feeling surged throughout him, as if he took physical pleasure in what he did to those four men earlier that day.

"Hm, that's so much better." Frasier hummed under his breath, quite delighted by the warm sensation he now felt before bowing his head to allow the water to catch the back of his hair.

"Enjoy it while you can. Things aren't about to get any easier anytime soon." a thick English accent suddenly announced, the powerful voice echoing throughout the room and alerting Frasier outright.

Without hesitation, the startled Brit opened up the sliding glass door only to meet with an empty bathroom. The sound of the water continuously flowed behind him as the steam began to fill the air. His crystal blue eyes narrowed as he tried to see if someone was hidden amongst the thick mist. However, to noavail, Frasier found that the room proved to be completely empty aside from himself.

 _'Odd. Guess I was just hearing things.'_ Frasier thought before he closed the sliding door again.

"Don't tell me you've already lost the plot, boyo! They'll be needing you, don't you know?" another, slightly fainter English accent suddenly questioned; causing Frasier's eyes to immediately shoot wide open when he realized it wasn't a mere coincidence now.

"Who's there?!" Frasier demanded, sliding the door wide open again only to be greeted by no visible presence. Both hands slowly clenched up into fists as if expecting trouble.

"Wait...you responded to my thoughts that last time! How in the world...?" Frasier then said the moment he realized something was horribly wrong here.

"Think he's figured it out yet?" the first voice from earlier questioned, far more booming than the second and certainly more intimidating to the point it felt eerily familiar.

"Don't think he has. Oi! Turn around!" the second one then chanted with loads more vigor in his voice.

Reluctant at first, Frasier swerved around only to be met face to face with both Uncle Mark and Arthur himself; their figures both represented by the steam twisting and turning until detailed representations stood before the gobsmacked youth.

"No...Absolutely no way this is actually happening right now. This is impossible!" Frasier mumbled nervously before coming to the conclusion that he'd simply lost his mind of all things.

"Focus, will you? You have much more important things to be taking care of! Like what you're going to do about this Shido character!" Arthur suddenly snapped, his authoritative voice instantly causing Frasier to stand upright like he was being instructed like the old days.

"For once my brother is absolutely right. You need to help your friends rescue that detective. It's the right thing to do." Mark then chimed in; making it quite clear that Frasier couldn't remain on the sidelines on the matter anymore.

"Rescue the...no, you idiot! He needs to focus on survival above all else! That detective can fend for himself. Frasier's priorities are to ensure the survival of Noah and Marcus at any cost. Everyone else is just an afterthought." Arthur harshly lectured as the two mental projections began to face off. Frasier meanwhile still tried to comprehend the situation, a throbbing sensation pulsing in the back of his head.

"They'd help YOU if you were trapped back in that horrid school. Don't you think it's only fair that you return the gesture?" Mark brought up; Frasier looking down as if feeling shame for being so reluctant to help.

"We don't know that! Besides...they have to be strong and independent. You can't jump in every time they have a problem or else they'll never learn. Leave them." Arthur scorned as he caused Frasier to feel anger rising in his chest as if he was being spoken to like a naive child again.

"Enough! It's bad enough to have you shouting at me like I'm a bloody muppet! And it's just as bad having you haunt me!You're supposed to be dead...and what does all this say about me? You're both just figments of my imagination." Frasier began to respond in an equally harsh tone, watching both Mark and Arthur respectively fall silent only to see the young man backing down the more he realized how insane this was starting to sound the further he went on.

Frasier then slumped against the wall, slowly sliding down until more voices began to echo in his skull before his hands clamped over his ears. He then grit his teeth only to then open his eyes with a fierce determination burning behind them. He reached up to the shower handles and gave it a quick turn, watching as the water suddenly stopped and the images of both Mark and Arthur quickly dissipated with the steam. A low huff echoed shortly after as Frasier could now think more clearly, now uncertain if the stress of the world had just gotten to him or that this was just the beginning of something much worse.

Regardless of the answer, he began to dress himself back up before slamming the bathroom door behind him; hoping to soon forget that unpleasant experience sooner than later. As he walked through his room, he looked out a nearby window to see it was now nearing sunset. The others most likely were awake now and discussing their next move after recuperating the last couple hours. Frasier then glanced over at his dog tags resting on the nightstand beside his bed, letting out a remorseful sigh as conflict tugged hard at his heart.

 _Meanwhile in the Armory…_

"You know this won't be easy, right?" Takashi asked Rei as she was busy loading bullets into a spare magazine, looking up at him with a stern expression that made it quite clear that she was fully aware how dangerous a frontal assault would be.

"I know this is a bad idea, but I don't have a choice. He's my dad, Takashi...what would you do if you were me?" Rei began to acknowledge, with her expression and tone growing more somber with each word.

"I...I really don't know. I guess I'd be no different. Family is family after all." Takashi sighed before falling silent when he began to think about both of his parents, wondering if they were held up in a safe location or had been one of the billions lost to 'Them' in the past two weeks.

"Exactly." Rei commented as she continued to load rounds into the magazine as Noah and Marcus both walked over with MP5SFK carbines strapped along their backs. A faint smile formed across her face when it appeared they intended to lend their aid despite what Frasier said earlier.

"If we go now before he finds out, we can reach the school by midnight." Marcus said in a low hush, shuddering at the idea of having to confront Frasier over the matter, already well aware of his stance and how quick he'd be to keep from getting involved.

"Do we have anything to break through the walls? Maybe some incendiary device or explosives?" Johann questioned as he was cleaning the barrel of the Ak-103 in hand.

"I wouldn't risk it because we might end up burning the school down if the flames spread. Last I checked, a cooked hostage isn't a happy hostage. So unless we run into more undead soldiers, I don't expect to find any explosives any time soon." Noah replied as he shot down the idea of using fire, certain that it would only hinder their efforts.

"Are you guys ready? This won't be easy, and once Frasier finds out what we're doing, he'll be right on our tailcoats." Marcus informed his compatriots; each of them nodding before looking behind Marcus to see it was too late.

"Ready for what?" Frasier's voice suddenly asked out of curiosity as he approached them; stopping dead in his tracks when he realized what everyone was up to.

"Oh bugger..." Marcus groaned when he saw Frasier standing right behind him, watching his big brother looking straight past him and looking each of them up and down to see what was going on.

"Going somewhere?" Frasier inquired as he stepped past Marcus, speaking in an unsettlingly unreadable tone that sent chills down Marcus' spine.

"Don't act like you didn't see this coming! They need our help;Tadashi-san needs our help. We're leaving regardless of what you say!" Marcus responded, somewhat unnerved that Frasier didn't even address him directly, as if he wasn't even there.

"No. Neither you nor Noah will be going anywhere tonight. Don't fight me on this…please." Frasier said in his naturally stern and authoritative tone before hinting at the end that he didn't want any conflict to tear their family apart any more than it already had.

"When are you going to realize we can't do things on our own anymore, Frasier? We need as many allies as possible, and allies stick together!" Noah argued as he boldly stood up to Frasier, earning both a look of admiration and respect from both Marcus and Frasier alike at his display of courage.

"Noah, I understand you want to help every soul you come across, but I-" Frasier began to express before Marcus stepped between the two and cut him off.

"Ah piss off! If you aren't with us, then step aside, you cold-hearted prick!" Marcus interrupted as he glared straight at Frasier who seemed ready to backhand him for such insubordination. Surprisingly enough though; he kept both hands at his sides, for the time being at least.

"Just shut up and listen to what I have to say!" Frasier growled as it was quite clear his patience was being worn thin by Marcus' sharp personal comments; the middle Lawson somewhat taken aback as he'd almost forgotten how scary Frasier could be when genuinely pissed off.

"As I said before, neither of you will be heading out to that wicked school, because I'm going there myself." Frasier announced, at first earning a sarcastic eye roll from Marcus, who was unamused, only for both his younger brothers, as well as the rest of the two groups, to look at him in shock at the sudden news once they realized he was being completely serious.

"You? B-but I thought you were settled on remaining completely neutral on this?" Marcus stammered as he was still trying to process Frasier's choice to lend aid to Takashi's group.

"Yes, well, let's just say I've had some time to…think about all this. I figure when you get right down to it, Tadashi-san is an ace up Shido's sleeve he can use if we ever cross each other again. But if we rescue him, then that ace is gone and he has no advantage left over us." Frasier explained as everyone slowly began to develop expressions of astonishment and gratitude once they realized he was finally agreeing to help.

"Oh my god, thank you, Frasier-san! Thank you so much!" Rei exclaimed as she instinctively stepped up to Frasier and quickly hugged him tight while he simply looked as though he were just waiting for her to get it out of her system so they could get down to business.

"I'm glad you came around, Frasier. Everyone else is waiting down in the lobby for us. You just need to run this by them now." Marcus explained as they all quickly made their way down the stairs, all of them instantly fired up to get started. Once they reached the lobby, just as Marcus said, everyone was sitting restlessly, all of them looking at Frasier with surprise once they saw him standing with the rest of the rescue team.

"I don't think I need to tell you all what's going on, but I should at least confirm everything with you all. I'm going to be joining the rescue mission for Tadashi-san in Marcus and Noah's long as everybody does as I say, we should most likely be able to do this with little to no risk to ourselves." Frasier announced as everyone looked to completely understand his reasoning.

"It's good to see that you're coming after all, but who said you get to be in charge? You have no idea how dangerous a mission like this is, and you go in there with your chest and ego all puffed out like I'm seeing, you're going to get yourself and everyone else killed." Rika suddenly called out as she stood by the dining table with her arms folded over one another; looking at the young man with a rather curious glare that practically challenged him to defend his stance for leadership. Everyone was left speechless that the sniper was actually challenging Frasier at a time like this.

"I'M the best candidate not just for this mission, but for leading this group as a whole. I've been doing crap like this much longer than he has, and I'm actually IN the military! Lawson-kun just had hand-me-down training from daddy!" Rika began to announce in an attempt to gain their vote. Both her and Frasier alike watched as the others seemed to be seriously contemplating who'd be the best choice. Rika then turned only to just barely brace herself when Frasier suddenly took a full swing at her. The pain had been nulled somewhat, but the force was more than enough to send her off both feet and against the floor.

"Where the hell do you get off?! You know nothing of my training! None of you do! You all want proof that I'm the best hope you have? Fine, I'll tell you everything I can. It's not like the consequences even matter anymore." Frasier snarled as his fist remained clenched; breathing hard as Rika slowly pulled herself up and rubbed her sore arm from the unexpected strike, watching as he began to slowly calm down long enough to compose himself and explain himself.

"It all started when I was just a little boy. I was living solely in a military academy so prestigious you couldn't find it no matter how hard you tried. They conditioned me and my fellow students both mentally and physically; teaching us the art of war whenever we weren't being taught how to disable an opponent or how to survive with just the bare essentials. They disassembled us in mind and body only to rebuild us into the perfect killing machines. No remorse, no mercy, no hesitation, just a refined and sharpened bunch of warriors ready and willing to do whatever it took to win. Because of it, every time I'm in a dangerous situation, it's almost like my body is on autopilot, as if I'm acting through sheer muscle-memory from all those years of training alone. When I was finally ten years old, two major events took place that changed everything for me.

"The first was that I was ready to use to this advanced virtual reality combat simulator, or A.V.R.C.S. for short. It was able to place the user into a perfect replica of their choosing and simulate combat scenarios we'd be expected to encounter out in the field. Just imagine it: an entire battalion from the first generation alone would be able to outclass an entire army of regulars; as well as hold more combat experience than most of the veterans in the field, all while being in the prime of their lives. But most important of all was that we were all unbendingly loyal; to both our overseers and our country.

"Run after run, I was forged into the perfect soldier; to the point where their orders were simply my pleasure. No matter how many times I'd go in, I'd always be left craving more. For the longest time, all I knew was to follow orders. Nothing, not even my fellow soldiers, stood in the way of the mission and my victories. I was beyond determined to prove to my father and the overseers that I was the best. I will admit right now, it feels pretty damn good being who I am at times like these.

"The second event that took place was when I was introduced to Noah and Marcus in our home in Berkshire for the first time in my life. Apparently, the overseers and psychiatrists decided it was best that we were given exposure towards the very country we were being trained to defend and protect; to know just what we were fighting for every time we jumped back into the A.V.R.C.S.

"I never was able to connect to my fellow recruits because we were rarely allowed to interact outside of class and were sent straight to our rooms when we weren't training or studying. Noah and Marcus though? After we finally first met, something about them stuck to me to the point I knew I couldn't let anything happen to them. Maybe it was what you call love, maybe it was just my self-assigned duty forged from my innermost pride; but whatever it was, I couldn't refute it no matter how I truly felt about them. Between my training, I was able to bond with them for a solid five years, making up for lost time and creating fond new memories, only to then be sent here for something I did when walking them home from their school one day.

"Three years later we were all finally reunited, and you all know where the story goes from there. Just when I thought things might be changing for the better, I'm immediately thrown back into the fray. It never ends. Not for me. Not ever." Frasier explained in thorough detail, his voice progressively became more emotional the further he went on. All was dead silent as there wasn't a single person in the room that wasn't staring at him in awe after hearing all this. While Alice didn't understand most of what he was saying, the way he spoke made it quite clear to her that he was sad deep down. Frasier just glared at them now, knowing this would be their reaction to him and that it was ultimately a mistake to expose the truth.

"Are you happy now? You got me to reveal my personal baggage so now I'll probably be trialed and court marshaled for treason when they find out what I just told you all! This was all supposed to be top secret; one of the biggest things they hammered into our heads in that place; that I-" Frasier began to rant, so certain that his life would be ended for revealing the truth, only to be cut off when Noah approached him. Both his narrow arms wrapped around Frasier's sides as he practically clung to his older brother out of sheer affection and approval; leaving the child soldier entirely speechless for all to bear witness.

"Enough. You've said more than we could've ever expected from you. It's okay, Frasier." Noah gently hushed as Frasier had no idea how to respond to this; stifling a tear as he had to resist giving into the emotional overflow he was experiencing right now.

"So this is why you would never tell us, no matter how often we'd ask nor beg? Holy shit...worst of all, is I actually believe every word of it. I think I actually pity you now." Marcus muttered as he looked at his older brother, completely astonished at such a revelation; finally understanding the shadier aspects to Frasier he'd never understood prior to this day.

"Father always warned me that whatever I could recall of that wretched place, I must under any circumstance keep it to myself. Hell, there have been times I wanted to tell someone, to tell you, but I never could bring myself to let it out for some reason until now." Frasier gently sighed as he seemed somewhat relieved to be able to admit his past to them; to realize that whatever source it was that was able to clench his heart in fear was no longer was there.

"This just explains so much. The distant attitude, the sociopathic tendencies, the lack of basic human social skills...do you need a hug?" Shizuka suddenly offered as she spoke in her usual lofty-headed tone. Her voice however hinted at a rather maternal response now; wanting to nurture and ease Frasier's inner pain to the best of her abilities.

"Please don't; it's bad enough I just revealed this to a bunch of civilians. I don't need a hug because I never knew my own mother. I just need to get over this on my own terms, and right now this rescue operation seems like a good distraction to me." Frasier responded; shaking his head as Shizuka simply nodded in understanding, knowing that she had to let him come to her instead for help with such a delicate matter.

"Virtual reality, huh? That must've taken some time getting used to." Kohta noted as his knees were still shaking after hearing such an unexpected tale; uncertain whether to be excited and ask more questions or to be absolutely wary of Frasier more than one would think possible.

"Getting used to it wasn't the issue. The issue was it worked far too well. Every time we'd go into that thing, getting hooked up into it would force us into unconsciousness for a few minutes; total sensory deprivation for full integration. After the first couple of times, it became impossible for us to distinguish what was reality and what was the A.C.V.R.S. You'd go to sleep only to wake up in the middle of a field being barked orders from your CO. It made some of us very paranoid and anxious, but I learned how to tell by feeling the side of my head every time I woke up. If there was a helmet buckle on the side of my head, it was the simulator; and if not, I could go about my day in peace. I still sometimes feel this compulsory need to check sometimes though, despite it being well over six years since I last entered that horrid machine." Frasier replied as he looked down at the table before him; struggling to keep focused on the group as he began to reminisce over the sudden simulations they'd throw at him. He quickly snapped back into reality though when Alice walked over to him.

"So what about your doggy? Was she there?" Alice then asked,which earned a rather surprised look from both Noah and Marcus alike.

"Dog? What dog?" Noah asked as he was completely baffled at the idea of them ever owning a pet before.

"Wait, hold it. Father allowed you to have a dog? After all those years we've been trying to convince him of letting us have one,you're telling me he let you have one?!" Marcus questioned, speaking out of curiosity with a slightly annoyed undertone.

"Yes, only on the academy grounds though. She was a Labrador with the most beautiful black coat of fur you'd ever see, her name was Lulu. She had the dopiest look every time she'd look up at me with those soft hazel eyes. She was quite a handful, but she was my only true source of companionship before I finally was introduced to you two. Whenever I'd come back from the simulator, she would be eagerly awaiting my return and acting like it had been weeks since I had last seen her; that flat, long tongue always trying to wash my scuffs and scraps like she was my damn caretaker or something. She probably doesn't have much time left after all these years, but I'm hoping I can see her one last time before she passes on. I think it was when father took her away, claiming she was a distraction for me, that my reaction led to the overseers advising him in letting me see you two to dull my sorrow. To replace the void her absence had created." Frasier answered as he then looked over to Saeko, who was just staring at him like he was a completely different person. An uneasy feeling rose in his gut as it was hard to say if this was for better or for worse.

"Wait, wouldn't that make Marcus-kun eight years old and Noah-kun six by the time you actually met them? How is that possible?" Hitomi suddenly inquired as she did the math only to find it quite suspicious how little they'd actually known each other.

"Actually, we were well aware of his existence before we actually met. Father would talk about him sometimes over the phone to someone, and when we asked why we never saw Frasier at home, we were told he was just away at a boarding school. Guess we now know how true that was." Marcus answered as he then fell silent in thought, pondering as to what else could've possibly been a lie that they'd bought into for so long.

"We don't know who our mother is either. We've never even seen a picture of her to be honest. Father was quite a secretive person, almost like he made it a goal to keep us all in the dark whenever he could. I just wonder what will happen now." Frasier then mentioned; all three Lawson brothers seeming to be caught in a curious trance as they tried to imagine what kind of woman he of all people would have chosen as a partner.

"Bollocks to the past is what I say. We focus on the here and now." Marcus then announced as he was able to quickly dismiss the severe lack of maternal nurturing faster than his brothers could; earning a respective nod from the two of them, as well as half a smile from Frasier.

"So what made you REALLY change your mind in the end about facing Shido's group?" Saeko then questioned as she looked at Frasier with a rather impressed smile that helped put him at ease; secretly hoping to God that her opinion of him had not changed in the slightest. He felt immense relief when it seemed that if anything, she was even more impressed with him for finally speaking up about his former life.

"As a matter of fact, nothing has changed about my choice essentially. I could bore you all with the strategical reasoning, but my biggest reason is much simpler. I would've gladly remained neutral, but then I recalled how that snake in the grass broke the first rule of this world: Don't fuck with the Lawson's!" Frasier corrected in a low grunt, almost trying to intentionally make it sound like he wasn't doing this out of sympathy or any pity in his heart for Rei's plight. Somewhat shocked she could see through his first explanation earlier that made him wonder what other bluffs this girl could call him out on.

"Yeah, that's more like it! So what's your plan then?" Marcus asked eagerly; proud of Frasier for standing with the rest of them when they needed him most.

"I will go with a small infiltration team. We'll use the element of surprise and keep it quiet for as long as possible." Frasier answered as he then pulled up a map of the area only to start scribbling on it, drawing a large red circle where Fujimi Academy should've been.

"Why don't we all just go and storm the place? It shouldn't be hard if we have your family here to back us up!" Takashi questioned, uncertain why Frasier wasn't intending on doing what he thought soldiers did best.

"Take a history note from Hannibal, Takashi-san. We'd be exposed if we took all the able-bodied to attack Shido head on." Frasier said, shaking his head at such a reckless suggestion.

"Who?" Takashi asked as he instinctively scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"You're wasting your time if you think he'd know anything historical, Frasier-san. Allow me to enlighten your limited mind though for future reference." Saya interjected out of irritation as Takashi quickly shot her a frown in response before Saya began to speak up again.

"During the second Punic War, Hannibal was attacking the Roman countryside relentlessly, so the Romans countered this by attacking his home base in Africa; forcing him to retreat, and it ultimately brought Carthage to its knees when he lost the Battle of Zama." Saya explained as if she were now a history buff for the group, Marcus having to partially keep Noah from eagerly chiming in as Miku giggled at how eager her new found love was acting.

"I'm still not really following what this has to do with us?" Takashi said in attempt to keep up, only to ultimately fail in seeing the point in the quick history lesson.

"Oh for the love of...he's saying we need to be ready in case Shido launches a surprise attack of his own while most of our group is away! They certainly seem to have the numbers to do such a thing after all." Saya snapped before slowly recoiling back, grumbling at how much of a possibility that could actually play out for them were they to underestimate this new threat.

"Enough! Please...so who will be going then?" Rei suddenly intervened, her voice shaking as it was all-too clear the young woman was at her wits end with waiting around for someone to do something.

"My brothers will remain here, that's nonnegotiable. The rest are volunteers at this point." Frasier replied as he watched practically everyone standing at the ready, as if intending to undergo the rescue mission with him.

"Hmm...Let's see. Takashi-san, you've been through enough, so you will stay behind. Noah and Marcus of course will remain here. No way in hell I'd allow Miku anywhere near this delicate operation. Takagi-san and Marikawa-sensei aren't going to be of any combat value to me...I wouldn't mind bringing Minami-san or Johann with me, but I want a strong security force to remain at the hotel, so you two will take up sentry duty. Hitomi-san knows how to handle a gun, so you're in. Hirano-san certainly has an aptitude with firearms, so he's definitely worth bringing along. Finally, there's you, Saeko-san. Your close quarters skills are invaluable, and I'd be honored to have you by my side while we're out there." Frasier answered as he watched everyone he addressed accepting their position with understanding. Saeko especially was taken aback by the fact he was suggesting she come along, half-expecting an argument to let her come along with him.

"Hold on! I'd like to request that you swap my job with Hirano-san. I know he'd be a greater shot than me up on that rooftop anyway from what I've seen. Please, allow me to come with you." Johann suddenly piped in; catching the attention of both Rei and Frasier instantly, both surprised by how lively he was now in contrast to the past couple of days.

"Hmm, I suppose Hirano-san wouldn't hold up as well in a close quarters encounter. Very well, you can come with us instead." Frasier agreed after giving it some thought; Johann smiling to himself as Kohta and Saya both seemed to let out a silent sigh of relief of their own for keeping the chubby gun lover back where it was considerably safer.

"What about me and my mom? Where do we stand in your plan?" Rei then intervened as she was anxious to hear what Frasier had in mind for her and Kiriko in his little master anxiousness and adrenaline from knowing they were finally going to do something about her father pretty much had the young woman shaking, just waiting for the word to move out.

"Here I'm afraid. I'm sorry." Frasier answered before his voice began to sound genuinely sympathetic, not that it could exactly quell Rei's brewing anger at his choice to hold her back at the hotel though.

"What? You're not allowing us to go neither? How the hell can you even suggest such a thing?!" Rei protested angrily as she couldn't believe she wasn't even being given the chance to help save her own family.

"Because you and your mother are too close to the target. If something goes wrong during the extraction, your emotions will most likely cloud your better judgement. For his sake and ours, I need you two to remain here and hold the fort down, alright?" Frasier calmly explained as Rei could already see his point given her initial reaction for being denied to go; letting out a heavy sigh before nodding.

"Only if you promise me that you'll bring my dad back in one piece." Rei then demanded as Frasier nodded in understanding,only to look confused when she held up a pinky finger; forcing him to wrap his around hers before they shook on it.

"So how much longer until you head out?" Kiriko anxiously asked as the wait was finally starting to affect her as well.

"Give us some time to prepare. We'll head out around midnight. We need to reach him around dawn." Frasier answered as the others nodded in agreement before they began to speak amongst one another, leaving the rescue team to prepare for the daunting task set out before them.

"Hey, Frasier-san, I need to talk to you about something." Takashi suddenly announced in a surprisingly assertive voice, motioning Frasier to follow him away from the others. Both leaders now stood isolated from the rest of the group.

"What's wrong now? If it's about you not going, I can't risk it. You've been through enough as it is, and if you blackout on us in the middle of a fight, it's going to be a major hindrance." Frasier asked before concluding that Takashi also wanted to go with them on the rescue mission.

"It's not that. I'm just concerned about you taking Saeko-chan with you. I can tell she's very determined to help Rei, and I doubt either of us can convince her to stay. So I need you to promise me that no matter what happens, you'll protect her." Takashi explained as it was quite clear he was deeply concerned for her safety despite how capable she was whenever trouble was afoot.

"I understand entirely. You have my word as a man and a soldier: Saeko Busujima won't be harmed no matter what." Frasier vowed as he was just as serious now, keeping his own personal feelings locked up as he shook Takashi's hand. The two then just nodded before taking off to get ready themselves for what was to come next.

 **Several hours later**

 **Z-Day+17**

The otherwise quiet night was coming to an end with dawn poised to take its place as Frasier lead the handpicked rescue team through the sewers. The smell was unlike anything they'd encountered before; while walking corpses were bad on their own level, something about this place jumped into an entirely separate league. Luckily the path they took involved little water and was mostly just wandering on a clear path. Rats and other critters could be heard scurrying around the maze of seemingly endless passages as the four survivors kept the map close at hand; knowing that they could wind way off course should they take a single wrong turn.

"Here it is. If anyone wants to back out, this is your last chance." Frasier announced as he stopped before a ladder that lead straight up into the unknown; looking on as Saeko, Hitomi, and Johann stood there with looks of unwavering determination. He couldn't help but feel relieved knowing that his choice in a team had not been wasted.

"We're with you all the way, Frasier-kun. We know you'll lead us to victory." Saeko said calmly, her words filled with trust, which had caused Frasier to feel warmth inside his chest as she seemed so confident in his abilities.

"Yeah, and besides, we didn't just travel through a filthy sewer to back down now." Hitomi added as she nodded in agreement, smiling while still silently feeling surprised that she and the group's now official leader were actually finally able to get along at all.

"So how are we doing this?" Johann asked; hoping that there would be some restraint here, considering how Shido's group outnumbered them 8 to 1 at this point.

"We avoid contact for as long as possible. Tadashi-san will most likely be unable to fight, so we want to get him back here as soon as possible. Once we reach the sewers, we should be in the clear. If we're detected then try to subdue them quietly, but if they're armed and draw on us, then we'll have no choice but to go loud." Frasier answered calmly as he watched Johann nod in understanding before checking his rifle one more time, turning the safety off as if expecting trouble the moment they went topside.

"Alright, let's go. All of you stay behind me. Be my shadow." Frasier whispered as the others climbed up the ladder one by one, watching as he carefully pushed up on the manhole cover to peek just in case they weren't alone; aiming his pistol around as if expecting someone to be waiting for them.

"All clear." the young leader whispered softly as all he was met with was a long dark hallway filled with pipes running along the walls; a massive boiler system running at the far end of the massive expanse of a room. They all felt intense warmth the instant they climbed out.

"Man, this place is gonna have us in a sweat if we don't move it." Hitomi commented as she already felt uncomfortable in her police uniform in this humidity; forcing her to quickly pull up the sleeves as they began to head for the nearest exit.

"Agreed, but at least we're in the right place." Saeko said before motioning towards a sign that explained to all personnel down here that students were strictly forbidden and that only the janitorial staff were allowed down in this section of the school.

"Remember, we don't have any silencers on our weapons, so once somebody takes a shot, this place is going to be on full alert." Frasier whispered as he didn't even want to take a chance on being heard despite how loud the boiler and pipes were being right now.

He gently turned the doorknob to the only exit. With the slightest push, the door slowly creaked open as he peered through the crack. Luckily the first half of the area he could see was clear; feeling his heart throbbing in anticipation, he then turned his head around only to be met with nothing but an empty hallway. Without saying a word, he made a hand gesture that motioned everyone else to move forward right behind him. Hitomi then closed the door behind them quietly, just in case someone were to walk by.

"So where do we even begin? This place wasn't exactly ever on the small side. Did Noah or Marcus ever tell you where they kept Tadashi-san?" Johann whispered to Frasier as they all felt themselves cooling off now that they were out of the boiler room; but still feeling nervous chills that they would run into trouble at any second.

"They mentioned that he was in a supply room that used to house dangerous cleaning chemicals and that it was downstairs. I think they mentioned that the cage they'd been kept in was brought in at a later time, according to what Tadashi-san had told them." Frasier responded in a low hush as he peered over a window to see several figures wandering outside. As much as it would've pleased him to quickly pick off the unaware group, he remembered what his main objective was and how vastly outnumbered they would still be.

With that said, they spared no time searching door to door for a stairway leading to the former storage room; keeping an eye out for any signs that could lead them to it, all while moving in the shadows to avoid being seen through the windows by anyone outside that might've looked over at the worst possible time. It was a strange feeling being back in the halls of Fujimi Academy for Johann, Frasier and Saeko. They could now only recall these halls and classrooms as a slaughtering ground; with entire droves of students and teachers alike being torn apart by 'Them'. All the blood that had been spilled back then was almost nonexistent now, as it was quite clear Shido's group went to great lengths to clean it up and make the school all the more of a livable place.

Every time a group or series of voices could be heard just outside, they'd all freeze in place; their hearts racing as it felt like they were trapped on all sides. Luckily, most of Shido's group was still fast asleep, so it was only small patrols of what they could only assume were lookouts.

"Here; this is the last door on this level we've yet to check." Hitomi muttered under her breath as she watched Frasier draw his combat knife carefully before cautiously pushing the door open. Luckily the school was well maintained to the point even the doors didn't creak when opened. He quickly scanned the room only to let out a disappointed sigh when there wasn't any sign of life to be found at the bottom of the stairs.

"Shit, this looks like the room, but nobody is here. I guess they moved him somewhere else." Frasier grumbled as he looked at the iron bars of the small cage sitting in the corner; imagining his little brothers being stuck behind them. A surge of contempt and hatred began surging through him before he took a deep breath to maintain composure. He then noticed a plastic container filled with what looked like chlorine for the school's indoor swimming pool. In case it could come in handy, he slipped the sizable container into his backpack before zipping it up for future use.

"We'll have to check around then. Hopefully we aren't too late." Saeko said, trying her best to remain optimistic despite the possibility that Shido had lost his patience and killed Tadashi long before they got here.

"Where should we go from here? This place isn't exactly compact and time isn't on our side." Johann mentioned as he looked over to the others to see what they were thinking.

"Could we split up? It would allow us to cover more ground." Hitomi suggested only for Frasier to immediately start shaking his head in response.

"No, if we split up, then when someone runs into trouble, they'll be on their own. We just need to pick up the pace is all." Frasier explained before they all nodded in agreement and followed him back out into the vacant hallway.

Having cleared out the southern wing of the school; it left them with just two more to search through. They began to crouch down as they crept along the intersecting bridges that could take them in almost any direction they wanted to go. While they did feel exposed, it was still relatively dark outside, giving them some cover under the shroud of night.

One wing had lights on still and the occasional figure could be seen moving around in the windows. Who they were remained to be seen; but nevertheless, the four survivors now felt like they were wandering into a hornet's nest where one false move would rattle the entire compound. They stopped before deciding whether to search the eastern wing or the one to the west.

"Which one do you guys think we should we take?" Frasier whispered as he began to peer over the bridge and keep lookout for any signs of Shido's people that might've been nearby.

"Most of them should still be sleeping at this time, so the wing with lights on is probably where they're keeping Tadashi-san. They're most likely interrogating him for any details on where Noah-kun and Marcus-kun went." Saeko concluded as she pointed towards the eastern wing of the school.

"That sounds about right. So I take it we just keep low as before or should we try and act casual?" Hitomi agreed as she then suggested they try to just walk in; considering it was possible that they wouldn't be recognized right off the bat if they didn't stand out.

"Hmm, Johann and I won't blend in as well, but you two certainly could. Do you think the risk is really worth it though?" Frasier brought up before he questioned the officer's faith in her own plan.

"It's worth a shot. It's a hell of a lot faster than tip-toeing around. How much time do we even have before the sun comes up?" Hitomi asked as she instinctively looked towards the Eastern sky, nervous that the sun would start coming up right then.

"Not long. Hmm. Fine, we'll try your plan then. Johann and I will just hang close behind you two." Frasier answered only to reluctantly agree with Hitomi as her logic was somewhat had to argue with.

"Hold on, that's not a good idea. Yes, the three of you wouldn't be recognized, but don't forget, my group has run into Shido more than once before, and if he has this many people on his side, I can guarantee he's described us for them to keep a lookout. They'd be able to recognize me in an instant." Saeko suddenly piped in, instantly causing everyone to freeze up before heading for the east wing.

"Shit, you're right. Okay, looks like going about it like we already have is the only option. We've wasted enough time as it is, we have to move now." Frasier ordered as they all quietly snuck to the door leading into the east wing, carefully peeking through the sliver of a crack in the door frame for any sign of life.

Once they were sure there was no risk of being spotted, the four quietly stepped in and shut the door silently before heading for a nearby stairwell, ready to start combing through the building as carefully as possible for any sign of Tadashi.

 **Several minutes later…**

"Ask him again. If he refuses, use the pliers or something." a thin man wearing green rubber gloves said as he crossed both arms while looking at Tadashi's figure slumped over in the chair.

"The pliers?" a second young man questioned, his beady green eyes staring at the nearby table full of tools. A patch of blood pooled underneath all of them; indicating they'd already seen their fair share of use.

"Yeah, it's what that new guy Shido let in suggested before taking off to go find Teru's sorry missing ass. Tatsuya I think his name was?" the first survivor responded before recalling the sadistic hulking man who'd almost instantly become one of Shido's most feared enforcers.

"That guy freaks me the hell out." the second man replied as he handed the pliers over as if to inspect them first; watching the first man messing with it only to hand it straight back and give him an irked look.

"What do you expect? He's clearly Yakuza for starters; never mind the fact there's a look in his eyes which says he's clearly killed another man. And I'm talking WAY before all THIS shit started." the first man replied as he then shuddered at the thought of being that man's enemy.

"Well at least he's on our side, right? Right?" the second man holding the pliers questioned as he tried to remain somewhat optimistic about their situation.

"Just so long as we stay on his good side, he should be content. We've got a pretty good deal going on after all. Just wait until we get those bastards that escaped. I hear it's a whole group of them somewhere west, or was it east?" the first survivor remarked before bringing up both Takashi and Frasier's groups.

"Yeah, especially their women! I hear Shido-sama plans to do a raffle and let the lucky winners have first go at them." the second survivor said with an all too wicked delight at the idea of winning one of those tickets.

"Yeah! All the more reason to-what the?" the man with green gloves began to say when suddenly a new shadow blocked their light; prompting both of them to turn only to be met with Frasier's deathly cold glare.

"Pathetic." Frasier mumbled under his breath before upper-cutting the second man directly beneath the jaw; watching as his head jolted straight up, only for the enraged Brit to grasp the exposed throat and body slam the survivor into a nearby locker.

"Son of a bitch!" the first survivor cursed as he grabbed a scalpel from the table and rushed in to help his friend, only to catch a sudden glimpse of a young woman with violet hair dashing between the two of them.

Before he could react, Saeko's hands and wrists slightly twisted only for a glimpse of her steel blade to be seen. A horrified gasp escaped the man as he watched helplessly when one of his arms came clean off from a single slice by the well-crafted katana. Any opportunity to scream in agonizing pain and alerting anyone within earshot was cut short when Johann swiftly moved in to finish the job; bringing one of the machetes straight down into the disarmed man's skull. Saeko shot him a smile that showed her approval before they both turned to Frasier viciously pounding away at the second survivor before finishing it by stomping down on his throat. A gurgling sound was all that could be heard for a few heart-clenching moments before the man finally stopped twitching and laid motionless, choking on his own blood thanks to his crushed throat.

 _'Fucking scum_ … _nobody will harm her while I still breathe.'_ Frasier practically shouted in the innermost parts of his subconscious before looking back to see his team was awaiting a response from him.

"Uh, good work. Let's see if the target is still breathing." Frasier said in an attempt to somewhat congratulate them before Hitomi walked over towards the other side of the room where the badly beaten figure sat.

"Holy shit, it's him alright. It looks like they really did a number on him though…bastards." Hitomi commented as she began to examine the extent of Tadashi's wounds. His face was covered in thick, purple bruises and dark red welts. Lacerations could be seen running along his arms and shoulders while his chest hardly was able to move to draw another breath.

Without sparing any time, both Hitomi and Saeko began to unfasten the leather belts being used to restrain Tadashi in place. Deep marks had been imprinted into his wrists and ankles where the belts had been used. Clearly whoever had him tied down knew what they were doing and had practice in this department. Johann checked the entrance to the room to ensure the coast was clear while Frasier stood before Tadashi, who began to wearily lift his head up to see what was happening now.

"You couldn't...have arrived at a better time. I suppose...Noah-san sent you then?" Tadashi said as he let out a soft sigh of relief when he realized he was still alive and what looked like help had finally arrived; pausing in between gasps for air as it was quite clear he had endured more than met the eye, watching as the largest member of the small team offered his hand before pulling Tadashi up onto his feet, stumbling forward a bit before catching himself and attempting to balance.

"Indeed. Can you walk?" Frasier bluntly answered as he kept things short, wanting nothing less than to leave this wretched place as soon as possible.

"Sort of…they really did a number on my leg though. I don't suppose you have an exit strategy that doesn't include running for the front gates?" Tadashi asked curiously as they began to head back out into the hallways with him following close behind.

"Yes, we came in through the sewers and we'll use them to get away quietly. We won't even need to fire a shot if we can backtrack fast enough." Frasier answered; somewhat proud of how they were able to get in without raising any suspicion whatsoever. Johann paused for a moment as he looked over Tadashi only to shake his head.

"Uhh, Frasier? I don't think that will work. Look at all those open wounds and gashes." Johann quietly announced as everyone stopped in their tracks to reexamine Tadashi long enough to see his multiple wounds openly displayed for anyone to see.

"Johann's absolutely right. He'd be exposed to all kinds of things down there. It's too risky to bring Tadashi-san through the sewers without infecting him with God knows what." Hitomi wholeheartedly agreed as they all just stood there for a moment to determine how they could possibly get out now without being spotted.

"Hmm, guess its plan B then. We'll just have to try and go around the back to hop the fence." Frasier grumbled out of annoyance at the unforeseen wrench in their original plan before coming up with a new one on the spot.

"That won't work. It's too high so someone would end up being left behind. It's what happened with me." Tadashi disagreed as he warned the young Brit of the fatal flaw in that idea, knowing they'd be back to square one if they left someone behind.

"Then I'll stay behind and go through the sewers alone. So long as you make it over the fence, it shouldn't be an issue." Frasier volunteered as the others looked at him in complete surprise at the unexpected proposition.

"Frasier-kun, is this really what you want? If they spot us, it might be impossible for you to get back to the sewer entrance. What if they capture you?" Hitomi questioned as she was uncertain if this was really a good idea to follow through with. Knowing he'd be all on his own without any backup didn't sit well with her in the slightest.

"Then I'm an acceptable casualty. Our mission is to rescue Tadashi-san. Don't worry about me anyways; I am the toughest one of the bunch after all." Frasier expressed softly with no hint of humor in his voice. Both Johann and Hitomi were reluctant to agree, but soon nodded in acknowledgment. Saeko meanwhile just bowed her head in silence, hating how quick he would be willing to sacrifice himself. She wanted to tell him to reconsider his plan, yet she knew he'd just dismiss her concerns.

"Saeko-san? Are you alright?" Frasier suddenly asked as she looked up at him surprised when he placed a hand on her shoulder to make sure she was alright.

"Wha-? Y-Yeah I'm fine! Are you really sure that you want to stay behind? Perhaps I should stay behind as well so you won't be alone?" Saeko answered abruptly, as if genuinely caught off guard before she suggested that he don't try to escape alone.

"Tadashi-san will need as much protection as possible once he's over that fence. 'They' might show up, and I want you to be there should they need the backup." Frasier denied as he was certain that they'd need her far more than he would.

"I actually agree with her. Johann-san and I can handle ourselves just fine. I think she should stay with you." Hitomi suddenly chimed back as they walked down the halls towards the southern wing of the school they originally entered from.

"I personally operate better on my own...but I can see you're hell bent on going through with this, so I won't deny your assistance, Saeko-san." Frasier sighed before accepting that she was clearly not going to drop the matter; uncertain why she was so eager to stay at his side despite the great danger it would put her in. None of them noticed the rather warm, delighted smile the young samurai formed when he finally gave in to accepting her help.

Soon they came across the twin doors that would allow them to have a straight shot out to the rear walls that Noah, Marcus, and Miku had used during their grand escape. Over the course of time they'd spent there, it was no longer pitch black; the darkness slowly giving way to a faint light blue hue as the sun would be rising any minute now.

"Still think we can make it out while remaining unseen? It would've been easier to do this at night." Johann softly murmured to Frasier as it was becoming quite easy now to spot the people wandering around on the walls and the occasional patrol that would wander by. Of course if they could see the patrols, then the patrols could just as easily see them too.

"It's possible. Notice the people on the wall? They will be weary from last night, and those coming to replace them will still be waking up. In the midst of transfer is when we make our move." Frasier answered as he finally explained as to why he was so eager to undergo this operation around the crack of dawn. The others quickly took notice at the observation; hoping deep down that his gambit would pay off.

 _'Such a clever plan!_ _He's really focused and in the zone now. I've never seen him so determined, not like this anyway. It's really something else.'_ Saeko thought to herself in the back of her mind; her eyes shifting to look at Frasier, giving him a rather curious look as she couldn't help but find his tactical side fascinating.

Before they could react, the doors suddenly began to swing open as the chatter of several people suddenly caught the group off guard. Luckily the doors were pushed towards them, allowing them to hide behind it as several figures passed by completely unaware of them for now. All of them felt their hearts racing at maximum tempo while they could do nothing but pray that the people entering the wing didn't turn around.

"Go, go." Frasier softly hissed as he motioned them to start moving out before the doors closed behind them; walking out into the open with the wall in sight. It hadn't even been thirty seconds before two survivors standing on the wall caught notice of them; instantly feeling something was off by the fact they had Tadashi with them.

"Hey! What are you guys doing down there?" a female voice called out as the other survivor jumped down to come and check out the situation.

"Steady." Frasier softly whispered to Hitomi as she kept her hand close to her revolver, ready to draw should things go any further south.

"Four to our six o'clock." Johann whispered after turning his head to see that as the doors closed, the people that just entered the south wing were coming back to investigate the situation. He quickly held Tadashi upright as it was quite clear he might need to let him go of he wanted to properly use the rifle he brought along.

"Are you deaf? What are you people doing? Wait a minute...you're not one of us!" the second female on guard duty questioned in a more frustrated growl before suddenly realizing these people before her were all strangers.

"Now!" Frasier barked as Hitomi drew her revolver and fired several shots into the approaching guard, most of them hitting their mark and dropping the young woman outright as Frasier turned around to fire an automatic burst at the patrol approaching from behind.

All of them immediately bolted for cover the moment two of their own we're mercilessly mowed down, giving the rescue team enough time to seal the doors shut behind them and take off running to hopefully evade the impending force they'd just awoken. Meanwhile, the one left on the wall leapt for cover. A loud whistle could be heard blowing as if signaling for help despite the fact the gunshots alone would've been enough to wake up the entire school.

"So much for stealth! Hurry! Behind those bushes!" Johann announced as he and Frasier both helped carry Tadashi; all five survivors vaulting over a low hedgerow of bushes that split the asphalt from the grassy hill that descended down to the parking lot, giving them temporary cover and a moment to catch their breath as Shido's group tried to figure out what was happening.

"Oh this will never do! These bushes won't protect us from squat! Quickly, move the VIP somewhere more defendable." Frasier groaned as he shook his head in disapproval at their current position.

"But what if they lost sight of us? We can just hide and move at the first opportunity." Johann suggested as the others seemed to be rather fond of that idea instead of directly fighting, given their limited resources and no longer having the element of surprise.

Not even a single second passed by though, as a single shot suddenly went off, the round whizzing through one of the shrubs they were hiding behind.

"Over there! Behind the hedges!" a voice shouted before Frasier turned to give Johann a smug smirk that practically screamed 'I told you so' only to be cut short when more rounds started flying.

"Hit the deck! Keep your heads down and start crawling! We'll cover you guys!" Frasier began to order to his team, motioning them towards the nearby parking lot while he and Johann put their firearm training to some good use.

Somewhat pleased to be able to take the fight to Shido's cult, Frasier unholstered the Sig SG 550 from his back before firing several suppressive bursts of NATO 5.56mm rounds at the nearest shooters; watching as the recipients naturally ducked down to avoid being hit, scurrying into cover behind benches and tables students once would've use to eat lunch or study after school hours. The hot lead bounced and danced around them as Johann began to use the Ak-103 he brought with him, making sure to suppress those that would try and flank Frasier or at the very least target him.

"How many smoke grenades did we bring?" Johann suddenly asked as he realized that despite their fierce counter-attack, it wouldn't be enough to hold back the defenders if they were to all push up at once. Luckily they didn't realize that just yet and their inexperience with someone who could fight back clearly showed.

"Looks like two. We couldn't make much else in such short notice. Luckily my little brother is a pro when it comes to this kind of ingenuity. " Frasier answered as he instantly remember Noah's homemade smoke grenades in his backpack.

"Alright. We're going to move further down by those cars over there. Let the smoke grenades provide us some cover before we head out into the open. Ready? Go! Go! Go!" Frasier began to instruct to his team as he peered over the hedge only to instantly duck again, observing how nervous their attackers were in anticipation after he lobbed the canister overhead and into the middle of the parking lot. They all five instantly rushed out the moment a white fog began to spew out of the small canister.

Without hesitation they darted through the thick smokescreen while trying their best to help Tadashi make it through unscathed. Luckily the lack of coordination from Shido's group left them reloading at roughly the same time, giving the rescue team enough of a gap to hunker down in a far more defensible location.

"This is still really bad. There's so many of them...I don't think we brought enough ammo to last another firefight with these guys." Hitomi stated concernedly as she began to quickly sort around in Frasier's pack for any extra ammo clips she could find for the others to use as well as more Special .38 bullets to use in her police revolver.

"So that's it? We're just screwed altogether now?" Johann questioned as a part of him was certain there had to be some way out of this mess; knowing the smoke from that grenade wouldn't last them forever.

"We aren't entirely boned yet. They're most likely going to be expecting us to stick together now, but if I can distract the majority of the compound; that will leave a large enough window of opportunity for the rest of you to escape." Frasier began to theorize; earning instant disapproval from everyone else, especially Saeko.

"You can't be serious. What will you do then when we are gone?" Saeko protested as she already knew she didn't like the position this was going to leave him in.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Just do as I say and move it, soldier. This is what I was born to do. This is what I was trained to do. This is all I CAN do!" Frasier said, his initial lack of confidence earning looks of disbelief from everyone else, including Tadashi. However, they didn't exactly have the luxury or time to disagree with him and form a better thought-out plan.

"Do what you must, but just know I'll never forgive you if you don't come back to me." Saeko reluctantly gave in as she then gave him that signature look that would make him regret disappointing her even in the slightest; her fingers lightly grasping at his chin before he pulled away and shot her a far more confident grin.

"Don't worry. I didn't exactly intend to let this place be the end of me. Now get going. I can hear them mobilizing for another attack." Frasier answered as he then began to seek out new cover; stepping away from the others only to see someone in Shido's group pointing in his direction within seconds.

"That must be one of them! Shoot him!" the same man called out only for Frasier to roll forward into cover behind a large green dumpster with one lid left open. While the smell was understandably unpleasant, he was still happy that all those shots either missed wildly or had ricocheted from the heavy green bin.

Grabbing the handles along the heavy dumpster on wheels, Frasier began to pull it along the open stretch of parking lot, effectively drawing in all of the attention from Shido's group that had been waiting for some form of response. They raised their firearms again as it seemed like they'd half expected the entire rescue team to be moving alongside it for cover again.

 **[Inon Zur - Dominant Species]**

Their fingers all pulled hard on the triggers at once. The bullets once more began to either bounce harmlessly against the thick surface or landed far from their target. The young Brit allowed the metal bin to roll along for a bit, popping out from the sides to fire off several bursts of suppressing fire at Shido's guards before he'd be forced to go back into cover to avoid being picked off by a lucky shot.

Noticing two followers running straight for him and far from cover, Frasier took aim only to fire two consecutive bursts; watching with a proud smirk when the first one toppled over face first into the ground as the second runner flipped over like he'd run into a spill of melted butter.

 _'Two tangos down.' 'Watch your right.' 'Head down!'_ several voices screamed in the back of his head as he constantly had to survey and react to so much happening at once; leaving little to no room for error if he intended to survive. However, his long years in the simulator were not wasted as he continued to keep Shido's entire group at bay; making sure to discourage another frontal assault by suppressing those that seemed restless or ready to make another rush.

 _'Bloody hell!_ _They're all about to make a push if you don't do something! Use that canister you found!'_ his conscience suddenly shouted before Frasier nodded and reached into his backpack only to pull out the liquid chlorine he'd picked up in the janitors storage room.

Waiting for a break in the shooting, he watched as several of his attackers had to reload before they could start laying down more fire in his direction. Using all his might in one arm, Frasier tossed the liquid chlorine into the air, making sure to hone his iron sights on it just as it flew over the overturned benches and tables. A single round was fired; the trajectory and timing couldn't be more perfect. The steel round tore right through the plastic container, causing its contents to splatter and spew in several directions. While most of the chemicals painted the ground around them, some of the hostile survivors were doused by it.

"Waaah! The fuck was that?" one man called out as he immediately stopped shooting when it felt like his skin was burning; feeling like blisters were about to form as he tried to brush the contaminants off with his gloved hands.

"I have no idea! But Christ, my eyes and lungs…they feel like they're burning!" a woman called out as she dropped her gun only to start rubbing her eyes furiously in hopes of stopping the horrid burning itch that only seemed to be getting worse with every passing second.

"I...I can't breathe...must pull back..." another survivor wheezed as he dropped his rifle and began to retreat back towards the school. The other followers took notice of this and began to pull back as well to avoid being exposed themselves when they could smell the chlorine from where they stood.

"Retreat! Fucking retreat!" a young man practically bellowed out as Frasier had bought himself some time to reload and prepare for those brave enough to continue the assault; watching as they began to circle around the contaminated area, prompting him to continue pushing the dumpster sideways until he could find a proper point to use for cover; finding himself moving closer and closer towards the western wing of the compound.

"Amazing; he's actually doing it!" Saeko said to herself as the others began to carefully flank around to the southern region they originally tried to use for an exit; watching as a huge chunk of Shido's forces fled back into the eastern wing of the school.

"Let's just hope he's as good as he says he is." Johann commented, somewhat regretful that he'd left someone behind to face these still overwhelming numbers.

It was hard for the rest of the rescue team not to fight back, as they knew they could've easily been helping Frasier right now. However, their main priority was to evacuate Tadashi first, and they knew Frasier would want nothing less than to stick to the mission, even if it was going to cost him his own life in order to do so.

"That's it...all of you buggers hone in on me..." Frasier said to himself as he began to start firing in semi-automatic bursts to prevent recoil from throwing his shots off; watching with a pleased grin as Shido's people were all unable to stop him despite the odds being vastly in their favor.

 ***clang***

' _Bollocks. At this rate they'll just swarm me. Time to improvise.'_ Frasier thought to himself as he looked over at a nearby window leading into the western wing's first floor as the dumpster struck the side of the wall.

 **[]**

Without any time to spare; knowing Shido's people were starting to move in on him, Frasier fired several shots into the nearest window. The glass was littered with holes before shattering into thousands of fragments when the stock of his weapon slammed into it; vaulting over the now empty windowsill as he scanned what had to have been the school's former library for any hostiles before pulling over a nearby bookcase to block the window off.

 ***crash***

Most of books being held in the shelf immediately spilled out as the large wooden construct was able to cover most of the tall windowsill. Knowing there wasn't much time to spare before the rest of the guards broke through, the young man bolted for the twin doors leading into the expansive hallways. He carefully peered out to make sure the coast was clear.

Luckily, this group was hardly organized in any sense of the word. However, despite the way being clear for the moment, he could hear they were coming in from all angles. Uncertain whether or not the others had made it out, he began to set up a kill zone in the hallway by breaking into the nearby classrooms and pulling the teacher's long desks out to form a barricade at each intrusion point; leaving only one way clear for when it would be time for him to fall back. He then looked over his remaining munitions to see he only had one clip of 5.56 rounds left and two full clips of 9mm rounds for when it would get up close and personal.

"What are you doing, soldier? You're going to be boxed in of you don't pull out now." Arthur's voice suddenly warned as Frasier continued to drag the desks around to ensure he was moderately protected in his makeshift fortification.

"I need to buy the others as much time as possible. Best I make sure these pricks remain focused on me for as long as I can." Frasier said under his breath before he checked his ammo count one more time.

"Don't be a fool. Get out now before it's too late!" Arthur's voice suddenly shouted in a fierce growl that normally would break any resilience Frasier had within him.

"Sorry, sir. Order denied." Frasier said with unwavering determination as he could see the first of many hostile survivors heading straight for him; waiting for the first of what sounded like many that were moments away from running into his line of sights, closing one eye as he calmed his breathing.

"Over there! Behind the desks!" a male voice suddenly called out from the left flank; causing Frasier to suddenly turn his attention to a group of oncoming hostiles that were already hiding behind the sides of nearby lockers in the hallway.

They took several pot shots at him, forcing him to duck behind the desk before he began to return fire. Casings rattled against the tile patterned floor as he repeatedly pulled on the trigger.

"Fifteen...twelve...nine..." Frasier counted between each burst as he was taking shots from the front flank now; trying to ensure that the enemy would remain at bay before realizing he was almost completely out of ammo.

"Augh!" a random voice cried out as they charged straight in,only for the young Brit's weapon to let out a dreaded clicking sound. Before he could even toss his weapon aside and draw for the sidearm, he felt someone jumping onto his back in an attempt to pin him.

"C'mon!" Frasier shouted defiantly in English as he flipped the person over, only to slide out Mark's handgun and fire a single round into their chest, only for another to grasp at his arm. He tried to take a wild swing at the interloper, but soon found his free arm being dragged aside by another.

"Pin that asshole down!" someone called out before a fist suddenly struck out and nailed Frasier straight in the gut.

Like a feral animal backed into a corner, Frasier used all his remaining strength to swing his arms and the people latched onto them straight against the man who just landed a heavy hit to his stomach. He leapt back with both fists raised, only to watch as several of his attackers had their guns raised and aimed straight for him. While they might've been inexperienced with such weapons, it would've been impossible to miss such a close target. He then lowered his fists, knowing they wouldn't be foolish enough to take him on toe to toe again, that his journey had finally come to an abrupt end.

"Well go on then. Let's get on with it!" Frasier initially grumbled with his head bowed, which earned some confused looks from Shido's soldiers before he then lifted his head up to look at them with a terrifying gaze. His voice then suddenly boomed as they visibly recoiled at such power behind it.

 ***tink* *tink***

 **[Martijin** **Vranken** **\- Duty Calls]**

Before either side could make their next move, a small canister suddenly rolled out between them. Frasier and the hostile survivors alike looked shocked to see a small canister rolling along the floor seconds before it spewed smoke in all directions. Frasier held his left arm to cover his mouth only to catch a purple blur from the corner of his eyes a split second before he felt himself being taken by his free hand and dragged through the smoke. The sound of random and confused gunfire went off in an attempt to hit the fleeing attacker, but the thick smoke was already filling the intersecting hallways to the point nobody could see even a foot in front of them. All shots just harmlessly struck the walls and lockers as the two survivors kept running.

"You shouldn't have come back for me. I had it under control." Frasier grumbled as he let out a rough cough, realizing it was none other than Saeko that had come back for him just in the nick of time; earning a rather sly grin from her as they both kept running for the exits with no intent on turning back.

"Maybe I just missed you. Did you ever think of that?" Saeko retorted with a sarcastic chuckle as they shoved through the twin doors only to see the way was now completely clear with the sun rising directly in their direction.

"Fair enough...and it looks like we're right on time!" Frasier said in acknowledgment before motioning up at the sun. Saeko at first was confused as to what he was talking about up until she turned her head to see the crazed followers behind them that had stopped to take a shot were unable to properly aim when the bright rays were beaming directly into their eyes.

 _'So THIS_ _is why he wanted to attack so close to dawn. Risky, but it looks like it worked flawlessly nonetheless. Is this how he's always been?'_ Saeko pondered to herself as she was completely astonished by the display of tactical prowess.

The distracted samurai quickly snapped back into reality though as she led Frasier towards the huge gap in the fence she'd created just moments ago before rescuing him. Johann and Hitomi stood at the ready by the exit, both laying down covering fire with what little ammo they had left on them; spurring the shooters behind both Frasier and Saeko to dash back behind any viable cover, still unable to adequately return the shots.

"C'mon! Los gehts! **(Off we go!)"** Johann announced; his patience and nerves wearing way too thin when a stray round struck just several centimeters away from his ear to where it caused him to speak German for a moment; urging the others to fall back faster before their luck would run out.

"Hand me your weapon. You help Tadashi move." Frasier suddenly said; earning an understanding nod from Johann before he quickly handed the young Brit his Ak-103.

Wasting no time, Frasier began to instantly start firing off several volleys of 7.62mm rounds, the recoil seeming like nothing to him despite the intense stopping power behind it. Johann however spared no time pulling Tadashi up off of the ground he was sitting on before they began to go from cover to cover; keeping an eye out for 'Them' as the others began to run after them, never stopping once until they reached the Onbetsu Bridge.

 **[]**

A sense of victory overwhelmed them all as they stood among the columns of abandoned cars and scattered police cruisers that filled the bridge. Entire piles of warning pamphlets about 'Them' aimlessly blew around in the wind. The blood that had been spilled here was long dried up as if it were now a permanent marker of the horrors that took place that dreadful night. The survivors' breathing was heavy; their brows dripping with sweat as their burning lungs gasped for precious air. The adrenaline from battle still had yet to wear off, leaving their muscles burning and their hearts eager for action. They knew though that the rescue operation was a major success and that they had won this round and could finally rest easy.

"T-that was incredible! Think they'll believe us when we return home?" Hitomi asked between her gasps for air as she had both her palms firmly planted against her knees for support; looking up for a response to see most of the rescue team was looking back at her with similar smiles painted on their faces.

"I don't think that will be an issue. If not, I'll be sure to let them know it happened. You all have no idea how thankful I am for everything you've done for me this day. I'm honored to be in the presence of such brave and capable people." Tadashi suddenly said with a reassuring smile before mustering up the strength to thank his rescuers with a proper bow; his voice teeming with pride and gratitude as he could see the others were beyond flattered to hear such words coming from such a respectable man.

"No need to thank us, sir. We did it for your family. Besides, no man is ever left behind in our group." Johann said with the utmost sincerity in his voice; earning a rather gracious smile from Tadashi as he was beyond ecstatic at the thought of finally being reunited with his family after their separation ever since the outbreak had occurred.

"That's very noble of you to say...?" Tadashi said, somewhat caught off guard by the humble attitude of the young man before him; curious now to know the names of the two other survivors he'd yet to meet prior to this day, holding his hand out.

"Oh, I'm Johann Kessler. Glad to finally meet you, sir." Johann replied confidently as the two shook hands out of a strong and very mutual respect.

"Pleased to meet you, young man; and you are?" Tadashi said with a warm smile only to then turn his gaze upon Saeko, who glanced over towards them when she realized he was talking to her.

"Hmm? Oh! M-my apologies! My name is Saeko Busujima!" Saeko suddenly said with a nervous stammer out of embarrassment for being what she considered to be rude; bowing before Tadashi, only to cause a short burst of laughter to escape his lips.

"Don't worry yourself with formalities of the past, young lady. What you've all done for me is something I will never be able to pay back. I'm still astonished that it only took four of you to do it. A part of me was expecting at least twenty men to get me out of that wretched place." Tadashi said with a grateful and understanding tone that helped the young violet haired girl noticeably calm down; proceeding to voice his astonishment at their capabilities shortly after.

"Maybe if we didn't have the leadership we did, then perhaps we would've needed that many to ensure a successful rescue. Luckily, that was not the case here." Hitomi agreed before motioning towards Frasier, who was just standing on top of an overturned bulldozer and looking out in the distance, as if expecting Shido's group to be coming all this way in pursuit.

"Ah, I guess I forgot that he was military raised. I should've remembered after that battle we fought alongside him in the beginning." Tadashi said in acknowledgment before both he and Hitomi recalled the hectic skirmish that they all barely managed to survive that felt like it had been years ago.

"Battle? What battle is this?" Saeko suddenly pried with a curious look in her eyes as she was uncertain what they were speaking of; determined nonetheless to find out now that they had time to actually talk things out.

"During the second day of the outbreak, we managed to link up with Tadashi-san and what little remained of the Eastern Tokonosu Police Force. Those that weren't dead were barely able to handle everything, especially when our main force was being wiped out on this very damn bridge. Your friend up there took charge, and through his planning and the aid of an American pilot lending some much needed close air support, we managed to kill hundreds of 'Them' at the very least." Hitomi began to explain as she recalled that dark night. The battle was no longer fresh in her mind, but those that had been lost still remained in her thoughts even to this day.

"The best part is why he bothered to stick around in the first place-" Hitomi then began to announce, only to be cut off when Frasier suddenly leapt off the bulldozer and landed just a few meters away, as if trying to keep her from saying anything else. Everyone was now focusing on him as he began to casually walk over with the AK-103 strapped over his shoulder. His eyes were entirely focused on the young police woman standing before him.

"We're not in the clear just yet. Best we start moving again. Hitomi-san, you're on point. I'll cover our six." Frasier ordered as he watched them pause for a moment before eventually heading back out onto the road. None of them noticed the look of relief his face formed when his original intent that night was kept secret from Saeko of all people.

Luckily, 'They' weren't anywhere to be seen as the five survivors made their way towards the fortified hotel. The rest of the trip took an extended two hours due to Tadashi's impaired movement, but the rescue team let out sighs of relief when they could finally see the towering structure in sight. It was almost midday, the warm sunlight bearing down on their backs as they knew that all would be fine now that they had reached this point.

Frasier then reached into his backpack and pulled out what appeared to be a small mirror, angling it so that the sun would reflect off of it. Within a minute of him flashing the shard about,there came a glint from the top of the hotel. A small smile formed along his lips as he then put it back into his pack.

"I take it they're on their way down now?" Johann commented as Frasier nodded gently before letting out another sigh that hinted exhaustion.

"Most likely; considering who we're bringing back." Frasier responded as he glanced back at Tadashi, who had his head bowed, his wounds and beatings clearly having sapped him of most of his strength.

"You know that they'll want to thank you as well." Johann then brought up as he was quick to notice Frasier's rather distant look; making it crystal clear he wanted nothing to do with that.

"That won't be necessary. There's a lot of work that needs doing anyhow. You guys enjoy the celebrations without me." Frasier disregarded as he simply shook his head. Johann just shrugged his shoulders as he knew there was no use in trying to convince someone as stubborn as Frasier.

"Like what? You're telling me you can't take a couple minutes to relax and enjoy the spoils of our victory? You know without you it would've gone down much worse, right?" Hitomi questioned, confused why he was being so apprehensive about acknowledging his part in all of it.

"Oh, I'm well aware my part gave this group the edge needed to win, but I'm tired now and need to recover. It's been a long night after all. Besides, I never was one for being the center of attention." Frasier acknowledged as he was more than aware that a quick and clean victory depended most on him being involved. However, it still didn't seem to turn him one bit towards the idea of everyone mentioning it. Hitomi simply rolled her eyes before lightly slugging him in the side of his arm.

"I swear it's like you don't even WANT to be happy sometimes. Maybe you'll change your tune when you see the joy this will bring Rei-chan and Kiriko-san." Hitomi grumbled passive-aggressively before suggesting that he at least stick around to see the good his actions would have brought to their group, who was anxiously awaiting them down in the lobby.

"Johann-san, I think I can take it from here." Tadashi suddenly spoke up as he then pulled away only to stumble on his two feet; looking up as he then forced himself to stand up tall and proud, walking past the others and pulling open the doors to the hotel lobby without any assistance.

The proud detective took a moment to take in his surroundings; instantly being met with several faces he didn't recognize straight away until it finally hit him, the moment he looked over at two very familiar women sitting on one of the couches; one with her head buried between her knees as if out of anxiety from the anticipation whilst the other tried to comfort her. Tadashi simply limped over only to tower over them, forming a soft smile before leaning down before them.

"I don't suppose you could point me in the direction of my little rose?" Tadashi said in a soft, calming voice as he watched as both Rei and Kiriko suddenly looked straight at him like he was a ghost.

No further sound could be heard as Rei just stared at the man who was without a doubt her father; finally standing before her alive and in the flesh. Her initial look of surprise and shock quickly turned into her lips quivering as her eyes began to form tears she had no hope of holding back now. A soft sob escaped past her lips as she instantly flung herself into his arms, her head pressed hard against Tadashi's chest as she let out an uncontrollable laughter from what was undoubtedly sheer joy from the relief of what had been an absolutely soul-consuming nightmare for her.

"I knew you were alive...I knew you'd make it...but to actually see you again...I...I..." Kiriko began to suddenly mutter as she simply stared at him, completely shocked to not only see him, but to hear him as well. Her eyes were now overflowing with tears as well when she could only watch him suddenly looking back at her with that confidence inspiring smile of his she'd fallen in love with so long ago.

"Shhh...It's okay, Kiriko, my love. I'm here now and that's all that matters." Tadashi suddenly said in a low hush as she slowly wrapped her arms around him as well. The Miyamoto family had finally been reunited, and there wasn't anything in the world that could hope to separate them now.

"Do you see it now? Because you decided to help out, you brought a family back together. Doesn't that make you feel anything?" Hitomi whispered as she nudged Frasier slightly with the tip of her elbow; watching him slowly nod as he began to watch with more intensity behind his otherwise vacant gaze.

"I...yeah...I guess so." Frasier muttered in a rather distant grumble before realizing a part of him couldn't help but feel perplexed at the sight before him. Seeing a family together where a mother, father, and their child were beyond happy to see one another, a genuine love he'd yet to experience past Noah and Marcus. A strange surge of jealousy then filled his heart before he just sneered at the idea of him ever having anything like this; slowly pulling away into seclusion as the rest of the group stood there, completely touched by the heartwarming reunion.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see everything worked out so well in the end! I hate to cut the sweet moment up though, but I think I should take a look at those injuries. Do you guys mind?" Shizuka suddenly announced in her usual sweet and bubbly tone, absolutely delighted to see Rei so happy in contrast to how she had been for the last few days. Both Kiriko and Rei nodded in acceptance as they knew they would have all the time in the world now to spend with Tadashi.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Tadashi grunted as Shizuka's happy expression soon turned to one displaying deep concern the further she had to examine his cuts and bruises.

"You'll certainly survive no problem, but I'm going to need everything we've got left to patch you up. The last thing you need is an infection." Shizuka replied as she went straight to business with his severe wounds; rubbing in several ointments before carefully wrapping medical gauze where it was needed most.

"Rei-chan, I think we're forgetting something." Kiriko suddenly brought up; earning an initially confused look from Rei before she was motioned to look over at those from the rescue team that still remained in the lobby.

"Oh, of course! How could I be so ungrateful?!" Rei suddenly realized as she immediately rushed over to thank those a part of the dangerous raid on Shido's compound. First off was warning, Rei instantly hugged her tightly as the young officer let out a nervous and rather flattered chuckle out of surprise.

"Thank you, Hitomi-san. This means so much to me. You have no idea how much I owe you for this!" Rei said gratefully as the two women just smiled at one another.

"I'll have to remember that one day! But seriously, it's just a partof the job. I'm just glad I was able to help out." Hitomi responded as she was more than happy to help out, as if it were just another day on her former job; earning a nod of understanding from Rei before watching her dashing up towards Saeko, who stood there uncertain what to expect considering their past tensions with each other.

"Look...I know it's been awkward between us during the past two weeks with Takashi and everything else happening. I just want to say that I'm sorry about everything. What you've done for me is something I can only hope to do for you one day to truly show the gratitude I'm feeling right now. Until then, I can only say that I'm immensely grateful that you're a part of this group and…now I'd even go as far as to call you my friend." Rei confessed as she showed great remorse over her jealousy and misplaced anger towards Saeko, only to now realize that she cared for Rei just as much as she did for the others; that Saeko was no longer the enemy and was instead someone she felt she could trust wholeheartedly.

"Don't mention it. That's all just water under the bridge as far as I could possibly be concerned. I'm just glad to see you're happy again and that we could take Shido down a peg. My only regret is I couldn't see the look on his face when he realized we could strike him even if he hid in his little compound." Saeko replied in a humble tone before smirking at the awe stricken and angered expressions the teacher must've been making right about now in the aftermath of the raid.

"Ahh, I would pay actual money to see how he looks right now! I can just picture it now..." Rei said, somewhat disappointed in not being able to witness such a sight. Both girls started laughing before Rei then smiled as if she had more to say.

"As much as I would've loved to go myself, I think your friend was right in the end. I would've only been a hindrance." the young red-eyed girl admitted as she realized that it couldn't have been a very easy task to undergo as she initially believed it to be.

"It was quite intense, that much I'll admit...but luckily we had the perfect ace up our sleeve. He handled himself so well out there. We all did for that matter." Saeko confessed as she recalled how they were barely able to reach the exit before being driven out of the compound.

You'll have to tell us the details later on though; perhaps during dinner?" Rei said with an optimistic smile as she was now quite eager to hear the whole story.

"Of course; it was quite exciting all the way through. It should make for quite a good story." Saeko said with a slightly sadistic grin threatening to form as if she intended to speak about it regardless of who heard the specific descriptions; watching as Rei nodded in agreement before she approached Johann, who couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Johann, you have no idea how happy I am at this very moment. You risked your life to help us, to help me. I just have to ask now…why? You didn't owe me anything, so why would you actually choose to go out there? You could've seriously been hurt or worse!" Rei began to say in a pleasantly warm and grateful voice before finally addressing her curiosity for why he would have chosen to do this for virtually no reason as far as she knew.

"Because you needed help, Rei. It's what friends do after all for one another, isn't it?" Johann answered in a genuinely sincere response as he was puzzled why she would even feel the need to ask. That reasoning only made perfect sense to him, so he simply figured that was the conclusion anyone else would've come to.

"I know, but still...it was so dangerous! I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you because of me!" Rei replied before bringing up deeper concerns for his safety and how worried she'd been for him when they left last night. Johann's arms suddenly came around her shoulders, as if attempting to calm her down.

"Rei, after everything you did for me, how could I possibly just stay here and do nothing while seeing you suffer like you were? It was my choice to do this, and the risk was well worth it to see you smiling again." Johann expressed softly before watching Rei's cheeks turning a soft pink when she took in such an unexpected reply; her red-brown eyes nearly glistening as she couldn't break her gaze from his eyes. For the shortest time, she looked legitimately speechless, at a complete loss of what to say to something clearly so heartfelt.

Rei only looked at Johann for a split second before leaning in on her tip-toes; her soft, warm lips gently kissing his stubble-covered cheek before smiling when the tables had quickly been turned on him; watching as it was his turn now to blush in front of her and those watching the rather sweet moment between the two survivors who had become so close since they first met. Johann then let her go, softly smiling to himself, trying to formulate a coherent sentence.

"Ah, um...well then! I suppose that was for being brave?" Johann asked somewhat nervously as he watched Rei's inviting smile turn into a mischievous grin, as if she greatly enjoyed making him flustered; all the while somewhat feeling blessed that neither Kiriko nor Tadashi were able to see such a thing despite being in the same room. Luckily for Johann, they were far more occupied for the time being with getting Tadashi's wounds treated.

"But of course. I had to thank you properly somehow!" Rei replied in a soft giggle as she didn't realize up until now how much Johann's peach fuzz facial hair tickled her lips when she briefly felt it. The other group members watching all let off shorts bursts of chuckling and snickering as the two survivors quickly recalled that they weren't alone.

 _'I suppose I should also thank Frasier-san_ _for helping in the end, even if he was a reluctant jerk about it earlier.'_ Rei thought to herself as she began to look around the room for him, only to realize he was the only person unaccounted for now.

"Hey? Where did our 'oh so fearless leader' go?" Rei asked in surprise as the others began to look around for any signs of him; hoping to find him sulking in the corner somewhere only to realize he must've gone upstairs to put the firearms away.

"I guess he went off to brood somewhere. Pay no mind to him though." Marcus commented, speaking as if he was somewhat irked that his older brother was so reluctant to enjoy this moment with the rest of them.

"Oh let him be, Markie-Mark. He must be exhausted after what they just went through. Besides, he'll show up when he's ready to talk about our next move." Noah responded in a defensive manner, watching with a sly smile when Marcus could only respond with a grumble in embarrassment after being called by his least favorite nickname.

"So are you hungry, Tadashi-san? I can't imagine those freaks at the school were too keen on feeding you very well." Saeko randomly offered as the weary detective nodded slightly whilst Shizuka had her work cut out for her trying to patch up and stitch the numerous lacerations found along his arms and legs.

"Allow me to setup something for lunch. I think everyone could use something to eat after waiting almost all morning for your return." Kiriko suddenly interjected as Saeko gladly accepted it, now starting to feel an aching soreness in the back of her thighs.

"Thank you, I think that rescue took more out of me than I originally thought. I'm going to go lay down for a moment. Wake me if anything comes up." Saeko said in thanks before heading upstairs to recuperate her spent stamina.

"Hey, hold up, Saeko-chan!" Takashi suddenly called out as he rushed over to join her. She briefly stopped, forming a warm smile when she saw him approaching her only to eagerly take her by the hand; leading his samurai companion up the stairs until they found themselves curled up together on one of the beds in their shared room.

"How do you feel now? I was quite worried about you while I was away." Saeko suddenly asked as she had her head resting against Takashi's chest.

"Worried about me? You were the one out there in the middle of danger. Do you know what could've happened if something went wrong; if they had captured you?" Takashi expressed as he sounded unsettled by her choosing to go after all. She looked at him with an almost regretful look as if she knew exactly what he meant.

"Believe me; I know that...it would most certainly be a fate worse than death. It sickens me; the very thought of being taken captive...but luckily Frasier-san was always one step ahead of Shido's people. You should've seen it." Saeko replied with utter disgust in her voice at first, her body then shuddering in response to such a fate. However, her tune quickly switched to that of borderline admiration when speaking of Frasier's performance.

"Oh, I can believe you. Even before we knew his past, that stare of his alone could tell you he meant business. I'm glad he kept his word in protecting you. I can't lose you, Saeko-chan." Takashi acknowledged without hesitation, alluding that her best friend could be pegged as a natural killing machine after seeing the raw and unyielding rage housed behind those ice blue eyes of his. Saeko's right hand then lightly turned his head so he'd be facing her again.

"Komuro-kun..." she gently whispered at his display of emotion before they both leaned forward and kissed; closing their eyes before their bodies curled even closer together for warmth.

 _On the Roof…_

Meanwhile, as everyone celebrated their much needed victory and taking great care to ensure Tadashi would recover comfortably, Frasier stood on the rooftop to attend to his own wounds with his back against a nearby vent. His body casually slid down until he was sitting with both knees practically hugging his chest. He pulled off his jacket to check on the damage he'd received, yet had been quick to keep from the others considering how low medical supplies were already.

Two dark red slits could be seen on him: one across the right shoulder and the another along his left bicep. Thin trails of blood were still oozing out slowly but surely from their respective openings now instead of soaking into the sage green jacket he'd become rather fond of. He was able to block the pain for quite some time due to the adrenaline which had now passed in place for a pulsing and throbbing sensation as if there was no tomorrow. Sparing no time to patch himself up, he began to flick Rika's lighter until a small flame began to dance around his fingertips. He then held his combat knife under the fire, watching as the steel began to glow red after several minutes.

"Blimey this is gonna hurt..." Frasier grumbled under his breath as he closed both eyes; taking a deep breath as he nervously placed the flat side of the scalding hot blade along his left arm; biting down on his grey beanie cap to try and muffle the inevitable shout of pain.

 ***tssssssss***

"Guuuh!" Frasier groaned and growled as he winced from the agonizing pain he couldn't have possibly prepared himself for; having to keep himself from truly expressing his anger and distress so that nobody downstairs would potentially hear him.

The smell of burnt flesh filled the air around him as the searing, stinging sensation that pulled and tugged at his nerves soon began to become numb and tingly. The blade soon cooled off, prompting him to heat up the steel once more as he felt tears welling up in the corner of his eyes from the first cauterization.

"Don't cry...don't fucking cry, you bloody ponce. Soldiers don't cry. You especially don't get to cry, you knew the risks by helping them." Frasier grumbled under his breath as he watched the knife heating up again; talking to himself to avoid showing any sign of weakness even when he was the only person there. He then clenched his teeth in anticipation as he slowly angled the knife over his bleeding shoulder.

 ***tssssssss***

"Mmpphh!" Frasier whined as his head shot away from his shoulder, a twin set of tears trickled down his cheeks as he had to keep the pressure up and ensure that his most recent addition of wounds wouldn't become a problem for himself or the others.

'Oh God...this better be the last time I do this. Next time I'm just gonna let it bleed!' Frasier muttered silently in the back of his head as he then looked up to see the beautiful sight before him.

The entire city reflected from the bright yellow sun that was able to peak through the grey clouds now. The nearby river shined and shimmered as he looked upon it. Despite the severe pain from both being grazed and the cauterization tingling and bearing down on all of his senses, he felt at peace with the scene before him. It felt almost like he was home right now, ignoring the droves and hordes of man-eating monsters that lingered below ruling the outside world.

"Was it worth it now, Frasier? All this for those weaklings that should be groveling at your boots?" Arthur's voice suddenly asked as the young Brit began to pull up his sage green jacket in an attempt to cover up his botched self-treatment.

"I like to think so. They seemed very happy and at ease when we returned with the detective. After all, morale is key to a unit's survival, is it not?" Frasier mumbled softly before looking over at the faded image of Arthur standing over him with both arms crossed.

"True. Very true, but do not consider them your unit. They are merely just expendable pawns to you and your brothers until an Evac can arrive. Do not forget: your only concerns lie with Noah and Marcus." Arthur hesitantly agreed and accepted as a response before suddenly lecturing him about the other's lives.

"No. T-They're more than pawns to me now. I once thought that they had no use beyond taking a potential bullet for us, for me…but I think I might be wrong about that. I…I think they're my friends." Frasier denied as he shook his head, standing up and walking over to the edge of the rooftop to look out at the scenic view as he confessed how he began to feel closer to those that dwelled downstairs.

"We'll see about that, lad. Just you wait until you need them to come save your sentimental arse from trouble. See how quick and eager they'll be to respond when they have to get their own hands dirty." Arthur snarled before all went silent again, leaving Frasier nothing but a soft breeze that blew his noticeably longer hair over his eyebrows.

He now just stood there; contemplating just how far he should allow himself to trust these people he'd otherwise consider strangers had the world not ended and forced him to interact with them. The training and numerous lectures should've made him wary of placing any faith into those weaker than himself, yet Frasier couldn't bring himself to judge them nearly as harshly as he did at first glance. While there was plenty of room for improvement around here, this was a good start to him.

"Maybe you're right…but not today, father." Frasier said under his breath as he thought about Takashi's group, recalling the joy they all seemed to display, as well as the genuine look of approval and acceptance he personally received when he stuck to his promise; forming a faint smile between his lips as he continued to watch the clouds slowly pass on by. He started wondering if Lulu would've enjoyed the calming sight as much as he did right now.

The door to the roof suddenly opened up, but the scenery however was too captivating to him to be bothered by it. His ears slightly twitched the louder the footsteps from behind grew; eventually breaking him from the otherwise calming moment to turn around and see who it was that had decided to approach him. He pulled his jacket back on before they could have a chance at seeing what he was really doing up on the roof.

"Takashi-san? What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be downstairs with the others celebrating?" Frasier questioned, speaking as if he was genuinely surprised to see him of all people up here with him.

"I'll be going back soon enough. However, it's sort of good that it's just the two of us right now. I just have to say something to you then I'll leave you alone, alright?" Takashi said before expressing that he had an actual reason to be talking to Frasier now of all times.

"Alright..." Frasier said as he nodded, his voice showing some hesitation as he was quite curious what Takashi could possibly want to talk about.

"I just wanted to say thank you, not just for sticking to your word by keeping Saeko-chan safe, but also what you did to help Rei and her family. I doubt anything I could've said or done at this point would've been enough to keep her from charging head first into that school." Takashi said in a fractious voice, crossing his arms as a soft breeze went by. Frasier somewhat was taken aback by the fact Takashi actually bothered to show his gratitude for rescuing Tadashi from Shido's group.

"I see...well I did it for my own reasons, but at least it worked out for everyone. Umm...may I say something I've had on my mind about you now?" Frasier replied as if unable to accept the credit for his deed, then proceeding to catch Takashi off guard by having something to say himself about the former leader.

"Me? Well you might as well since we're both here." Takashi said in agreement as he was now curious to hear what the towering Brit had to say to him.

"I think I finally understand why you were the leader of your group, despite how weak you are compared to Saeko-san, Kohta-san, and Miyamoto-san." Frasier announced without any hint of humor in his voice, completely straight faced the entire time as Takashi just stared at him, uncertain where he was going with this.

"It's because of your weakness that you can relate to them and understand them on a far better level than I could ever hope to. You were one of them from the beginning, and you knew how to react accordingly to keep them together through the worst of the trials you must've encountered out there." Frasier then admitted, as if the reasoning behind Takashi being their leader had truly managed to dig under his skin for whatever reason. The young teen however was somewhat more relieved when it didn't sound like there would be an issue between the two.

"So I want to give you my thanks now for protecting Saeko-san while I could not. She's...she's a really close friend, and losing her would've really been a personal loss to me. I can see why she likes you so much now, and I think she picked right." Frasier than lamented as his voice carried deep shame, hardly able to contain his emotions or the possibility he saw her as more than just a friend before the world came to an end, only to catch Takashi off guard a second time now when he showed actual approval for her choice.

"Thanks...to be fair though, we would've been screwed if you and your brothers didn't show up at that construction yard." Takashi muttered, uncertain how to react accordingly before reminding that they weren't exactly about to end on a good note before the Lawson's had intervened.

"True, you have Alice-chan to thank for that. I'm sorry that you had to endure so much, Takashi-san. It can't be easy for a civilian to do a soldiers job. Luckily, now that I'm in charge,you'll be able to recover." Frasier agreed before recalling how it was the little girl he'd soon befriended that was able to help lead them to Takashi's group just in the nick of time to begin with.

"Yeah...no kidding. I uh, I don't suppose you have a plan for dealing with Shido's group? Knowing him, he's going to take this attack very personally, and he will use all his resources to get even with us." Takashi smirked as he was glad to have been the one to rescue Alice, knowing that ever since they took her in,she had been nothing but help every step of the way through.

"Their base is far, but I have considered the potential retaliation. Should he assault this hotel with those cultists of his in their current state, it will be a slaughter for them. We have the high ground, superior combat training; and after a raid like that, their morale will be broken for quite some time. However, we will remain vigilant nonetheless for their next move." Frasier answered, speaking with utmost confidence and bravado in his demeanor before Takashi couldn't help but shoot him a baffled look.

"You seem so certain of this. What will you do should they manage to catch us off guard or find some kind of edge that would give them an advantage? How can you be so calm about this?" Takashi prodded as he raised an eyebrow, uncertain what else this guy had up his sleeves that made him so fearless despite the odds.

"I've been trained to destabilize entire armies should the need arise. To defeat a force larger than oneself requires perfect finesse and tactical precision. We cut off the head, and then the rest of the body will crumble and wither away." Frasier then proceeded to answer as Takashi realized that he didn't intend to take on the entire group head on like he expected.

"So you're saying if worse comes to worst…we should kill Shido and the rest of his group should follow?" Takashi asked to confirm that he understood Frasier's phrasing properly.

"Precisely." Frasier acknowledged before nodding to confirm Takashi's question.

"I guess that makes sense. I just wish I wasn't so helpless right now." Takashi said as he was able to feel somewhat better about their situation before showing regret that he couldn't fight back the way the others still could.

"You're doing just fine, Takashi-san. The best you can do right now is keeping the others together while I take care of any shite that makes the mistake of getting in our way." Frasier said out of unexpected sympathy, causing Takashi to smile a little as he realized there was still more to surviving and holding a group together than sheer force.

"Sounds like a plan to me. I really wasn't sure what to think of you when we first met, but I think it's safe to say that you're on our side now. I'm sorry if I ever doubted you." Takashi said before apologizing for how he and the others would openly question Frasier's motives and sanity at times where it wasn't fair to judge him.

Before Frasier could respond, they both noticed someone else was now approaching from downstairs; both forming a soft smile when little Alice came running up with Zeke not too far behind with his little tail wagging out of sheer excitement no doubt. Takashi slowly knelt down on one knee to get on her level and hear what news she undoubtedly had for them.

"Rei's mom made us lunch! Come get some while there's still any left!" the energetic child announced with a wide smile when she stopped just before practically crashing straight into the two young men.

"Thanks for telling us, Alice-chan. We'll be right there." Takashi replied with a warm smile, playfully tussling her hair which made the young child giggle in response.

"I'll stay up here and watch. You can go on without me." Frasier then announced as he turned to face the rest of the city, knowing where his place was right now.

"Ah, come on. You said they won't be doing anything anytime soon." Takashi suddenly brought up, inviting Frasier to join them as well as using his own words against him so he'd be more likely to agree.

"Hmm...I guess it wouldn't hurt if I left for a quick bite. Alright, let's go." Frasier sighed before shrugging his shoulders, knowing that it perhaps wouldn't hurt to lower his guard for a bit; turning to see both Alice and Takashi alike where smiling at his sudden change of heart.

"C'mon! Hurry up, slow pokes!" Alice suddenly shouted as she darted back for the stairs, almost challenging the two teens as they let out a soft chuckle before running after her and leaving the roof entirely vacant for the first time in weeks.


	14. Chapter 14: The Little Things in Life

**Z-Day+17**

With Tadashi Miyamoto finally secured and stabilized, the group sat around their dining table; enjoying a quick lunch prepared by Kiriko. Johann and Hitomi both eagerly explained every detail of the rescue bit by bit; naturally keeping the more violent parts to themselves for the sake of Alice and everyone else's appetites. Expressions of amazement and shock could be seen on everyone's faces, but one thing was unanimous amongst them: Hope had finally been restored.

"Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun. Shame I couldn't come along," Rika remarked, acting somewhat passive aggressive when she briefly glanced over to Frasier since he was the one who made her stay behind.

"I trust these three far more; especially considering I don't even know you. Besides, I'd prefer to keep someone almost as skilled as myself in terms of combat on watch over the hotel in my absence," Frasier retorted; earning an irked look from Rika while Hitomi looked to be quite flattered by that remark.

"Aww, you trust me now, Frasier-san?" Hitomi asked with a rather wistful sigh while giving a warm smile that made Frasier shrug his shoulders nervously before looking away; almost as if he were embarrassed to admit she was officially on his good side now despite all their previous arguments.

"'...almost as skilled...'? Ha; interesting choice of words considering I beat you the first time we met," Rika scoffed; causing Frasier to slightly tense up when the rest of the group all began to look at him in surprise to hear that he'd been beaten.

"That was a draw and you know it," Frasier grumbled; trying his best to ignore the fact he'd been careless and grossly underestimated her close-quarter skills; let alone the very thought he'd been forced into a draw in the first place.

"I had a gun to your temple and you had a knife to my throat. Think you would've been fast enough, kid?" Rika said with a wider smirk before playfully winking at the baffled young man who remained silent and looked disdainfully at his remaining food. Marcus and Noah meanwhile enjoyed every second of this, astonished to see someone able to get under his skin as easily as Saeko.

"Wait, she beat you? Ha; what I would've given to see that," Marcus exclaimed; curious to see how this would play out between the two, almost certain that Frasier would try and even the score and challenge Rika at some point to determine who was the better fighter. If not for the challenge itself, then pride would certainly be enough to motivate him.

"It was a tie," Frasier grumbled, trying to keep his voice restrained despite how obvious it was that his pride had taken a serious hit. A soft course of giggles and chuckles erupted as he began to turn red in the face.

"Can you guys please stop arguing?" Rei pleaded as it was quite clear that fighting amongst themselves, no matter how minor, wasn't going to help anyone. The others soon calmed down long enough to see their new leader was definitely not amused.

"Yeah, we're all on the same side here," Kohta added with a bit more enthusiasm before scoffing down the rest of the quick meal of sliced up beef, vegetables and white rice Kiriko made for them.

"Besides, we have more important things to worry about; like what our next step should be. We might be stocked for a while, but we might need to plan beyond just a month," Saeko then advised in her calming yet somewhat emotionless voice before her signature glare swept around the table to see everyone was in silent agreement with her.

"Well, the first thing we should talk about is what we'll do about food. Water shouldn't be an issue even if the water plantations go down since we have those filters to gather from the river or through any rainfall," Saya suggested as she earned a few nods of agreement.

"Food? What about security? Shido's group is still a considerable threat, and to ignore that is a huge oversight on our part," Marcus brought up with no humor in his tone; feeling certain that despite their raid to break Tadashi loose, plenty of those people were still alive and kicking.

"I hate to add onto the list, but we really do need to find more medical supplies. I'm down to just my special gel and a few strips of gauze now," Shizuka reluctantly announced; hating that she had to be the bearer of bad news when the group already had enough to worry about.

"If we can be evacuated by the Self Defense Force or whoever is left standing, then none of this will even matter! If we could contact them somehow, we could-" Rei said aloud, as if she actually expected there to still be some form of government power still active despite the state of the world at this point.

"You really think that any government, if they're even still alive to begin with, would give a crap about us? Face it, we're on our own until the dead starve or rot or whatever the hell it is they do after going without food," Saya harshly argued as she stood up; effectively cutting Rei off as the two glared at one another.

"Oh, like you've got it all figured out! You can't even defend yourself! We always have to be watching your back for you," Rei defensively answered in a spitfire of anger as she refused to be talked down to like some naive kid.

 ***clang* *clang***

"You guys are acting like little kids! We don't interrupt when someone else is talking! And we don't raise our voices when inside," Alice suddenly lectured after tapping her cup to the table the way a judge would slam their gavel to restore order to the court. The others instantly fell silent as they realized just how right she was; somewhat embarrassed and ashamed that a little girl of all people was now the voice of reason amongst them.

"She does have an excellent point. If we can't even properly communicate, then we might as well walk into the jaws of 'Them' to save time. Besides, it's not up to us anymore. It's up to him," Saeko agreed with the spirited child who smiled back,feeling proud to be a part of the discussion, before the young samurai then motioned towards Frasier who sat there in contemplation.

"Hmm, there are several things that need to be addressed before a decision can be made. We should meet back here in an hour after we assess our remaining supplies. We might need to split our focus if we're to stay on top of all of this," Frasier deduced, trying his best to determine what priority should require their immediate attention first.

With that having been said, everyone began to leave the dining table one by one. Once he was alone, Frasier let out a gentle sigh as he realized he was going to have to micromanage every little dispute and argument that would arise from this point forward. A nagging doubt forced him to wonder if being the leader was worth the trouble, but then he recalled how happy everyone was after the success of the rescue mission. Before he could think about anything else, he noticed both of his brothers were looking right at him from across the room.

"What? Why are you two looking at me like that?" Frasier asked accusingly; getting up slowly as he walked towards his siblings, determined to figure out what they were up to now.

"You didn't have to help. You could've easily stood by while they rushed off to a suicide mission," Noah finally stated; his voice teeming with pride as he instinctively smiled at his brothers' unusual selflessness.

"I had my reasons for helping them, Noah. Their priorities simply coincided with my own. Besides, if I didn't help Rei-san,you two certainly would've, which would most likely lead to me having to subdue you both; something I know neither of us would enjoy one bit," Frasier said dismissively, as if trying his best to withhold even the slightest bit of evidence that would suggest he cared about everyone here and not just his brothers.

"Oh, don't be so shitty! You can be human every once in a while you know. If you insist on saying you don't care about them then go ahead, but your actions speak much louder than any of your words will," Marcus playfully argued as he lightly slugged Frasier in the arm; the eldest Lawson feeling a sharp pain from the otherwise benign punch due to the graze wound. However, he remained straight faced and simply ignored it with silence.

"Besides, Saeko especially took notice of your decision to become our leader. Women love a man who takes charge; don't you know that?" Marcus then casually whispered mischievously as he took great pleasure in making Frasier turn a soft shade of red at the thought; Noah having to restrain a laugh of his own when he noticed.

"She did? Er, well, I think they all noticed given how I gave up my secret to them. Besides, I didn't do it for her affection; I have no need for it now. There are more important things to be concerned with," Frasier nervously blurted out in a slight stammer before composing himself long enough to think up a quick counter.

"Good save. I'm sure you don't care what she thinks about you and where she occasionally looks when you aren't looking. We'll leave you be though, for now anyway. We gotta go check the defenses and make sure there are no holes in our little patch of paradise," Marcus answered sarcastically, making it quite obvious as he rolled his eyes in disbelief that Frasier was being so stubborn about something so obvious. Noah lightly nudged him in the ribs to lay off, as well as remind him of what they needed to get done.

"Oh! And we're both very proud of you, Frasier. Despite your normal attitude, it's good to see you're still one of us when push comes to shove," Marcus added, which only spurred a raised eyebrow from Frasier as he had yet again been caught off guard by the odd choice of words his younger sibling had decided to use.

"'One of us?'" Frasier repeatedly confusedly as he had no idea what Marcus was hinting at now.

"You know: human; and not a mindless drone that can't think or even feel for himself. Something I'm... somewhat guilty of calling you," Marcus admitted as he seemed somewhat ashamed of himself now.

"I don't think I recall you ever calling me a drone," Frasier stated bluntly as he was now trying to think of when Marcus might've actually said such an unusual thing.

"Well, not to your face anyway," Marcus confessed; only to see Frasier form an annoyed frown in response. However, his look soon shifted into one of understanding before a soft sigh escaped his lips.

"Don't worry about it. I've understandably earned that title; but even so, it's worth it if that's what it takes to survive. Now go check on our defenses and report back to me with your findings," Frasier reluctantly agreed before shrugging it off, almost as if he believed it himself; watching both of his brothers nod in understanding only to take off, leaving him alone with just his inner thoughts before he looked out the window in deep contemplation.

 _Meanwhile…_

Kohta found himself in the pantry with a notebook in hand,writing down careful observations over just how much food was left, as well as how soon some of it would be expiring; trying his best to remain focused instead of helping himself to a quick snack, despite having eaten just a few minutes ago. Before he could be tempted any further, he turned just in time to see Saya standing before him.

"Ah! Takagi-san! You've come to help me check on the stock?" Kohta exclaimed in surprise before calming down somewhat when she didn't seem remotely irritated by his rambling for once.

"I think you're more than capable of counting food by yourself. I just wanted to take this moment to speak to you about something," Saya replied sharply before dropping the biting attitude and speaking in a more serious tone.

"Oh, yeah? What about?" Kohta asked nervously as he had no idea what would possibly be on her mind that would make her come to him like this; knowing if she wanted to insult him, she'd just do it in front of the others as she normally would.

"What do you think?! I wanted to apologize for what happened when you tried to teach me how to shoot…for acting so reckless and stupid," Saya grumbled as she made it clear that she didn't come here for pleasantries. A sullen silence from Kohta made her realize being angry wasn't going to make her apology seem nearly as genuine as she wanted it to be.

"Look, I know I messed up! Don't act like it was nothing! I was careless and nearly killed all three of us..." Saya began to admit as if it was the hardest thing she'd ever had to say; her voice carrying heavy regret and remorse in every word.

"So what?" Kohta asked bluntly, effectively cutting her off and leaving her dead silent.

"Huh?" Saya asked in honest confusion, not expecting him at all to be so…nonchalant about almost getting killed as a direct result of her actions.

"So what if you messed up? We all make mistakes, Takagi-san. You're really going to cry about it now?" Kohta asked apathetically; showing no room of emotion as he made it clear her mistake did not affect him nearly as badly as she thought it did; turning to face her with an all too stern expression that matched his now intense tone.

"Hirano-san..." Saya muttered, absolutely stunned and in awe at the sudden and rather welcome change of attitude; honestly uncertain whether she should be angry or attracted to such a manly shift of character.

"I'm sorry! I just didn't know what else to say to that! Normally you're so fiery and in control of things, so hearing you talk like that just felt so wrong," Kohta instantly backtracked out of regret as he didn't mean to come off so harsh; worried he probably made things even worse for her now.

"I...don't be. It's nice to see that you're not entirely a pushover. I'm kind of impressed actually," Saya admitted truthfully before adjusting her glasses, not realizing how good that made him feel right now.

"Heh…r-really?" Kohta stammered before giving her a confident smirk that made Saya realize he was openly checking her out.

"Yes, so stop looking at me like that," Saya demanded out of sheer embarrassment before crossing her arms and staring right back.

"And if I don't?" Kohta then asked as he only smirked wider and stared at her curiously.

"Agh; quit it right now you pervert," Saya scorned in embarrassment; shaking her head as he kept staring at her, like he could physically see her weaknesses now.

"Make me," Kohta said cheekily, curious to test the waters and determine how far she could be pushed.

"Fine, I will," Saya growled as she balled her hand into a fist; trying her best to control her otherwise volatile temper.

"I'm waiting," Kohta teased with a smirk as Saya just glared at him with both eyes wide open, yet remaining dead silent for what felt like an eternity to her.

"Ugh, you're SO lucky I'm feeling apologetic right now...you better watch your back Mr. 'I'm So Smooth'," Saya grumbled as she was at odds on how to feel in regard to Kohta's more assertive side; a sight she'd never expect to see in this lifetime from the normally timid otaku.

"Good to see you're already back to shouting at me. It kinda felt wrong hearing you all mopey and regretful. It's not like you at all," Kohta said with relief; earning a slightly concerned raise of the eyebrow from the short-tempered girl.

"What? Is that all you think of me? Just yelling and being a bitch at every opportunity I can get?" Saya asked with noticeable regret, almost as if Kohta's assumption legitimately hurt her.

"I mean, you do have a short temper, don't you?" Kohta asked as Saya realized that this was most likely the first thing he, along with the others, thought whenever her name was brought up; since she sure as hell never did anything to make them think otherwise.

 _'Ugh, focus, girl! You're supposed to be apologizing, not worrying about what he thinks of you,'_ Saya's inner conscience barked as she had to shake her head and regain focus.

"Okay, maybe I do overreact at times. I guess I'm just not a happy person in general. Being expected to do nothing short of the best can get to a girl after a while, you know?" Saya reluctantly admitted as she couldn't believe she was opening up to Hirano of all people now.

"You don't have to be the best at everything, Takagi-san. Nobody is perfect, no matter how cute and smart they might be," Kohta said in reassurance as he lightly nudged her shoulder; her cheeks burning red after hearing such a thing.

"I...s-stop it! I came here to apologize, not to listen to your shameless flirting," Saya said somewhat shyly before lowly growling in frustration at herself. She absolutely hated feeling so out of her element.

"Fine, apology accepted; anything else?" Kohta said bluntly;watching Saya take a moment to process what he'd just said.

"What? You're going to forgive me just like that?" Saya asked in astonishment at his simple response.

"No, I'm going to hate you forever and ever till the day I die, and nothing you do will ever change that," Kohta said sarcastically; making Saya nearly skip a heartbeat until she realized he was giving her a taste of her own attitude.

"Hey! Sarcasm is my thing, fatty," Saya said with a light chuckle before crossing her arms, astonished deep down how well this was going.

"So what's your point?" Kohta asked as Saya seemed irritated that she had to practically spell it out for him.

"My point is I shouldn't be able to get off so easily after messing up like that! It's been driving me crazy lately, and I must know how I can make up for it," Saya demanded as she couldn't stand feeling so conflicted over her actions anymore.

"You wanna make it up to me? Stop acting like everything is over and just be glad we're all still in one piece. Just don't give up, Takagi-san. You'll learn to shoot in no time," Kohta answered sternly as he truly didn't seem to harbor any resentment towards the pink haired genius.

"I-I...thank you, Hirano-kun," Saya nervously thanked as she bowed her head, completely at a loss for words again.

"Are you sure you're not mad at me? Not even a little?" she then pried, as if she had to make absolutely sure that he wasn't just trying to spare her feelings.

"Well, I mean I'd rather not blow up anytime soon; so if we could live by that policy, I think everything will be square between us; deal?" Kohta suggested as he watched Saya genuinely smiling at his sense of humor for once.

"Deal; now if you'll excuse me, I should go check up on Komuro-san to see if he's feeling as forgiving," Saya eagerly agreed before getting up and heading for the exit.

"And afterwards?" Kohta then asked as he watched her pause, but she kept her back to him while slightly glancing at him over her shoulder.

"Maybe you can show me how to clean the guns? It looks really important so I want to help," Saya suggested before continuing to walk on.

"It's a date then," Kohta enthusiastically said with a proud thumbs up; his face turning to pure horror in realization to what he'd just said as Saya stopped in place.

"Ack! Figure of speech," Kohta immediately backtracked as he held his hands up in defense, as if expecting Saya to make a full 180 and swing at him for his slip of the tongue.

"Whatever you say, you dumb otaku," Saya said with a confident smirk as she was glad to at least have some ability to intimidate the chubby gun lover still.

She then marched up several flights of stairs; knowing full well that Saeko had escorted Takashi to their room so he could rest again the last she'd seen them. However, before she could let that happen, she knew now was the perfect time to apologize to him as well. The guilt had practically been eating away at her nonstop despite her overwhelming sense of pride still being intact. She gently knocked on the door just in case they were in the middle of something she didn't want to walk in on.

"Come in," Saeko's voice gently answered as Saya let out a soft sigh of relief to be spared the embarrassment of disrupting their potential intimacy.

The door slowly creaked open as the otherwise headstrong and overly aggressive genius nervously walked in. Takashi was comfortably resting on the first of two beds whilst Saeko was carefully cleaning her prized katana; no doubt after having used it on some poor bastard during the rescue mission.

"Oh, it's you Takagi-san...is everything alright?" Takashi asked, slightly taken aback that she'd come up to their room even though there were so many other things she would've normally deemed far more important to do right now.

"Yeah; if you have a moment, I just wanted to say something that I should've a lot sooner," Saya replied as she spoke in such a soft and somber tone, it was like she was an entirely different person to them. However, Takashi nodded in silence as he allowed her to continue.

"I wanted to apologize for my lack of control when we went out with Hirano-san for shooting practice. It was foolish on my part to act so reckless; for getting so goddamn careless just so I could prove I was as good as you and everyone else. My own hubris got you hurt. Hell, I could've killed all three of us had that soldier been any closer," Saya began to apologize as she looked straight at Takashi, only to then quickly look away when his gaze was locked on her. A part of her was now agonizing as towhy she was so embarrassed and ashamed now, despite knowing this was the right thing to do.

"I...I don't know why I feel so bad. You're going to live, and the damage wasn't nearly as severe once Shizuka-sensei patched you up...yet, here I am trying to get this stupid guilt off my chest," Saya began to express in a more angered tone before managing to take a deep breath and calm her nerves.

Komuro-san... I wish I could make it up to you somehow. I-I'm sorry," Saya murmured as she clenched both fists, unaware he'd gotten up and was now standing before her until his body blocked the light coming from the nearby window.

She looked up at him with uncertainty, completely at a loss for words when Takashi suddenly and simply hugged her like nothing had changed between them at all. How both he and Kohta could possibly be so nonchalant about this was all she could think to ask herself as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes that she was fortunately able to hold back for now. Her arms gently held his sides as she embraced his silent yet crystal clear forgiveness; feeling beyond relieved now that she'd finally gotten the words out and knew there were never any hard feelings between them.

"Just be more careful, alright? I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to keep my life through the rest of this," Takashi remarked with a good-humored smirk that earned a slightly irked look from Saya.

"I...yeah, me too. I should go now," Saya began to retort, ready to chastise and belittle him as she normally did. However, she managed to keep her cool and backed down long enough to take her leave without retaliating in the slightest; still astonished at how forgiving both Kohta and Takashi were towards her despite the severity of her mistake. This was a moment that would certainly not be lost upon her anytime soon.

"That was...unexpected," Saeko briefly commented as if amused by the otherwise touching scene she'd just witnessed.

"Trust me, that was a lot for her to admit right now, but it's good to see that she's at least aware of her actions," Takashi said as Saeko cocked her head, slightly surprised by his tone that would almost suggest he was reprimanding her for her choice of words.

"You make a fair point. So, how do you feel about this whole situation? I noticed you were awful quiet back there," Saeko agreed before asking about Takashi's peculiar silence this afternoon.

"Does it really matter what I say at this point? I'm not the leader anymore, remember?" Takashi grumbled as he shrugged his shoulders in indifference.

"I know that, but your voice still matters to all of us, and to me," Saeko said in an effort to raise her boyfriend's spirits.

"I guess so. I don't know what to really think at this point though. It seems like all we do is take one step forward only to immediately take two steps back," Takashi confessed with a somewhat tired sigh at their endlessly difficult situation.

"Do you worry about your parents at all?" Saeko then asked; catching the teenage boy completely off guard.

"All I can hope for now is that my mom made it out from her work in one piece. My dad…I could care less about what happened to him. He was never around for me when I needed him the most; and on the rare occasions he was home, all he ever did was belittle me, like anything I managed to accomplish was meaningless," Takashi replied with bitter contempt for his father; Saeko giving him a concerned look as her boyfriend continued to ramble.

"You don't have to tell me anything that's too painful for you. I understand, my love," Saeko said softly before gently resting a single hand upon his shoulder; earning a brief smile from Takashi before they slowly moved closer for a kiss.

"T-Thank you. So, what about your father? You think he's holding up out there?" Takashi said with clear gratitude before quickly changing the subject out of fluster once their lips had parted.

"Like I said before; my father was overseas at one of his dojos when this all began. He's more than capable of living through this, of that much I'm certain. If he were to fall though…honestly, I'd have little faith in our own survival. Fortunately,he's the strongest man I know yet," Saeko said with the utmost confidence in her father's abilities; certain that he was still out there, and silently hoping that one day she'd be able to find evidence that he was indeed still alive.

"What about your mother? I don't think you've ever mentioned her even once," Takashi then brought up, quickly throwing the otherwise composed samurai off guard as she bowed her head.

"I...she's been gone for some time. I'd rather not get into that. I hope you understand," Saeko then answered sadly. Takashi nodded in complete understanding before she got back onto her feet and began to head for the door.

"We should go help the others. I can rest later," Saeko then suggested as she motioned him to follow her; watching as he slowly approached her, gently taking her hand before they proceeded to leave the room together.

 **One hour later**

Now that the group had had time to think things through and see exactly where they stood with their resources and defenses, they began to gather around the cleared off dining table to report their findings; all of them hoping that they could come to agree on what should take priority for tomorrow without having to fight.

"Hirano-san and I just finished looking over the remaining food. Considering that we have two more people added to the group, it should last us roughly three more weeks if we continue to ration it carefully," Saya answered as Tadashi and Miku both looked somewhat guilty knowing they'd inadvertently made things harder for everyone. Luckily they were instead met with reassuring looks that helped ease their guilt.

"Noah and I checked the barbed wire on the window ledges and the balconies. No one should be able to sneak in without us knowing about it. Although Noah had a brilliant idea about setting up an early warning system just in case we're wrong. Something to do with small cans, bells, and wires," Marcus announced as he seemed rather satisfied with how their defenses were holding up.

"Someone should probably clear out those corpses though. The smell will be a nightmare if we just let them decay," Hitomi also brought up as everyone else nodded in agreement. To them, it was clear that such a thing shouldn't be ignored for the sake of their own health.

"Agreed; we can relocate and burn the bodies elsewhere while someone cleans the stains with a lot of bleach. Until then, keep clear of the outer perimeter. How are we looking ammunition-wise?" Frasier acknowledged as he turned to face Johann and Rika.

"We have plenty of 9mm and 12-gauge rounds left, but we're going to be clean out of 7.62mm rounds if we don't watch it. Also, when's the last time you've cleaned those guns?" Rika stated calmly before asking on the upkeep of their armory.

"Just the other day. Why?" Frasier answered as he was certain he'd personally inspected and cleaned out all of the firearms thoroughly and personally.

"I'm just making sure you know what you're doing, kid. I would have to personally kick your ass on general principal if a gun jammed on me or broke down in the middle of a fight because you didn't properly take care of them," Rika retorted as she leaned back in her chair with both boots on the table; Frasier slowly walking over towards her with a grim look on his face.

"Yeah? Is that a challenge?" Frasier asked threateningly as he slapped her boots off the table and watched her form a sly grin as if expecting more.

"Focus, you two," Shizuka suddenly interjected as she knew that Rika wasn't going to back down despite him being right in her face; somewhat relieved when Frasier released his clenched fist and returned to his seat.

"And just how are we doing on our medical supplies?" Frasier then asked as he remained standing, unable to sit in one place after being agitated so deeply.

"Not good. I used the very last of the good stuff we had on Tadashi-san. We only have a few painkillers left and that's about it. I really suggest we focus on that above all else. If anyone is significantly hurt and I don't have the tools and supplies I need, who knows what might happen?" Shizuka answered as she didn't feel it was right to sugarcoat how severe their situation truly was.

"Before you make any decisions, I need to tell you something very important that I really think you'll want to hear," Rika announced as she stood up, instantly drawing all attention upon herself. Frasier narrowed his eyes as she was the second-to-last person he wanted to hear talk. However, if she was being honest,the least he could do was hear her out.

"Very well, let's hear it," Frasier acknowledged as he leaned back in his seat while keenly observing the tanned woman slowly walking around the room; pacing back and forth as she prepared to explain whatever it was she had in mind.

"Just before I departed from an SDF-controlled ship not too far from the coast, I was told to let any survivors I come across know that there's a joint effort being led by a full company of United States Marines assisted by a second company of our own Ground Self-Defense Force. They aim to retake Tokyo and lockdown a section of the city for a quarantine zone and refugee center where any survivors that can make it there can get the aid they need. In short, we're finally taking the fight to 'Them'," Rika thoroughly explained. The rest of the group looked in sheer awe that there was not only a form of military resistance still left, but one that was actually able to launch a counterattack against the undead. A surge of hope suddenly began to flow through all of them.

"Interesting. They'll need some considerable firepower though to break through what must be several million of 'Them', even when excluding those that left in search of more food outside of the city limits," Noah commented before pondering at the probability of such a risky campaign actually coming to fruition. With the sheer numbers to consider, it almost seemed too good to be true.

"Noah's right. I take it they'll have some kind of air support, or at the very least some armor to handle the thickest concentrations of hordes? Infantry can only handle so many of those creatures at once," Marcus added in agreement as Rika stood there with both arms crossed; looking like they'd almost insulted her by asking such basic questions.

"They know what they're doing. The real question is: what are you guys going to do about it?" Rika replied confidently as she made it clear that it didn't matter right now to her if the joint-effort could handle itself or not. The others began looking back and forth to each other as if a whole new array of options had been opened up to them.

"Do you have a satellite phone? Does it still work?" Frasier then asked as he began to lightly tap his fingers against the table in anticipation of her answer; realizing she must have some form of communication with this expeditionary force, otherwise she couldn't possibly have heard about it.

"Yeah, they gave it to me should I discover any surviving units wanting to help. Why? Have someone you can call?" Rika nodded before asking on his seemingly newfound enthusiasm; curious to see what he had in mind in that puzzle of a head of his.

"Indeed I do. Forget Tokyo! If I can contact my father, then I can get an evac from our own military. The last I heard, England's holding up quite well, still undead-free hopefully. If they were to mobilize right away, we'd be looking at a rescue within the next day, two at the very most. Do you mind if I borrow your satellite phone?" Frasier eagerly announced as the others were taken by surprise at the thought of an extraction from the British military of all things. However, the possibility did seem quite high considering how confident the young man spoke; especially considering his background related to them.

"On one condition, handsome! I want you to promise me that you will do whatever it takes to get the rest of us out of here with you," Rika responded as she held out the thick yellow phone, only to immediately pull it back with a grin on her face when he began to reach for it.

"I...very well! I promise to do whatever I can to ensure that everyone here will be evacuated if I'm able to contact someone back home," Frasier earnestly said, slightly caught off guard by the request; yet in the end, he knew he had no choice but to accept it if she were to cooperate; watching as the sniper formed a smile and leaned in until she was right in his face again.

"Try not to drain the battery. I doubt we'll be able to recharge it anytime soon," Rika said in a soft coo before Frasier eagerly took the satellite phone and began to pound away at the thick keys. A low ring began to go off several times; and to his surprise and disappointment, he only got the answering machine for a response.

"Arthur Lawson, sir! This is Frasier Lawson reporting in for an urgent status update. I regret to inform you that Mark Lawson is...gone. But the rest of us have made it and are in good health. Send an evac team ASAP; we've got fourteen survivors here holding out in a hotel located near the northern edge of Tokonosu City, Japan. Coordinates are the following..." Frasier spoke calmly into the phone, his tone somewhat regretful when mentioning the death of Uncle Mark. However, he remained strong and continued to dispatch the distress signal in high hopes that help could arrive within the next few days should Arthur be able to hear the message. The others meanwhile watched intently as they were hoping someone on the other side would pick up any second now.

"Do you really think this will work?" Saya whispered to Kohta who sat back in his chair with both arms crossed, trying to figure out just how things would play out now.

"It's hard to say at this point. I've never seen him so determined;but with any luck, he'll be able to make contact and we can finally get out of here," Kohta responded before lightly shrugging his shoulders, managing to remain optimistic in spite of the uncertainty.

"And do you think he'll keep his word about bringing us along with him?" Saya then asked with some heavy doubt in her tone, suspicious if Frasier would truly live up to such a promise he might not be able to follow through with.

"He wouldn't go back on his word. If he had no intention of keeping it, he wouldn't have made it in the first place," Saeko suddenly interjected, speaking in a hushed whisper that clearly didn't approve of the lack of support being displayed before her.

"Fair enough; he does seem like the honor-bound type after all. I just don't want any of us left behind," Saya reluctantly agreed, making it clear that she was simply voicing her current feelings on the matter at hand.

"It's understandable, I don't want that either. After all we've been through; it's become rather natural to question everyone else's motives," Saeko said in a more calmed tone, realizing that Saya simply didn't know what to personally expect from Frasier. Luckily, she did though, and she was more than confident that he'd stay true to his word.

"So now what do we do?" Takashi asked as Frasier suddenly hung up the phone and attached the clip through the back to a belt loop on his pants.

"We wait for a response. I advise we prepare to gather resources for the trip to Tokyo just in case things don't work out. It would be a bloody shame if we were to put all of our eggs in one basket and regret it later," Frasier answered, quickly making it clear to everyone that they still had plenty of work to do despite the overwhelming amount of good news and fortune they seemed to be having. He then unexpectedly yawned, barely able to cover his mouth in time, which earned a few giggles from Shizuka.

"Aww, is someone feeling a bit sleepy?" Shizuka asked in an all too innocent coo, finding it somewhat adorable to the point she didn't even think that her choice of words made Frasier sound like he was still just a little boy. The others now lightheartedly laughed and giggled as well.

"Yeah, I'm just feeling a bit light-headed. I guess that rescue took a bit more out of me than I thought," Frasier truthfully answered, unable to even summon the energy to be embarrassed for himself by the childish remark. However, it was kind of sweet the way Shizuka was so eager to look out for them like they were more than just students; a feeling most in the group were more than aware of by now.

"Maybe you should stay here and rest while the rest of us go to see Isao-san. I'm sure the mall will have just about all we need," Saeko advised as she seemed concerned that Frasier had worn himself out so fast; knowing he'd need all of his energy and an unbreakable focus if he was to keep this group together like it was.

"Hmm, I suppose if most of you go, I can still hold down the fort by myself," Frasier relented as he then did a mental count of how much munitions they had back from when they raided Buck's personal supply back at the cabin site.

"I'll stay with you too. Someone needs to be constantly watching my Tadashi. Besides, he and I have plenty to talk about," Kiriko suddenly volunteered; only to then look over at Tadashi and give him a stern nod that made it clear something was on her mind that wasn't to be brought up until they were alone.

"She's right. He's taken some severe damage and will need to recover for some time before he can move on his own, let alone take care of himself," Rei agreed before reiterating what was somewhat obvious to everyone who had seen the extent of Tadashi's injuries.

"Does anyone else wish to stay behind?" Frasier then asked, as if to confirm that everyone else would be going. His answer was quickly given when they either remained silent or simply shook their heads in response when his gaze glanced over towards them.

"Hmm, very well then. First thing in the morning, the rest of you will be heading off to the mall with the SDF truck. Dismissed," Frasier grumbled at first before calmly issuing out the first of many orders for the group; watching carefully how they each would react to his words, somewhat surprised at how eager and willing they were to listen now.

"Hey, Frasier-niichan; can I ask you something?" Alice suddenly requested, almost hesitant in her approach to him since he so easily towered over her.

"Of course, kid. What is it?" Frasier calmly replied as his cold gaze shifted down to look her straight in the eyes. The others all stopped for a moment to see what she had to say.

"Do...do you think I could go too, to pick out some toys maybe?" Alice asked as Frasier didn't seem at all amused by this. However, he simply shrugged his shoulders shortly after.

"I suppose so. Any particular reason you're asking me this now?" Frasier sighed as he was expecting this to be something a little more serious.

"Well, because tomorrow is my birthday," Alice lightly replied as everyone stood there in absolute silence. Even the leader himself couldn't muster up the words to instantly reply to such a discovery.

"Your...what?" Frasier muttered softly as even he knew how important this was to Alice.

"My birthday, silly! I'll be turning eight! Umm...but I know you guys are busy so I won't ask again. Sorry," Alice replied with more enthusiasm before slowly toning it down when she was painfully aware how serious their situation was; almost as if she was now ashamed for showing excitement for her special day.

Before answering, Frasier glanced around the room to see the others had already silently made up their minds on the matter. He knew they'd be in full support, or at the very least they would want to acknowledge Alice's milestone. His eyes then shifted back to her as he simply formed a soft smile.

"I see...very well. You may go, Alice-chan," Frasier gently replied with an approving nod.

"R-really? It won't be a problem?" Alice asked with instantaneous excitement.

"Of course not; just remember to stay close to the others and do exactly as they say," Frasier confirmed; being rather quick to remind her to follow the rules and remain safe above all else.

The young child simply nodded in response before trotting off with a delighted smile on her face. The others all stared at Frasier with smiles and smirks alike at their leader's most unusual, yet most welcomed, display of kindness.

"Well? Off with you lot! You'll be leaving first thing in the morning, so get some rest while you can," Frasier grumbled as he could tell all too well why were looking at him the way they were. He just knew he knew he didn't want them thinking he was getting too soft on them.

 **Later in the night**

The young leader tossed and turned in his bed with his hands clutching the sheets. Sweat beaded down the side of his face as he was caught in the middle of a dream. His mind ran wild, flashing various images before eventually settling on snowy tundra.

A row of children even younger than Noah were lying prone on what appeared to be a firing range. Various mannequins dressed up to resemble either unarmed civilians or armed hostiles would skirt along the track. The ones resembling any hint of a threat were torn apart with immediate hellfire as a response; the hot chunks of lead peppering and shredding the dummies to pieces. The remains littered the surrounding snow on the range as the dream began to focus on the kids, each one wielding a fully automatic firearm.

Behind each child stood an imposing figure, their faces literally blank and devoid of any features. They simply stood in observation as the shooters before them would react as fast as they could to each new target. Casings bounced around the floor as the muzzle flashes flickered and danced around the barrels.

One in particular was so quick on the draw that there were gaps in time left while waiting for more targets to appear. Suddenly, a single civilian mannequin popped up on the range, leading to a quick and decisive cease fire from the young boy. He just watched intently, scoping out the details of the lone figure before him. A woman held what appeared to be a small child in both arms; nothing remotely threatening nor unusual about it.

However, the moment a clearly armed target shifted behind the civilian as if to use it as a human shield, an eruption of gunfire cut both figures down. The cadet had opened fired again, tearing both mannequins apart without any hesitation in the slightest. The overseer at first was taken aback by the ruthlessness of the child, only to then form a smile of approval.

"Very good, X-234. Are you ready for more?" the faceless figure asked softly, barely able to contain the pride behind those words as he marked off something on the list in his hand.

"Yes, sir! A good soldier is always willing to obey, sir," the young child announced after standing up and remaining stiff as a board while awaiting the next order to be issued.

As the two began to march away from the firing range, the entire view began to blur out until Frasier found himself slowly waking up to the bright sun glare in his eyes. Warm breath could be felt against his face only to be followed by a long wet tongue gently licking his left ear and cheek. He sat up only to be greeted by Zeke, who was quite eager to start the day. Naturally he ran his hands along the side of his temples to check if he was in the simulator or not. Just like countless times before, he wasn't; but it made him feel all the better knowing where he was instead of having to guess.

"Morning, pup. Did you miss me?" Frasier rhetorically asked as he began to show the little white dog some fuss by playfully scratching up and down his sides; chuckling a bit and recoiling his hand when Zeke became overly excited and attempted to nip at it.

He stumbled towards a nearby window to see the others were loading up into the SDF truck down below in the parking lot; watching with a strong feeling that he should be going with them as if expecting trouble. However, he knew they were well equipped and could hold their own, even if he'd never actually confess to such a thing were anyone ever to ask him.

He then turned his head in time to see the door to his room carefully being opened by Kiriko. The young woman immediately turned away as she covered the side of her face;realizing he might be in the middle of undressing.

"Sorry, I didn't know if you were up yet. I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. Normally you're up before all of us,so I thought I'd check up on you," Kiriko apologized as Frasier quickly pulled on a plain white shirt to cover himself, silently relieved that she missed his most recent injuries. A hint of concern in her voice however made him curious as to why she'd even care about him waking up later than usual.

"I'm fine. It's not me you should be concerned about though," Frasier reluctantly answered as he watched their truck slowly vanish off into the distance.

"And why is that?" Kiriko asked curiously as she stopped covering her eyes and turned back to face him with both arms crossed.

"Because," Frasier bluntly replied; kneeling down to tie his beat up sneakers.

"Because...?" Kiriko repeated in an inquisitive tone, uncertain what he was trying to suggest.

"Because I'm the strongest member of this group; I can stand on my own two feet and fight without the aid of others. Does that not sound like someone who is alright to you?" Frasier said in an irritated groan, clearly in no mood to be prodded.

"In a way: yes and no. I'm glad to see you're not hurt after what you did for this group, for my family; but there's more to worry about than your ability to fight," Kiriko answered, showing a deep sense of gratitude and concern for him.

"Nothing else matters. If I wasn't alright, I'd say something about it. Why can't everyone just let me be?" Frasier asked bitterly only to then turn his back to her, staring out into the dead city.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry and come off as nosy. What you did for us means more than you can possibly imagine, and I wanted to make sure you understood this well," Kiriko suddenly apologized as she realized he was even more stubborn than she thought; trying her best to avoid further antagonizing him as it was clear talking about his feelings and personal troubles only made him more distant. There was something he was clearly trying to hide, but that was for another day. He would only share whatever was on his mind when he was ready to talk about it on his own terms.

"If you need anything from us, anything at all; please don't hesitate to ask, alright?" Kiriko then offered out of gratitude before turning to leave him to himself.

"Wait! There actually is something you can help me with. I'm assuming you know how to bake, yes?" Frasier abruptly announced as he then showed a most odd curiosity Kiriko wasn't expecting in the slightest.

"Of course; it was one of my favorite things to do with Rei-chan when she was a little girl. Why do you ask?" the intrigued mother responded as she was now wondering what would spur such a question from Frasier Lawson of all people; let alone the change in his tone that would imply a genuine curiosity.

"Good. Then I have something you can help me with after all," Frasier said with a smile of relief before slowly walking out with her and down the hallway towards the kitchen; Kiriko smiling to herself as she had a good idea of what he was planning now.

 **Twenty minutes later**

The transport truck slowly came to a halt before parking directly in front of the shopping mall. Saeko, Rika, and Kohta were the first ones out; taking a moment to check that the otherwise vacant parking lot was indeed secure. Rika then let out a low whistle to signal that everything was fine for the time being; watching as the rest of the group hopped out the back of the truck and headed towards the two large entrance doors.

"You guys think Isao-san is doing alright? It has been awhile," Takashi asked nervously as he noticed the doors were missing the chain that was wrapped around it last time.

"It's only been ten days since we last saw them," Shizuka said with clear optimism in her words; certain that any second now little Kenji would come running to see them the moment they set foot inside.

"Yeah, but the way things are now, ten days is plenty of time for things to go really bad really fast. Let's just stay alert and see if they're still holding up in that antique shop," Saeko pointed out as they were quickly reminded as everyone slowly brought their weapons back up just in case she was right.

Without Frasier to lead them, Rika naturally assumed command of the group, and the others didn't seem to have any problem with that given her background. She stood by watching as they all passed through the front doors; somewhat curious how this mall still had any power despite the EMP just two weeks ago.

"So who's supposed to be here again, Zu-Zu?" Rika asked curiously as she watched the others advance further in while her close friend stayed back.

"Just an old man and his grandson. They were very friendly, and we even traded for some of his medicine. Hopefully we can get something stronger this time around," Shizuka replied as she seemed quite eager to see them again.

"That so? Good to know it's not entirely desolate out here. I saw a lot of people I used to know on my way through the city. It's a goddamn shame how many we've already lost," Rika mumbled at first, only to catch the concern in Shizuka's eyes when she detected a more somber tone at the end.

"It's horrible; but with people like you, we can still save those left," Shizuka said with a hopeful smile that gave Rika some minor comfort before she managed to smile herself.

"Flatterer. So...I see we've got some real lookers in the group. Have you...?" Rika said with a sly smirk before her voice instantly lowered to that of a hushed whisper; the blonde nurse instantly leaning in out of curiosity.

"Have I what?" Shizuka asked curiously, as if she actually needed the sniper to spell it out for her.

"Oh, don't act so innocent! You're telling me you've been surviving with several cute guys and haven't taken ANY to the sheets yet?" Rika prodded as she made it quite clear what she was referring to. Shizuka's beautiful yellow eyes instantly flared with embarrassment the instant the last syllable left Rika's lips.

"Rika; they're my friends, silly! I couldn't do that! Not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind...no! Bad thoughts! Must focus on getting more medical supplies first," Shizuka whined as she began to linger on the lewd thoughts she'd been suppressing for days now; practically covering her ears as she tried to block out the mental images.

Rika on the other hand was simply chuckling at such a sight as she watched her best friend dart away to avoid further temptation; feeling certain that she'd come around to her senses sooner or later. She then turned around on her heels to check that nothing was following them into the mall; letting out a soft sigh of relief when met with an empty parking lot, only to then shut the doors behind her for good measure.

"You guys are back," Kenji's voice suddenly called back as his tennis shoes could be heard squeaking against the mall floor. The girls were already giggling at his adorable excitement of their return before watching him and Alice dash up to one another like old friends.

"Yeah, we thought to check up on you and make sure you were okay. Oh, we also need more stuff too! Is that okay with you?" Alice exclaimed as she explained their reason for coming back.

"Yeah, I don't mind. But, maybe you guys should ask my grandpa first. I don't wanna get in trouble for giving away something I shouldn't," Kenji replied as he nodded; realizing it wasn't exactly his decision to make. The others couldn't help but agree with his reasoning before following him up to the antique shop.

"Grandpa, look who came back," Kenji said as he walked into the shop with Alice at his side.

The others soon followed; all of them pleased to see that everything still seemed to be in order. There were no signs of trouble as far as any of them could tell. Isao could be seen sitting in that old relic of a chair he seemed so fond of. An inviting smile slowly but surely formed across his face as he began to rise from the chair; walking over to earnestly greet the young survivors.

"Ah, it's so good to see you kids again. I was starting to worry about one of my favorite groups of visitors," Isao greeted them enthusiastically as they all couldn't help but smile in slightly flustered embarrassment to be spoken of so highly.

"Aww, well we thought we'd stop by to check on you guys and see how you two are holding up," Shizuka announced with a rather touched sigh as she gave the elderly man a gentle hug that earned a gleeful chuckle out of him.

"Wait, did you just say 'one of', as in others have been here since our last visit?" Takashi suddenly questioned as he picked up on what Isao was saying.

"That's right. Most were young people such as yourselves. Then again, everyone I meet nowadays is younger than myself. Anyhow, all but one group had been friendly. We even have another group staying with us now," Isao answered as he began to pace back and forth as if looking for something now.

"So there are other survivors still kicking it? Interesting; where are they now?" Rika asked as she was quite pleased to hear that not all had been lost in Tokonosu City despite everything she'd seen; now quite curious as to where these new people might've been.

"There's a small group of what used to be government workers that are using the city hall as shelter. There was another handful that had outfitted a church several miles to the east, but they didn't seem too keen on taking more people in. Then I had a small group of survivors that seemed to be on their last wheel before they stumbled upon me. Luckily I was able help them recover, and for it they decided to stay behind to help me watch this place until things calm down," Isao continued as the group began to imagine what kind of people were living at those settlements, somewhat uncertain whether to be excited or concerned that there were more survivors in the neighborhood.

"And what about those troublemakers you mentioned?" Johann asked with a raised eyebrow, definitely more focused on what could have possibly been yet another threat their group needed to watch out for.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about them. They were just some punks who thought this old dog had no bite left in him. Thankfully that pistol you all traded me scared them off and they've been gone ever since," Isao said in an all too proud tone;somewhat feeling like he was in his prime again just thinking of that moment.

"That's intense. Well, at least you and Kenji-kun are still alive and well. I don't suppose you'd mind if we were to take some more things from the stores?" Takashi said with genuine relief in his voice, almost embarrassed that he had to be asking for permission like a small child to loot what never really belonged to Isao in the first place.

"Certainly. Be sure to say hello to the others out there. I told them not to worry about any of you. You're all good kids," Isao said, quickly followed by a simple nod before he hobbled back to his chair as if preparing to take a nap.

"Thank you, but why would they have any reason to be afraid of us?" Takashi gratefully thanked before prying on why Isao would tell the other groups not to worry about them.

"Uhh, have you looked in the mirror lately? We're armed to the teeth here. I'd be cautious as all hell if I saw us walking out on the road," Kohta suddenly brought up as everyone took a moment to self-evaluate their image, only to realize that they all had at least one deadly weapon per person save for Shizuka, Alice, and Miku.

"Geez, I guess we should really be more careful how we approach people from now on," Hitomi suggested as the others instantly nodded in agreement, now immensely glad they hadn't run into anyone who would've decided to take no chances as soon as they'd seen them.

"Agreed; now let's move out and get what we need. Same deal as last time, people," Marcus said before reminding everyone what they came here to do. They all slowly walked out of the antique shop, save for Noah who unexpectedly stayed behind.

"You guys go on without me. I need to talk to Isao-san about a few more things," Noah suddenly announced; the others moving on as Miku remained standing in the doorway, with Marcus hiding nearby to watch her as per Frasier's explicit instructions.

"Is everything alright, Noah-kun?" Miku asked concernedly as Noah was pretty much the only reason she'd come along on this run to begin with.

"Don't worry about me, angel. I'll be there in a moment. Go see what would look good on me," Noah said to help reassure Miku;shooting her a warm smile that gave her some comfort in spite of his otherwise unusual behavior.

"So everything then?" Miku playfully teased as Noah chuckled slightly; watching her blow him a kiss before strolling away to look for clothes.

"What seems to be the problem, young man? I hope everything is alright," Isao asked curiously as he looked across at Noah who was now sitting before him on the floor while the elderly man just managed to sit down.

"I felt I should warn you about a group we've recently come across. They're holing up in Fujimi Academy at the top of the hill to the South, and they're being led by a former high school teacher known as Koichi Shido. They usually stay behind their own walls, but they have sent their people out on runs into the city as well; searching for supplies and potential new members. If you were to run into them, I need to warn you: at first they will seem perfectly normal; friendly even, but do NOT let your guard down for an instant. Those people are ruthless, and they WILL kill you without a second thought if it means getting what they want. Anyone who doesn't play by their rules…well, I guess it goes without saying what happens to them. Whatever you do, don't trust those fanatics, because they will do anything their leader asks of them without question; and I do mean ANYTHING," Noah explained as Isao seemed understandably worried by this; shaking his head as he began to pinch the bridge of his nose with both eyes clenched shut.

"I see...this is troubling news, but it's also good to know. Perhaps I should have that front door secured again so only people we know may come in. Thank you, young man. It does my old heart wonders to know there are good kids such as yourself still around. For the good you and your friends have done for us, please help yourself to anything here you need," Isao sighed with deep remorse in that low huff, showing his gratitude to the young Brit as he was quickly able to smile from the comfort that someone was still looking out for an old man himself.

"Well...there was one other thing I wanted to ask you. I…um…well, I don't suppose this place would have...how do I put this…protection? For…well, you know...?" Noah began to ask, nervously trying to find the right words, only for Isao to begin to laugh at the young man's childish nervousness.

"I certainly do young man; all too well. Take as many as you need. It's not like I'll ever need them again," Isao said with great amusement as Noah's face instantly brightened up to know there were indeed condoms available like he'd silently been hoping.

"T-thank you, Isao-san! You're a bloody miracle," Noah said in a flustered stammer before darting off to gather several boxes of condoms for potential use later tonight alone.

"Ahh, young people...some things never change," Isao sighed nostalgically with the past now in mind; deeply reminiscing on his youth before resting his eyes peacefully.

Meanwhile, Rei and Johann were busy watching Alice as she and Kenji were running around the toy store; trying to find something the little girl would want as a birthday present. It was an all too welcome sight for then to see Alice acting like a little kid still. What she'd seen would break just about anyone, let alone a little girl. Yet somehow, she could still smile and laugh like nothing in the world had changed.

The two teenagers remained silent while watching the children innocently play with each other. From the day they'd first met, Johann could tell just how truly precious Alice was to her group, and she's almost instantly managed to work her way into the hearts of his group as well. It was almost like an unnatural talent for endearment the little girl had. Yet even in spite of how optimistic and innocent she was, he knew it was impossible for her not to have lost anyone along the way. It was one tidbit he couldn't bring himself to ignore.

"So, I'm sorry if this is too sudden, but…what happened to her parents, if I may ask?" Johann suddenly asked Rei, who seemed caught off guard; not expecting that question above all others in the slightest.

"From what she managed to tell us, her father was killed by another survivor who was too scared to let other people hide in their house; and as for her mother…we have absolutely no idea. We've kind of been avoiding that subject with Alice, considering the likelihood of her mom still being alive," Rei responded with great reluctance as she was speaking in a low whisper to keep Alice from hearing a single peep about it.

"Are you sure? I mean, your father survived in spite of the odds. Maybe we can look for Alice's mother when things calm down. Heck, she could still be looking for her little girl as we speak," Johann asked, somewhat shocked by what little hope Rei seemed to be showing in terms of Alice's mother having survived.

"I guess you're right. I really shouldn't be so dismissive;considering all that happened with my dad. Speaking of, I actually wanted to talk to you about that," Rei said as she realized how she shouldn't be so quick to give up on Alice like that; especially after fighting tooth and nail herself to believe her father was still alive even when all hope legitimately seemed lost.

"What's there to talk about? You needed help, he needed help, we got a new ally and crippled that Shido guys' little cult. What else is there to still talk about?" Johann asked as he couldn't even guess what more needed to be said; not even noticing the deeply affectionate look Rei was giving him that would've said it all. He then felt her head suddenly leaning against his shoulder.

"I just wanted to say 'thank you' again, and that what you've done for my family is more than anyone has ever done for me before. I was kind of hoping I could personally thank you and the others with a special dish, but you especially. Maybe you'd like to join me for a private dinner sometime? Just the two of us, a warm meal, maybe some wine if you're up for it of course," Rei said softly while Johann was looking quite ecstatic by the sound of all that. He gently tilted his head against hers for a moment; causing her to slightly blush before he turned to answer her.

"I think I'd like that very much, Rei. But you don't need to keep thanking me for what I did. How could I not after all you've helped me through?" Johann gladly accepted before making it clear she really didn't owe him anything.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked as she looked up at him with those big reddish-brown eyes filled with curiosity.

"Well, you saw how bad it was when I lost…Toshimi. Had you and Frasier not showed up when you did, I wouldn't have been able to handle it. Without her, I was lost and plummeting into this cold dark mental abyss, but you pulled me out and made sure I didn't fall back in," Johann explained; his voice slightly cracking as he felt his heart wrench once more thinking about Toshimi and how dead inside he'd felt after that god-forsaken night.

"I...well, someone had to. I couldn't just stand by and watch you suffer," Rei said as she glanced down a bit; hating those all too recent memories of Johann fighting himself and looking like such a miserable broken shell of his former self.

"And someone had to save your dad," Johann suddenly replied; causing Rei to pop her head back up, realizing he was going to be humble through and through about his heroic deed no matter how she tried to express her gratitude to him.

"Are you going to have a response to everything I can say?" Rei asked as she wrinkled her nose slightly; giving Johann a somewhat playful look as he couldn't help but shoot her a somewhat cheeky smirk in response.

"Maybe. I guess we'll just have to keep talking to find out," Johann said as Rei's lips curved into a pleased smile; feeling more than okay with that.

Both of them went back and forth while Alice and Kenji opened up a packaged set of scooters and began to race down the aisles; their laughter filling the air as they continued to search for more things to play with.

"So how come you never play with this stuff?" Alice suddenly asked out of curiosity as they both stepped on the brakes to their respective scooters.

"I'm usually helping my grandpa. Besides, he'd make me clean this place up if I started opening all of these toys," Kenji replied as he usually disliked the idea of cleaning up after himself, though his respect for his grandfather easily overrode that childish feeling.

"Oh. So, do you think I would have to pay for these if I took any? My daddy always told me it's important I never take anything from a store without paying for it first," Alice said somewhat dismissively before the random thought of her potentially stealing these toys by unboxing them came to mind; pausing shortly after to remember those days where she'd be patiently standing in line with her parents whenever they took her shopping. A more regretful expression took her over as she wished she'd never brought it up in the first place.

"I never thought of it like that before. I know last time you guys gave my grandpa that cool looking gun for medicine. I wouldn't worry about it. It is your birthday after all," Kenji pointed out,only for Alice to be looking even more distant now.

"Hey...are you alright?" Kenji suddenly asked concernedly as he lightly tapped Alice's shoulder; watching as she quickly snapped back to reality and looked at him in slight puzzlement.

"Y-yeah, I was just thinking about something," Alice said somewhat distantly as she then put on a false smile to convince Kenji she was okay.

"If you say so. Wanna race again?" Kenji said before he was immediately eager to continue their little game.

"Sure," Alice sighed before they took off past Johann and Rei,who almost lost track of the two little speedsters; lightly jogging after them as the two kids took great amusement in trying to stay ahead.

Meanwhile, Shizuka and Marcus were hard at work perusing through the numerous aisles of the pharmacy. Half of this stuff Marcus couldn't even hope to pronounce, and yet if the beaming smile on Shizuka's face was any indication, God had decided to stop pissing on them for once and give them a break and give them the meds they needed.

Either way, he was just glad Noah had already cleared out of here by the time they'd shown up. He of course had noticed almost immediately how the entire rack of condoms was nearly emptied entirely, and there was no way he was even going to consider Isao and Kenji having any use for them; and considering the rush Noah was in by the time they arrived, it was the only explanation that made any sense. He still had to resist the urge to bust a gut laughing at what a little horndog Noah had quickly proven to be since they'd brought Miku along; especially if he was actually considering going through half of what must've been here in one night.

However, he too couldn't resist the temptation of the very last box sitting there; especially considering not only his still burning feelings for Hitomi, but also the fact he was alone here with Shizuka too. Making sure nobody was looking; he quickly pocketed the last box for himself.

"Is this what I think it is?!" Hitomi's voice suddenly called out more than loud enough to catch their attention from the next store over.

Curious what discovery she'd made, Marcus and Shizuka quickly darted over to see what was going on; watching as Noah came out of another store; having been drawn to the shouting as well.

"What's all the fuss about?" Noah asked, concerned as to what could get someone as even-tempered and calm as Hitomi to start shouting for all to hear.

"I found a copy of 'I Give My First Love to You'! Just sitting here for anyone to find," Hitomi exclaimed without any shred of embarrassment or shame for practically screaming like a prepubescent schoolgirl over her discovery.

"Oh, I loved that movie when it came out! I know what we're going to be doing later tonight," Shizuka said in an equally excited squeal as they both were practically bouncing with excitement.

"What in blazes are you two going on about?" Marcus asked; looking at them like they'd both lost their bloody minds for a second.

"What my brother is trying to ask is: what is this movie about? 'Trying' being the operative word," Noah added in a more tactful manner as both women managed to calm down long enough to draw a breath and answer his question.

"It's a romance where a young man has a heart condition that makes living past his twenties nigh impossible. He becomes close friends with the daughter of one of the doctors; promising to marry her when they grow up together, yet he's completely unaware of his chances of lasting that long. Eventually, he finds out his time is shorter than expected, so he tries to distance himself from her in order to protect her. Isn't that just adorable and precious?!" Shizuka began to explain as Noah couldn't help but agree with a nod whilst Marcus could only feign any interest in such a movie.

"Yeah, why not?" Marcus said with little to no interest; however, they didn't seem to catch onto it. They simply smiled as if he actually was suggesting he was interested.

"So does that mean you two will watch it with us? We can get the others in on this too," Hitomi asked eagerly, already suggesting that they include the rest of the group before giving them a chance to answer.

"Oh...umm, sure? Not like we have anything better to do anyway," Marcus hesitantly agreed. Hitomi and Shizuka were both far too excited to see it though as they simply smiled and began to look over their newly prized possession.

"Women," Marcus mumbled as he and Noah walked out to go see what progress the others had been making; shaking his head as he couldn't believe he'd just agreed to sit through a romance movie.

"Oh, don't be so sour! It actually sounds like fun," Noah suggested optimistically while his elder sibling just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, maybe if you've got the choice between that or sitting on your hands with nothing better to do. Oh, wait..." Marcus sarcastically retorted before Noah lightly slugged him in the shoulder out of disapproval; earning an amused chuckle from his older brother as he knew he'd won.

"Oh fine, I'll watch the silly little movie with them. Will that make baby Noah happy?" Marcus asked mockingly as Noah let out an involuntary groan of aggravation.

"Stulte, quid dicit?" **(Idiot, says what?)** Noah suddenly said in Latin, a language Marcus had yet to learn; earning a look of utter bewilderment from his brother.

"Err, what?" Marcus asked as he had absolutely no clue what Noah just said to him; feeling a flare of annoyance when his little brother just grinned and turned his back to him.

"Exactly," Noah confidently taunted before walking away with both hands in his pockets.

"Wait, what?! Noah! Hey! Get back here," Marcus said, sounding even more confused than before as he then took off; desperate to know what Noah said. His younger brother suddenly took off running away laughing as he quickly gave chase.

Meanwhile, Takashi and Saeko stood before an outlet that would've been selling various furniture at what was claimed to be the best deals around.

"It looks like one of the people in Isao-san's group is in there. Think I should go say something?" Takashi suggested as he glanced over to Saeko whom simply nodded in response. However, a sullen look on her face made it very clear her mind was elsewhere right now.

"You're awfully quiet this morning. You hardly said a thing on the ride over. Is something the matter?" Takashi asked concernedly as he lightly nudged her shoulder.

"I've been thinking, about…you know..." Saeko finally spoke up, very hesitant to finish now.

"About what? Sex?" Takashi blatantly suggested as her face lit up red at the thought. The teenage boy couldn't help but form a sly grin at such a flustered reaction.

"No! I mean, yes, I have thought about that too...but what I'm more concerned about was what I told you in that temple. Do you remember what I said that night?" Saeko confessed, a tone of fear and sadness overcoming her otherwise confident and calm demeanor.

"You mean...about your darker side?" Takashi managed to put together after several moments of thinking, a somewhat disturbed look now forming across his face.

"Y-Yes, I want to believe I can control it…but, what if I can't? What if I hurt someone I care about because I'm not able to hold back those urges?" Saeko asked; her confidence slowly wavering and giving way to fear, almost as if she were losing all hope by the second the more she dwelled on it.

"It won't come to that," Takashi argued as he simply couldn't see her ever losing herself to such a madness.

"And if you're wrong?! What if I really AM unable to control it?! What then?! I feel I should tell the others so they'll at least be aware of the potential danger I might be to them. It's been eating away at me for days now," Saeko asked impatiently;almost sounding desperate given the way she lashed out. She then felt both his hands lightly holding onto her shoulders;staring at her intently.

"They wouldn't understand! You're much stronger than you think, Saeko-chan. I just can't believe you'd ever attack any of us! Besides, can't you just, you know…take it out on the dead?" Takashi attempted to reprimand, uncertain what to say aside from what he felt deep down; making his opinion quite clear that this was to remain a secret for now.

"Yeah...I guess you're right...sorry for bringing it up. It won't happen again, my love," Saeko somberly replied as she look away; hoping deep down he was right; almost ashamed that he had to see her like this, so powerless.

"Don't worry; I'm here for you, alright? I'll catch up with you later. I'm gonna go meet this group now," Takashi said to remind her that she wasn't alone at all in this personal dilemma. Saeko formed a weak smile as she tried to be optimistic for him.

"Of course; see you around," Saeko gently responded as she bowed her head, her faint smile lost when she turned away and marched off.

Takashi entered the furniture store to see just one man sitting alone with a cigarette in hand. He took a long inhale before blowing it away when he noticed the new young man approaching him. This man who looked to be either in his late twenties or early thirties had a buzzed haircut, two weary brown eyes that seemed heavy from several sleepless nights, yet a warm and inviting smile that made it clear he was friendly.

"How's it going? Sorry about that, didn't exactly expect anyone to drop in today," the young man replied as he dropped his cigarette before quickly crushing it beneath his work boots; waving his hand back and forth to disperse the smoke that lingered around him.

"The name is Murakami Sho. Former engineer and mechanic if that even matters anymore," the man in denim overalls then said as he introduced himself; remaining seated as he looked up at the somewhat silent Takashi.

"Komuro Takashi. Uh, former student I guess?" Takashi awkwardly replied as he wasn't sure how to answer this new stranger.

"Right, that's the name. You're that kid the old timer you're leading a group of survivors around your age if I'm not mistaken," Sho said in remembrance as he pointed a finger at him with a warm smile, as if he was impressed by what he'd been told by Isao.

"I am, well, was...it's complicated. So how did you and your group survive? Just how many of you were there?" Takashi acknowledged before realizing he wasn't exactly taking the wheel of command at this point; quickly changing the subject as he was rather inclined to hear about how Sho's group managed to survive for this long.

"My crew and I were putting on the finishing touches to ensure this place would be fully operational for the opening weekend. We were mostly working the power grids to check for crap like consumption rates, electronic sensors, optimal performances, and emergency functions. You name it and we were most likely testing something for it. It was just another day on the job for us.

"It all started rather ominously when one of our guys didn't return when we sent him out to get us our coffee. We figured the kid was lost in traffic or something, so we thought nothing of it at the time. We all planned to give him hell for it when he got back. Just when one of us was about to dial up the new guy to find out where the hell he was, we get a call from one of the worker's wives. Apparently she was panicking, and it all started going to shit when almost all of our phones began to ring, one by one. It was the same story every time; warning us that we were now in a state of emergency.

"Luckily, they had installed an emergency shelter underneath this place for times of extreme crisis. Although I doubt they had a zombie outbreak in mind when deciding to put it there; but then again, I can't exactly complain either when it kept us all from being eaten. There were about thirty of us when I first closed those doors. Twenty left in search of their families within the first hour. I guess they couldn't stand being cooped up in that small room any longer. They're all probably dead by now..." Sho explained as he spoke in a way that made it seem like it had happened just the other day, emotionally devastated the more he dwelled on the horrific events.

"And the other ten?" Takashi asked reluctantly while Sho just shook his head as if wanting to forget what had happened afterwards.

"You've got me, Masa, Kenta, Hideki, and our supervisor, Megumi. The other five tried to go outside to see if things had calmed down just a few days later, to see if there was any help out there. They eventually came back, but...not as themselves if you know what I mean," Sho answered, having to visibly pause when he recalled the horrific creatures that returned in place of his colleagues and friends; running a gloved hand through his hair before letting out a deep sigh of regret.

"Seems like the same thing everywhere we go. I'm sorry for your losses," Takashi lamented as he had several flashbacks to those they'd lost along the way of their struggle for survival; falling silent for a while as he couldn't help but recall Hisashi's dying face, and how his last words were begging him to finish him off before he'd turned into one of 'Them'.

"Don't be sorry, kid. It's not like you could've done anything to help prevent it. Shit happens," Sho grumbled as if he wasn't in the mood to be taking sympathy from a teenager.

"I shouldn't be so brash. I'm still just trying to wrap my head around all of this," Sho immediately followed up with regret hanging in his words when he watched Takashi recoil slightly from the sudden mood swing.

"It's fine. We all lost someone that day," Takashi said dismissively as he completely understood where Sho was coming from; taking a moment to look over at the rest of his group wandering around the mall; wondering how they coped with their own losses overtime. He then looked back to see Sho rising up only to soon be standing at his side.

"It's a rougher world than it used to be, that's for damn sure. Surely you guys have a working plan if you've lasted this long. Or is this the part where you tell me it was simply dumb luck that got you this far?" Sho asked as he then began watch Kenji and Alice running around below them; slightly smiling as it was a personal relief to himself to see that boy being happy and able to play with someone that was his own age.

"Eh, a little bit of both if I'm being completely honest. Luckily, we learned to work as a team early on and have been handling whatever comes our way so far. Although…I'd be lying if I said we didn't lose anyone along the way," Takashi confessed as he couldn't help but feel that they happened to survive simply for being in the right place at the right time.

"I see...so what do you plan to do now? That hotel is all well and good, but surely you'll run out of food at some point," Sho brought up as he was curious what Takashi and his group had planned for the more-than uncertain future.

"Well, this is something I wanted to let you and your group in on. There's still a steady military force operating offshore, and they intend to retake Tokyo and hopefully establish some kind of quarantine zone; saving anyone who can make it there," Takashi brought up; watching Sho fall dead silent as he was visibly taken aback buy such unexpected news.

"Holy shit. Like, fuck me; that is the best news I've heard all week. Well, it's the only news I've heard, but that's beside the point! How in the world did you find out about this?" Sho began to ramble; completely shifting moods as he spoke with a resolved sense of hope.

"We have someone that was meant to be a part of the operation in our group. She came back for her best friend, and she only told us about it earlier today. It's why we came back here to resupply for the trip. Figured I'd spread the word, save anyone out there while there's still time," Takashi answered as Sho stood up; pacing back and forth as he knew his own group wouldn't be able to travel such a distance on their own.

"This seems like enough reason to get out of the city, but my group can't fight. Not against those monsters. I don't suppose you guys have some extra room?" Sho acknowledged before hesitantly asking if he could potentially merge their groups together.

"I don't know if the guy in charge of my group really wants more people to deal with. He's kinda paranoid, and for good reason too. What exactly can you guys offer us?" Takashi brought up; knowing Frasier wouldn't want a surprise like this dropped on him at times like this.

"Well, that kinda depends on what you need," Sho said as he was hoping deep down there was something Takashi's group needed that they could provide.

"I think we're covered for just about everything. Although...you said you're a mechanic, right? Maybe you can tune up our vehicle or something for such a long trip?" Takashi then asked, recalling what Sho said before bringing up the possibility of altering their vehicle.

"I'll do you one better! I'll tune up and outfit your truck for whatever you might encounter. Maybe I can even add a cow sled to push any obstacles aside, like a miniature tank or something," Sho offered as his face lit up, a mix between desperation and hope in his expression, yet he seemed confident that would be enough to convince Takashi to consider an alliance.

"Yeah, I like it! It's hard to argue against something like that, but I can't promise you anything. I'll run it by our leader and we'll see where it goes from there. Deal?" Takashi said excitedly, well aware though that this was not his decision to fully make; at least not anymore.

"Deal. It'll really feel good to stop moping around and have something I can be useful at again," Sho agreed with great enthusiasm as he got up and practically dashed off to inform the rest of his group, wherever they were, about the good news.

"Alright. Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around then. Take care," Takashi said, soon mumbling to himself as Sho was gone within seconds.

 **Minutes later**

After meeting the melancholy mechanic known as Sho, Takashi rejoined with Saeko, Saya, and Kohta. All of them calmly strolled into the clothing departments, seeing that the place appeared to have remained untouched since their last visit; save for a few missing pairs of clothes some of the mannequins were originally wearing, now left naked and abandoned on their sides.

"Make sure to pick up those thick, reinforced socks while we're in here. I'm noticing tears and rips in the ones we have after all the walking we've been doing. Last thing we need are blisters and sores because we didn't properly prepare," Saeko advised as Kohta and Takashi nodded in acknowledgment before tossing several bundles of what looked like hiking socks into their cart.

"Think we'll need better shoes as well? Mine are starting to wear out," Saya brought up as she looked down at her own two feet.

The white sneakers showed their age right away as the stitching seemed to be slowly but surely falling apart. This prompted the others, aside from Saeko whom wore sturdy combat boots, to take a moment to see their own footwear was also in dire need of replacement.

"I don't see why not. It's not like a few pairs will be missed anyway if things ever go back to normal," Takashi answered as he looked over to see an entire wall dedicated to displaying some of the shoes the back room and nearby shelves had on offer.

"That's a big 'if'," Saya muttered in a pessimistic sigh as they began to split up to search the vacant clothing outlet.

"How do these look?" Takashi suddenly asked as he pulled up a pair of shoes that looked exactly like the ones he was wearing now, albeit they were much better condition.

"They look exactly the same as the ones you're wearing now," Saeko said with a puzzled look as she was uncertain what was so special about them.

"Exactly, I like these ones a lot. Simple, yet comfy. Why? Think I should go with something new?" Takashi answered before curiously asking upon her reaction.

"I guess so...it's your call, but I think you should pick boots over shoes. Notice how mine are still holding up with little to no damage?" Saeko suggested before lifting a foot up onto the nearby bench to make her point. Takashi however, just ended up staring at her well-toned leg with a stunned look.

"Uhh...right. I see what you mean," Takashi answered with a soft blush before walking over to observe the work boots.

Each one looked far more reinforced and sturdy than any of the running shoes the place had on offer. He then noticed they also seemed significantly heavier and bulkier in comparison. Without the proper training, it was unlikely for him to move quietly in them. However, he knew Saeko would want him to at least try some on before they left, so he grabbed a size off a shelf and proceeded to try them on to see if any would work for him.

Meanwhile, Kohta was busy looking through the assortments of sneakers in his size. As much as he was always for efficiency, he always hated wearing boots; they never worked for his feet, so this was the best he could hope for. He was so focused in fact, he didn't even notice when Saya approached him while his back was turned.

"Hey, I can't find this shoe in my size out here. Think you can help me look for it in the back?" Saya asked; nearly causing poor Kohta to jump since she'd been so quiet when approaching.

"I'll try, but why are you asking me?" Kohta asked nervously; earning a quick scowl from the pink haired girl instantly.

"Why does it matter? Are you going to help me or are you going to just stand there with that stupid look on your face? Now c'mon," Saya practically hissed as she had to refrain from raising her voice, both to keep true to her word from earlier as well as avoid the others overhearing them.

"I guess so...let's go see what we can dig up," Kohta sighed as he knew arguing with her would only result in a premature death from her pent up wrath; following Saya into the storage area with the safety turned off just in case there were any unexpected guests lingering inside.

Just as the door closed behind him, Kohta suddenly felt his shoulders being pulled on before his back was up against one of the many storage racks. Before he could even react, the young man instantly felt a pair of warm, soft lips being pressed up against his.

Naturally his eyes went as wide as dinner plates, but after the first few seconds when it finally registered what was really happening, he closed his eyes; dropping his guard as this was the moment he'd been so desperately waiting for. Saya Takagi, perhaps the most aggressive and moodiest girl in his entire school, was finally opening up to him in a way he'd never once expected to see out of her. He eagerly embraced the moment even further by carefully holding her waist as the kiss only deepened. Blissful warmth erupted from his body as all those years of being picked on actually seemed worth it in comparison to experiencing a moment such as this.

Saya then suddenly pulled back as she could see Kohta was left utterly dazed by all of this; chuckling confidently as his lips were still puckered despite her backing up. He slowly opened a single eye to see she was now out of breath and looking at him as if expecting something else.

"W-Well?" Saya asked between her gasps for air, almost as if that simple kiss had completely taken the wind out of her.

"Umm...well what?" Kohta whispered as he had no idea what she was asking of him now.

"How was that kiss?! Was it not the best thing you've ever experienced in your short, mediocre existence?!" Saya growled as she was actually trying to get a rating on how well she did for a first kiss. Irritation naturally hung from her words, her whole face red with embarrassment that she had to actually explain herself.

"Oh! Well I can't compare you to anyone...but I'd say that was one of the best things a guy like me could ever ask for! I think I can die a happy man now," Kohta replied in a nervous fluster;trying to find the right words to explain his reaction to the best sensation he could've ever asked for.

Saya simple grinned with satisfaction from that answer before lightly grasping the collar of his tactical vest; pulling the chubby marksman closer as their eyes met on the same level.

"Don't think about dying anytime soon. I'll need someone to practice this with, get better, and eventually move onto the more adult stuff. Got it?" Saya said in a voice that seemed so confident and imposing it left him absolutely baffled; like she was an entirely different person now, and he loved every second of it.

Kohta's face practically turned scarlet as it looked like steam was about to blow out from both ears after hearing her talk to him like that, let alone the imagery that was now flowing into his young adolescent mind; nearly dropping to his knees as Saya had to practically keep him up before adjusting her glasses. A smug look of satisfaction painted her face before she motioned him to follow her deeper into the storage area.

"Okay, focus! I still want those shoes before you can even think about doing that again," Saya announced as Kohta stood upright, now more than ready to help look for those shoes.

"Yes, ma'am," Kohta responded all too eagerly, making it near impossible for Saya to not chuckle at his intense enthusiasm. She now felt a newfound sense of security and confidence within herself after being able to finally open up to someone the way she did. Even if it was perhaps the last person she would've ever expected it to be with on the planet prior to the end of the world.

Meanwhile, Marcus eventually gave up on his chase for Noah;turning his head to see Takashi and Saeko in the shoe store together, both of them laughing and smiling with each other. Something about that moment made him feel uneasy in his gut; just knowing that despite how many times Frasier had denied it, he was hurting because of it. A part of the middle Lawson brother felt like something needed to be said before it was too late; before the pain would've driven Frasier into madness trying to fight those pent up feelings for the sake of the group.

Marcus took a deep breath as he approached Saeko when Takashi walked off for whatever reason; knowing he had to say something now while neither Frasier nor Takashi were there to interfere. The young swordswoman glanced up as she noticed him approaching her.

"Are you alright, Marcus-kun? What's with that serious look?" Saeko calmly asked as she was curious what it was about Marcus that made him seem more serious than she'd ever seen him before.

"It's about my brother," Marcus said in an almost ominous tone as he was clueless how he'd be able to tell Saeko without Frasier knowing it was him who confessed his most personal feelings for him.

"Which one?" Saeko then asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Which one do you think I'm going on about?!" Marcus replied in a snippy tone out of sheer annoyance, as if he felt she was just being coy at this point; still mad that his older brother was hurting and she didn't even know it.

"What? You have two of them, so be more specific," Saeko practically growled as she remained calm and watched how Marcus seemed to realize how vague his words were.

"Oh...that's right. Sorry, it's just that-" Marcus said in sudden realization before apologizing for his rudeness before attempting to explain what it was that seemed so important; swiftly interrupted when several boxes suddenly fell out of a nearby rack.

"Oops..." Alice's voice whispered as both she and Kenji could clearly be seen watching the two teens, as if they were spying on them.

"Sorry about that. These two had decided it would be funny to run off without us," Rei's voice suddenly announced as she and Johann rushed over to join them.

"Yeah, they're actually faster than I gave them credit for. Oh, you're looking at the shoes. You guys find anything good?" Johann added; taking a moment to catch his breath before changing the topic when he noticed one of the carts had been filled with thick socks.

"Komuro-kun is looking over at the boots as we speak. Takagi-san and Hirano-san on the other hand seemed to have disappeared into the back, for what reason I can't rightly say. It's probably best you guys start browsing yourselves before we leave," Saeko answered, taking a moment to overlook their tattered excuses of footwear before suggesting they do the same.

"Good idea. I'll take almost any reason to get a new pair of shoes. Oh! We can also help Alice-chan pick something for her birthday," Rei said as she couldn't help but agree with Saeko, her voice suddenly booming with excitement as she pulled the group's samurai to go along with her.

Saeko took a moment to look back at Marcus, who had a look of genuine disappointment before he just walked away; fully aware that whatever chance he had to tell her in secrecy had just gone out the window. A feeling of curiosity ran through her before she looked back to Rei; knowing that she'd have to bring this up another time when she could find a chance alone with Marcus without any interruptions or eavesdroppers to interfere.

"Hey! What's with that look?" Noah asked concernedly; completely forgetting that he was being chased just a few moments ago when he saw his brother looking the way he did.

"Charley Horse," Marcus muttered as Noah leaned in to listen; not realizing it was a trap before it was too late.

"Charley wha-?" Noah began to repeat as he suddenly toppled over when Marcus sucker punched him in the inner thigh, causing him to tumble over immediately out of pain and surprise.

"You dick," Noah groaned as he squirmed a bit before eventually standing back up; realizing it could've been much worse had Marcus aimed just a bit higher.

"What else is new?" Marcus asked sarcastically; feeling a little better that he was able to get back at Noah.

All the while as everyone else was still searching through new shoes, Johann was keeping to himself; arms crossed and his brow furrowed as he was deep in thought about something that had been greatly concerning him for the last few days he hadn't dared share with anyone else. However, once he saw Shizuka was essentially alone, and remembering her previous offer for listening to everyone's worries, he figured this would be his best chance to at least get this newest weight off his shoulders.

"Oh, it's you, Johann-kun. How can I help you?" Shizuka asked as if she was expecting someone else to be there when she heard footsteps approaching her. However, she seemed more than okay with talking to him about whatever it was he came for.

"Well, I remembered what you said about…well, us coming to you if we had something we wanted to get off our chests. I just wanted to talk about how I've been feeling. See, there's been something on my mind lately I can't shake off," Johann began to explain with great difficulty, something was weighing very heavily on his conscience.

"Sit down, sit down, sweetie. Let's talk about it," Shizuka said enthusiastically; patting the space on the bench beside her. Johann slowly slumped over into place, his elbows resting on his knees as he was now hunched over.

"So what seems to be the problem? How does your hand feel? Has it been giving you any pain lately?" Shizuka asked concernedly as one of her hands began to gently rub his back to show some motherly support she'd become so well known for.

"My injury is the least of my concerns right now..." Johann began to express; his voice now very low as he looked at the severed stubs on his crippled hand before setting it down and staring at the floor deep in thought over something much worse.

"You're still feeling guilt over what happened to Toshimi-chan?" Shizuka guessed as there was no way the young German man could've possibly gotten over that loss so soon. Nobody would've been able to.

"No. I've come to terms with what happened. I did everything I could to find and save her. I've accepted that she's gone forever and there's nothing I can do to change that. The best I can do now is live with it and make sure it never happens to anyone else," Johann said as he shook his head. By this point, even Shizuka couldn't guess what could've been eating away at him so badly then.

"What bothers me so much is the fact I'm actually feeling happy nowadays," Johann suddenly confessed as he then looked at the concerned nurse with a despairing look of his own.

"I know, it must sound so ridiculous to you...but it hasn't evenbeen a month since she died, yet here I am feeling happy and relieved. It just feels so wrong. I shouldn't be feeling such things; not so soon anyway," Johann attempted to explain, not having the faintest idea himself as to why he felt this way.

"Johann-kun...I know it seems wrong to feel anything but misery after what happened, but you can't go back to those feelings. We almost lost you the first time, remember?" Shizuka attempted to explain reassuringly; looking at him before letting out a remorseful sigh when his hands balled up into fists.

"But I can't feel happy either! It just feels so wrong! Like I'm betraying her memory by getting over it so fast..." Johann said with frustration, clearly angry with himself as he clenched both eyes shut to avoid her from seeing any tears he felt forming up.

"So what do you want? To feel sad and dejected until a certain amount of time has passed? Everyone handles grief in their own way, honey. You gave her a burial, you endured a sorrow many wouldn't come back from, and you chose to fight on. You've paid your dues," Shizuka explained in a calm manner before hugging him tight to show him some much needed affection.

"I almost gave up. I wanted to give up so badly. I wasn't that strong," Johann admitted; remembering clearly how close he came to ending his own life just before Rei had stopped him out in that forest.

"I know that, but you didn't in the end. You had friends who cared about you, who were strong for you when you needed them most. We can't be strong all the time, so we help one another when we're feeling weak," Shizuka explained as Johann bowed his head; trying to take in that point the best he could.

"Yeah...that's true, and I'm grateful to have such good friends such as you, Rei and everyone else. Shizuka-sensei…do you REALLY think it's okay for me to be feeling like this despite what happened?" Johann hesitantly agreed before finally asking Shizuka's final opinion.

"Absolutely. It might not make much sense, but this is what your girlfriend wanted. She wanted you to be happy and alive. That's all that mattered to her despite what happened in the end. Wouldn't you want her to be happy sooner rather than later had you been the one to die?" Shizuka answered bluntly as Johann was completely blown away by such a thought.

"I...yeah...I WOULD want her to be happy. It's all that matters to me. Damn, I wish I talked to you sooner. I think this is actually helping," Johann said, still partially stunned when he realized Toshimi would want nothing more than for him to push on with a smile rather than barely live with such misery.

"Well of course it works. Talking to someone can make all the difference in times like these. Is there anything else on your mind? You should know that you can tell me anything that's troubling you," Shizuka said in her normal bubbly tone as she watched him crack a smile of relief.

"Umm...I guess there is one thing I've been curious about. Do you think it's wrong of me...to...well...?" Johann attempted to answer only to begin hesitating the more he tried to speak up.

"Sweetie, it's alright. Just say it," Shizuka said as she gently began to rub his back again for comfort and support.

"Would you consider it wrong of me to be finding myself attracted to someone? Specifically someone our group?" Johann finally asked in a rush before he fell deathly silent when Shizuka's big yellow eyes just stared blankly at him before she let out an excited squeal.

"Aww, you have a little crush! That's so cute! Who is it? It's not me, is it? Is it me? Come on, tell me," Shizuka began to ask as she immediately barraged Johann with questions that didn't help nearly as much.

"Shh! Not so loud! Someone might hear you," Johann hissed in embarrassment as he covered Shizuka's mouth before she could continue her otherwise playful rant; watching her nod her head before slowly moving his hands away.

"*Ahem* Yes, I think its good you're still able to feel in such ways. It just means you're all the more alive like the rest of us; able to make connections instead of withdrawing," Shizuka then answered in a far more calm and professional manner. However, she still gave him an excited look as she seemed to find it charming that he had feelings for some lucky girl.

"I suppose you're right; t-thank you, Shizuka-sensei. I'm glad I was able to get that off my chest," Johann sighed as he gave her a respectful nod out of gratitude for her guidance.

"Well if you need any more help getting ANYTHING off your chest, you know who to come to," Shizuka said in an all too playful or even seductive manner that had Johann blushing from embarrassment. However, he remained cool and shot her a warm smile before leaving to check on the progress of the others while they searched for more clothes to bring along on the road trip.

 **Twenty minutes later**

After a calm ride home, the SDF truck pulled into the hotel parking lot just an hour before sundown. It was a quick trip, a rather auspicious sign seeing how they didn't see any signs of a large horde in the streets. With any luck, only the undead stragglers remained in Tokonosu while the rest had moved further north; hunting those attempting to flee to the if such a thing were true however, the survivors would most likely keep their guard up simply out of habit.

"Just like last time, guys. Let's get these goodies inside and see what they've made for supper," Marcus announced enthusiastically as it was quite clear he was eager for dinner.

"Isn't it Frasier's turn to cook this one up?" Noah brought up as Marcus slumped over; realizing he was right.

"Bollocks...you're right. Oh well, still better than nothing I suppose," Marcus groaned out of realization as all energy in his voice had dropped; slouching over a bit as he carried several bags up to the twin doors before them.

"Keep a stiff upper lip, Marcus-kun! Have some faith, will ya?" Hitomi suddenly announced in a cheery manner as she passed by him; playfully slapping his rear, which immediately perked him up.

"Ooohhh! I'm not letting you get away with that, officer," Marcus sneered with a wide grin as Hitomi simply winked at him before being one of the first to enter the lobby.

The group steadily came to a halt out of awe and bewilderment though when they saw the large dining table they normally sat at had been entirely decorated. The sweet scent of pancakes wafted through the air as several stacks were set in the center atop a large plate. What stood out most of all were the dangling bits of paper cut out into large letters, each one attached through a long set of string that when combined read out: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALICE. The young girl was absolutely delighted to say the least.

"You guys did all this for me?" Alice asked in astonishment, simply amazed that they were able to do all this despite how desperate everything was.

"Some of the meal mixes had pancakes after all. I figured I'd save them for just such an occasion," Frasier announced as he walked out from the kitchen with silverware in hand before distributing them along the table.

"You really didn't have to," Alice gently sighed as she stared at the steaming stacks just waiting to be eaten already; still in shock that they'd go to such lengths just for her.

"And why is that? Is today not a special day? Have we been mistaken?" Kiriko asked, pretending to sound as if she was rather offended by Alice's hesitation in accepting their hard work.

"Besides, I thought you wanted breakfast for dinner?" Frasier added in puzzlement; certain that she was rather insistent in the past on doing something like this before.

"I-I mean...I just...I wasn't expecting..." Alice began to stutter, her voice filled with mixed emotions as she was now completely flustered before the survivors that had been keeping her safe all this time.

She looked down, both eyes gently shut as tears began to stream down her puffy red cheeks; softly sobbing as they circled around her to ensure everything was alright. Takashi put his hand on her right shoulder while Saya did the same on the left. She gazed up at them; forming a weak smile before looking straight ahead to see Frasier himself kneeling down to her level.

His deep stare always used to terrify her, not knowing if he was angry or upset with her whenever they locked eyes. That deep, sullen silence didn't exactly help either. However, now she saw a look she'd yet to see on him: one that displayed a deep sense of concern and care. Without hesitation, she stepped before the large figure only to lovingly hug him.

"Thank you," the young child gently whispered before she held even tighter onto him. Frasier looked utterly stunned at the otherwise expected reaction as the rest of the group smiled, glad to know she was alright after all.

"'It was nothing, Alice-chan. Now why don't you show us how many pancakes you can eat before it makes you sick?" Frasier reassured her in good humor; standing up and towering over her again before motioning towards the table.

"Hey! You called me by my name," Alice exclaimed, taking a quick note of this perfect moment before she then nodded eagerly, as if issued the ultimate challenge.

Unable to resist the urge to join in, the others practically dropped everything at their feet and began to sit down with Alice as she patiently waited for them, ready to begin. Such a sweet taste that had almost been forgotten, the soft textures rolling in their mouths was like nothing short of heaven to every last one of them.

"So you made all this by yourself?" Marcus asked in amazement; impressed they were still alive after eating something Frasier had cooked up.

"I had a lot of help from Rei-san's mother. Without her, I don't know if it would've turned out nearly so well," Frasier admitted as he simply couldn't take all the credit for himself.

"Oh, hush! I just helped you add the mixtures and set the oven temp. You made it very clear that you wanted to do this for Alice-chan on her big day," Kiriko nonchalantly said like it was nothing on her part at all.

"I think it should be mentioned that I helped too," Tadashi added as he lifted up a hand to draw attention. Both Frasier and Kiriko glanced at each other before looking back to him.

"All you did was lick the spoon after we were done mixing with it. I wouldn't exactly consider that helping," Kiriko sighed as she looked over again to see a smug grin on his face.

"I would. It's making cleanup all the more easy, plus someone had to make sure it wasn't poisonous," Tadashi replied as he seemed quite proud of himself; his expression without a hint of doubt that he actually contributed to helping them make what was before them.

"Oh, Dad..." Rei groaned out of sheer embarrassment as she rolled both eyes.

"Heh, you're just like your old self I see. That's a relief at least," Kiriko smiled as she couldn't help but find his antics charming like she always did. The others were all laughing and having a rather merry time together, the burdens of the world almost lifted entirely as they could forget about them just long enough to genuinely enjoy this night.

Several hours passed involving the group making up games to keep Alice entertained. It was truly a night none would soon forget; bonding each and every one of them all the more closer to know that moments like this were what they fought and lived for now.

"So, Alice-chan, surely you've thought of a wish by now. Care to share it with us?" Rei asked as she hovered over the small child who was in the middle of deciding what they could do next.

"I have! But...I can't tell you guys or else it won't come true," Alice said with glee only to retract a bit when she knew she couldn't risk telling them about it.

"Are we really going to let her believe in something so illogical?" Saya scoffed softly as she didn't like the idea of the little girl she'd become so attached to growing up with such childish thoughts; Kohta lightly nudging her sides to which she fell silent and hesitantly played along.

"Well this is a very special day so you get two wishes, Alice-chan. The second wish you can tell us about." Miku suddenly piped in; to which Alice's face instantly lit up with excitement.

"Really? Well...okay! I was hoping we could go camping someday. I always wanted to try that, but I know it's not going to happen anytime soon with what's been happening. But, maybe when things are back to normal and I'm not in school, we can all go together?" Alice asked; giving way to her excitement as she couldn't help but share her innermost desire to do something so memorable with the people she looked at as her family.

The survivors were in awe as they were each individually touched by such a sweet sentiment. It was so hard to know what she felt at times; usually being ever so quiet and nonchalant about the death of her father. They could only hope that the current state of the world would not soon break her innocence and everlasting spirit.

"Well, I think that's an excellent idea. What do you guys think?" Takashi said as he knelt beside Alice who had a bright smile on her face.

"Hear, hear," Noah announced before turning red in the face when he was the only one who spoke out. Miku giggled as the others smiled; each one agreeing though to go with a simple nod instead.

"Nerd," Rika joked as she smirked at the youngest of the Lawson trio; the others laughing aloud as he looked away shyly.

"*Ahem* Umm...I also made these, and all on my own too. That is, unless you count the detective's help on licking the spoons when I was finished," Frasier suddenly announced from the kitchen's doorway, almost speaking like a nervous child in a school play, before he then walked out with a tray in hand.

"Is that...?" Kohta began to question as he sniffed the air; able to almost instantly recognize another smell that was practically lost to them.

"Brownies," Alice cheered as she rushed over towards him with an absolutely delighted look on her face; looking down at the chocolate squares with what appeared to be fudge icing on the top layer.

"Yes, brownies," Frasier replied bluntly as he watched the group gathering with great intrigue; watching as they all reached in, after Alice took two pieces of course, leaving the tray almost empty in his hands now.

"Really? More sugar? Ugh, well it is a special occasion I suppose..." Saya sighed, somewhat hesitant before convincing herself it was just this one time.

"These are beyond delicious. Hope you can make more for us some time," Kohta commented with a thumbs up, practically salivating over the delicious treat before scarfing it down.

"Mm, just what I was craving for. Thank you, Frasier-kun," Shizuka commented as she took small, delicate bites.

The others seemed to keep to themselves regarding what they thought about it; but considering how they were smiling and eating the entire thing, he realized must've done something right.

"Impressive…very impressive, actually. It's like you knew exactly what I wanted. You always are so full of surprises," Saeko suddenly said with a soft sigh when she took her first bite; almost swallowing the entire thing down before looking back at him with a suggestive grin that caused him to stare right back at those piercing blue eyes of hers.

Her words, while short, had the most impact of all as Frasier was almost at a loss for words. To receive praise from her only made his mind go blank as his stomach fluttered with wonder. It was such a great honor for him to hear such words coming from Saeko, a feeling he'd not soon forget if ever.

"Heh, well I don't intend to lose," Frasier stated as he seemed even more confident than usual.

"Lose? Lose what?" Saeko asked confusedly while also curious just to what he was talking about.

"Marcus and I made a bet, and you just so happened to be a part of it," Frasier answered as he looked over at Marcus, who looked at them both with wide eyes realizing his name had been mentioned.

"Our bet...? Wait! You mean you actually remembered that?!" Marcus began to ask; suddenly recalling only now that they'd made such a bet just a day before the outbreaks; naturally forgetting about it after all that had happened.

"Remembered and followed through on. Saeko-san enjoyed a meal I made. Therefore I win," Frasier assertively stated as he made it clear that victory, no matter how insignificant or benign, belonged to him.

"Eh, close enough I guess. I'm still just astonished you went along with it. I don't even know what the wager was," Marcus said as he shrugged his shoulders; finding it somewhat odd how far he was taking this now when they had much more important things to worry about.

"The opportunity simply presented itself and I took it. Besides, being right was all I need," Frasier replied, clearly proud in his accomplishment as he crossed his arms.

"So you didn't do this for Alice-chan?" Miku asked; sounding somewhat disappointed that it wasn't entirely out of compassion as she'd initially thought.

"Of course I did! Although it did fall in line with our bet, so consider it two birds and a single stone," Frasier announced defensively as he glared at Miku; asserting his intentions so they wouldn't be mixed up.

"It's actually called 'killing two birds with one stone'," Noah corrected, not too pleased to hear him lashing out when the aggression was nowhere near necessary.

"Same thing," Frasier said dismissively as he then took a bite out of the brownie in hand.

"Is it?" Noah questioned sarcastically as Frasier grimaced for a moment before simply grinning; realizing this wasn't really about the proper idiom.

 **Later that night after much more celebration**

Frasier found himself sitting alone in a little makeshift tent, uncertain why he was doing this or why he felt so at odds with himself about it. Naturally he should've brushed off such a silly request in favor of doing something much better and more practical with his time such as being the watchman while the others could rest. Yet here he was, sitting between two chairs with one of the many spare sheets looming over him; hoping that spending this much time with the others, especially Alice, had not made him soft.

"Frasier-niichan, are you asleep?" Alice suddenly whispered as her little head poked into the opening. Her voice was soft, yet clearly conflicted by something she'd been thinking about.

"Not yet. Do you need something?" Frasier said as he sat up to see her nodding with a saddened expression on her face. At first there was deep hesitation; however, she eventually found the courage to speak up to him.

"D-Do you think my mommy is still alive out there?" Alice suddenly asked out of nowhere. Frasier was visibly taken aback and astonished by such a loaded question. Had he not softened up recently, he would've instantly told the little girl of the cold, harsh reality of her mother's chances of survival without any remorse or sympathy.

"I know my daddy's gone, and that really makes me sad, but it hurts even more not knowing if she's still alive or one of... one of..." Alice begun to explain to him. However, the more she tried to, the more emotional she became only to slowly choke up in tears; unable to even suggest that her mother had become one of 'Them'.

At first Frasier just sat there completely frozen in thought; watching Alice trying to stifle her own whimpers and sobs before she felt his arms coiling around her little head. She could hear the calm sound of his heart beating against her ear now as she looked up at him.

"Shhh. Don't be sad, Alice-chan. You need to be strong now. Don't let the 'what ifs' hold you back from the here and now," Frasier advised as she shook her head in doubt.

"But it's so hard! I try to be strong like you guys, yet all I can think about is my mommy! Do...do you think you could find her for me? I miss her so much," Alice requested before she began to break out into sobs again, looking up with tears flowing down both cheeks.

Frasier couldn't exactly relate to the bond a child felt with their mother, but he did feel genuine heartache when he saw someone as adorable and innocent as Alice in such pain. He gently ran his hand along her face, brushing the tears aside as if he had already made up his mind. The little girl tried to look down now, as if she were ashamed he had to do that for her, trying to be tough like he always was.

"Yes. I'll search for your mother and do what I can to bring her back," Frasier softly announced as he could see a glimmer of hope forming in her little puppy dog eyes. A look of sadness and anguish soon gave way to that of relief and joy.

"T-Thank you! I can give you all the money in my piggy bank once I can finally go home. It's yours if you find her," Alice said with the utmost gratitude before she realized he'd most likely want something in return for his efforts.

"I'm not a bloody mercenary, Alice-chan. I'll do it for free, for...a friend," Frasier responded as he then felt her hugging him as tight as she possibly could; a faint look of surprise at the affection taking over his face now.

"Do you mind if I sleep in your tent with you?" Alice then asked as he gently nodded in response and made space for her so they'd be apart; once more caught off guard as she immediately nestled up against him and put one of his arms around her for comfort.

"You know...I don't think you're so scary anymore. I think you just needed a friend. Good night Frasier-niichan," Alice gently whispered before her eyes closed shut. A soft smile could be seen on her face as her head rested against his forearm.

"N-Night..." Frasier said in a tremble as it was now his turn to look away as he didn't dare let her see how that made him genuinely smile, if even tear up a bit in the corner of his eyes.

Those words just buzzed around for hours in his head. To think that he'd even remotely instilled a fearful impression upon Alice struck his heart with ultimate guilt and regret. Yet, knowing she no longer feared him did bring some comfort to his mind; filling him with a firm determination to ensure that's how everyone felt about him from now on. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly noticed a figure sitting at the edge of his tent.

"Hey! Who is that?" Frasier whispered in almost a hiss as he watched the figure jolt out of surprise that they'd been detected before reluctantly moving closer.

"Frasier-kun, my apologies for watching you without saying anything," Saeko's unmistakable voice said as she crawled into the edge of the tent. A simple glance at her curious blue eyes was more than enough to set him at ease.

"It's quite alright. So is there something you need? Or are you just enjoying the view?" Frasier asked as he was certain that she had an actual reason for coming to him in the middle of the night. Saeko slightly blushed at his rather cheeky remark before mentally trying to regain focus.

"Yes. We need to talk, but not now; perhaps in the morning when your head is clearer?" Saeko said only to then pull away before Frasier could respond to the ominous request. The young man gently set Alice's head onto the pillow before crawling out after Saeko.

"If it's truly important then we'll talk about it now," Frasier suddenly said as she turned to look at him with an ice cold stare that made it crystal clear that she was being dead serious.

"It's important, but it's something you don't want the others potentially overhearing. Trust me on this one," Saeko said in a soft hush while one of her hands found itself covering one of his. The young leader reluctantly nodded as she smiled at the sign of cooperation.

"Oh, and I just wanted to say it's incredibly noble what you're doing for Alice-chan. I just knew you'd be the perfect leader," Saeko then whispered as she suddenly leaned right into his personal space without warning.

Not giving him a chance to recoil, her chest slowly pressed up against his just as her warm, wet lips silently pressed against his cheek. Frasier's eyes now widened as she secretly took great pleasure at how dumbfounded he looked before leaving him at the front of his makeshift tent. His whole body was now burning up on the inside as he was soon alone to dwell on the many thoughts and sensations that overcame him; unparalleled ecstatic joy being chief among them.


	15. Chapter 15: I'm Afraid of Myself

**Z-Day+18**

A large concrete room with a single pen in the center was filled with small children gathering around it; looking in awe at the sight before them. A single overseer towered over all of them before reaching down into the pen; pulling up a small puppy. The overseer had short blonde hair and wore thick glasses that almost concealed her light green eyes, and she was dressed in a stainless white lab coat. Her demeanor however was strict enough to keep each and every last one of the children obediently under her command.

"You've all been excused from your daily tasks to select your own companion. The one you select will be your personal responsibility to take care of and nurture. Failure to do so will end in immediate termination of your time with us. Is that understood?" the woman in charge called out as she paced back and forth, keeping an eye out for any hesitation in the ranks.

"Understood, ma'am," all of them announced in unison as they stood upright with a salute; completely obedient and loyal to every word, a sight she seemed most pleased by.

"Good. The strongest of you will have the first pick," the overseer instructed as she opened the pen and allowed the strongest-looking of the children in first. Each one was immediately being rushed by the black fuzzy little fur balls that jumped around and took great curiosity in them. Laughter and excitement filled the room as one by one the pups had been chosen by their new masters.

"Which one is the weakest, ma'am?" one of the children suddenly asked, and the overseer turned her gaze to see one of the scrawnier looking kids staring intently up at her with curious crystal blue eyes.

His skin was covered in bruises and red scuffs, indicating he'd been pushing himself hard despite the lack of appearance the others could easily hold over him; making him one of the very last in line to pick.

"Why do you ask this, X-234?" the woman questioned likewise as she was genuinely curious to see what he was thinking.

"I want to know because I will make him the strongest of his kin," the young boy replied eagerly as he used his enthusiastic spirit to compensate for an abundant lack of strength.

"Very well; according to the breeder, this one here is considered to be a runt and will hardly make it past a month without the extra care. Are you sure this is what you want?" the overseer acknowledged as she began to look over the remains of the litter that had yet to be taken in; pointing out a pup that was notably smaller than the rest of its siblings.

This sight did not deter the young boy though as he slowly approached the frail looking dog; kneeling down curiously as he cocked his head to the side as if inspecting it himself. The small animal stopped when it noticed him; curiously gazing back before nervously approaching him, sniffing at his feet and hands. A small, wet tongue suddenly hung out the side of its now open mouth as the little stub of a tail began to wag back and forth. Two soft hazels eyes stared up at him as its breath felt heavy against his palms.

"Do you want to come back with me, little guy? I'll make you big and strong, I will! That's my promise to you if you swear your loyalty to me," the boy asked as if expecting an actual response from the young hound. The pup coincidentally let out a small yap before trying to leap up towards him as if to respond. That alone was enough for him to take as a 'yes'.

"You do realize if anything happens; it's on you, right? There will be no handicap for you despite the condition," the overseer suddenly interrupted; completely indifferent towards the otherwise heartwarming sight.

"Then I will do everything in my power to ensure that he'll grow into the best pup ever! Besides, I like a challenge," the young boy replied, his spirit unwavering despite the consequences that would result in any failure.

"We'll see about that. Oh, and for the record, it's a girl. Dismissed, X-234," the overseer replied as she began to walk away; watching as the young child looked on in puzzlement when he lifted the puppy up only to confirm that it was indeed a girl.

Frasier than immediately sat up; scratching the sides of his head before trying to adjust his blurred sight by wiping the sleep from his eyes, only to realize that he was still in the makeshift tent with Alice from her party last night. His gaze shifted down to see that she was still wrapped around his other arm before gently slipping it away without waking the slumbering child.

 _'How can she sleep so soundly? How can she smile when all could be lost at literally any time? Truly a remarkable thing, a child's innocence can be,'_ Frasier pondered to himself as he took a moment to closely observe her.

He then shrugged his shoulders as he crawled outside of their pretend tent to see the slumbering figures of his fellow survivors outlined in their own tents. He then recalled last night, how Saeko had come to him, even kissing his cheek after expressing that there was something urgent they needed to talk about. Figuring they'd all be sleeping in for the morning, he quietly tip-toed over to Saeko's tent only to be surprised when she was nowhere to be found.

 _'She must be on watch if she isn't here. Hurry now,'_ Arthur's voice echoed in the back of his mind. He couldn't agree more as he left the lobby and lightly jogged up the stairs in search of his dearest friend.

As he opened the doors to the rooftop, he was instantly met by Rika, who stood just several feet away. The quiet sniper simply licked her lips before forming a pleased grin, almost as if she were glad to be alone with him.

"It's about time one of you woke up. I thought I was gonna have to stay up here all morning with my thumb up my ass," Rika grumbled as she holstered her scoped long-rifle along her back before stretching both arms outwards.

"I'm sure it's used to that," Frasier snidely remarked; trying to hold back from smiling as he could see she wasn't expecting such a crude reply from him of all people.

"I...heh, well wouldn't you like to know?" she suddenly retorted with a short chuckle, swaying her legs a bit before both hands were fixed at her hips.

"How does it look out there so far? Have you seen any of 'Them' lately?" Frasier wasted no more time asking; choosing to ignore that last question as he brushed past Rika to survey the empty streets.

"Can't say that I have. It's actually been rather quiet now that you mention it," Rika answered, her voice somewhat low, frowning at him as if annoyed he chose to not answer the question.

"I'm not sure if that's an omen or just what we need. I guess scavenging will be a little easier with most of the hordes gone now. And we can...hold on, what's all this then?" the young Brit said, somewhat uncertain what to make of the situation before he noticed something peculiar in the binoculars he had in hand. Rika then looked through her scope to see what he was talking about.

"Hmmm, speak of the devil…or make that 'devils'. I can take care of this," Rika announced with a rather surprised sigh, catching sight of a small pack of 'Them' prowling along a distant stretch of highway.

"I've got it," Frasier suddenly interjected as he grabbed Kohta's rifle from the nearby ledge and took aim, instantly able to get a shot off within moments of hoisting it up. The bullet skewered right through the soft grey flesh, a thick brown stain splattering against the nearby road sign.

Just as he was about to swap targets, another shot rang out;causing him to slightly flinch as if expecting Rika to actually listen to him. He watched as two out of five of the targets now lay dead on the road. The remaining three all looked up, well aware of the two survivors now as 'They' began to redirect towards the hotel despite how immensely far away They were.

"I said I've got it! Stand down," Frasier barked as he took aim again, lining up another shot only for Rika to pick off yet another; leaving only two of 'Them' now remaining.

"Make me," Rika challenged as she watched him form a scowl; a fire burning in his eyes now as he took another shot.

Rika attempted to interject once more; watching in surprise as the kneecap was blown out instead. Her shot missed the head just barely and instead ricocheted into a car window, causing it to shatter from the high impact. She was quite surprised once she realized that he aimed to not only cripple his target, but to cause her shot to miss entirely as well. A second pull of his trigger caused the immobile creature to violently shake before the head popped like a smashed fruit; leaving the competing survivors at odds, now tied at two for two.

With only one left, they both adjusted their sights and held their breath. The last remaining monster opened its decaying mouth wide open as if preparing to shout at its attackers. A gentle tug on the trigger was all that was needed; two bullets zipped through the air, spiraling along a destructive path.

 ***splat***

Two holes splintered the skull apart; the face splitting in several directions as the body remained standing upright for a few seconds only to then topple over backwards. One of the legs kept twitching slightly before all motion ceased entirely. The sound of a lighter then clicked, causing Frasier to turn his head to see Rika lighting up a cigarette before giving him a rather impressed look of approval.

"That was actually pretty exciting. You almost bested me at my own game…almost anyhow. Shame we have no more of these things to play with," Rika sighed softly as she seemed to be quite satisfied with their quick yet intense skirmish.

"Not so fast. You missed one shot. Accuracy counts for everything. I win," Frasier corrected with a confident smirk, watching her smug expression turn to crushing disappointment.

"Shit. I was kinda hoping you wouldn't notice that," Rika grimaced as if genuinely frustrated that he bested her at what she prided herself most on.

"Did you know I rank in the top five snipers in the entire JGSDF? I wonder...just how much did they teach you in that little simulator program you talked about?" Rika pondered as she set her weapon of choice down; starting to pace about the rooftop with a curious hum within her words.

"More than you can ever hope to experience. We've learned the art of war, perfected it, and made it our own. Our strength and willpower is unlike anything this world has yet to encounter," Frasier replied, speaking with a deep sense of pride and honor as he set his weapon down only to lecture and boast at what his former cadets and himself were truly capable of.

"Is that so? That's quite an impressive if not bold claim, I'll admit that much. So, Mr. Super Soldier, are you seeing anyone?" Rika grinned, giving him some satisfaction in his abilities before asking a question he wasn't prepared for.

"Seeing someone?" the confused teen repeated out of uncertainty of what he just heard.

"Yeah, as in are you WITH anyone? Do you have any lovers out there…or here?" Rika confirmed as she raised an eyebrow, taking great pleasure at how uncertain he looked right now.

"N-Not at the moment, no. What relevance does such a question have here?" Frasier honestly answered as he couldn't help but feel some shame from this.

"Because after shooting, I tend to be very sore; but I don't let just anyone touch me, especially not here," Rika began to explain, slowly unzipping her top to reveal her white undershirt before pressing her undeniably impressive chest out.

"You, however, I'd consider worthy of having the honor after that little display of skill. So stop being such a nervous bitch and come help massage them," Rika said in a more demanding tone as she held both arms above her head; making it crystal clear that she wasn't in the mood for games anymore.

"No," Frasier softly responded as he began to walk away. Rika instantly grasped his arm as she was going to need more than that to let him go so easily.

"'No'? What do you mean 'no'? You just said you don't have romantic loyalties to anyone. Or are you just not into women? Is that it?" she began to prod, uncertain what could drive him to refuse such an offer; almost speaking like her own pride as a woman had been wounded by the rejection.

"It's not that...it's just..." Frasier attempted to explain, unable to find the proper words though without outright saying why he refused the open intimacy with the cold sniper.

"Oh, I get it now. You have it in for someone else in this group. I should've known…how interesting! Now just who might it be that you REALLY desire?" Rika soon managed to piece together; noticing the hesitation in his eyes as every word she spoke couldn't be truer. No amount of emotional repression could contain what the child soldier desired beyond combat and duty.

"Enough! That's none of your business," Frasier snapped as he clenched both fists, his voice on the defensive now as he realized she was inevitably going to figure it out if he allowed her to keep going.

"Why don't you just have a little fun on the side? I'm not looking for a boyfriend or anything long term. Even you have needs, despite how hard you try to play them off," Rika attempted to coerce, circling the still figure as he bowed his head; knowing such thoughts had been creeping around for years now, yet never acted upon.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid of a real woman? Or do you maybe lack the parts?" Rika then teased; finding herself increasingly frustrated by the silence and unwillingness on his part. Frasier then simply chuckled at that, looking up with a snide look on his face.

"It's just not my style. Besides, I may be worthy of you, but who said you are worthy of ME?" Frasier replied; reveling in Rika's anger towards his remark, watching as her hands balled up into two fists. He was already more than ready to fight her again were it to come to that. However, her fists quickly unclenched as she began to laugh now, leaving him curious of what she was about to do next.

"A fair point, I suppose. Just know that if you change your mind, I'm more than willing to help you experience things you can't even begin to imagine. The nights can be so cold and lonesome,you know. Especially nowadays," Rika retorted; keeping her cool as she knew he wasn't going to budge here. She then ran a hand along his shoulders before brushing past him and heading for the stairs.

Just as she opened the door, she backed up out of slight surprise to see they weren't alone. Saeko slowly stepped forward; their eyes locking momentarily before she formed a pleasant smile the moment she realized their leader was up here as well.

"There you are. I was looking all over for you," she gently said to Frasier; watching him smile to himself at the sentiment.

"I figured you were watching over us as we slept. You always were a protective one," Frasier replied in a more cheerful manner; watching as the young sword-wielder casually brushed her long purple hair behind her ears with her fingertips.

"Ah, yes, the samurai of your little group. Tell me, you ever consider using a real weapon?" Rika suddenly suggested; speaking almost out of sheer jealousy as she watched the two of them act as if she wasn't even there.

"Your firearm is only useful when you have ammunition. Mine, however, can last much, much longer. So with that being said, I hope you brought plenty with you," Saeko coldly responded as Rika grinned; knowing she managed to somewhat get under her skin. Without further delay, she took off; officially leaving the two close friends alone on the rooftop as she now had a pretty good feeling about who Frasier desired.

"If it counts for anything, I believe your sword has been far more useful against the dead than most of us combined," Frasier suddenly brought up; causing her to smile again and focus on what she really came to him for.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad you think so highly of me. So, are you ready for what I'm about to say? You might not like it," Saeko warned; approaching him as they stood inches apart now; her long, soft, violet hair flowing in the wind.

"Yes. I've been very curious what you could possibly have to say that would actually make you want to keep it a secret from everyone else," Frasier said as he nodded eagerly. His imagination could only hold so many possibilities before it began to get to him.

"I need you to come with me back to the mall. There's something I completely neglected to take that we simply cannot leave without," Saeko began to explain, still being somewhat vague and leaving him in the dark.

"And that is?" Frasier attempted to press further, only for her to gently shake her head.

"You'll see when we get there. We'll be walking the entire way too, since it'll hopefully just be you and I. It can be a lot quicker that way and less attention will be drawn to us," Saeko continued before she made it clear once more this wasn't something she wanted the others knowing about.

"I see...well, let's head out then. The streets are empty and the skies are clear," Frasier replied, somewhat disappointed this was what she was being so secretive about last night, not even explaining why she'd kissed his cheek; the thought of which still gave him a pleasant tingling sensation.

"I knew I could count on you. Let's go, before the others wake up," Saeko said gratefully before she motioned him to follow her; lightly jogging down the stairs.

"Shouldn't we at least let them know we're leaving?" Frasier advised as he tried to keep up; watching her pause before turning back to face him.

"If you insist. I'll leave that up to you, I suppose. Just know that I don't really intend on bringing any of them along," Saeko sighed, uncertain how to answer. Whatever the reason might be, one thing was for certain: she only intended to go with him and nobody else for this mystery mission.

Moments later, they'd geared up and had prepared to leave via the front doors while the others appeared to still be dead asleep; mostly due to staying up late last night to celebrate Alice's birthday. None of them had prepared for her to stay up nearly as late as she did.

"And just where are you two running off to now?" Rika suddenly asked while hidden in a back corner when she noticed this odd sight; taking note at how they moved ever so quietly to prevent the others from knowing what was going on.

"We're heading back to the mall. It's very important, so perhaps if we're not back by the time the others are awake, you could let them know where we are?" Frasier answered honestly as Saeko waited for him by the door; both watching as Rika raised a rather curious eyebrow to them.

"Oh, I get it. You two are looking for something more...private. Heh, I can't say I blame you," Rika softly taunted as she walked closer to him; an annoyed look forming across his face.

"It's not like that! It's a vital mission and nothing more," Frasier hissed as he did not want to risk the others hearing about this; all the while failing to notice Saeko's mixed looks as she turned her head away, as if there was more to this than she had originally let on.

"No, I mean I can't blame why you like her so much. Try not to take all day, stud," Rika softly whispered; making it obvious that she'd already managed to put the pieces together and was well aware he did not simply see the sword fighter as just friends.

"T-Thank you. We'll be back shortly," Frasier muttered in defeat; knowing if he tried to deny or fight this, he'd only be cementing the proof even further; not even looking at Rika as she stood there watching them head off into the streets.

 _Several minutes later…_

"So I don't suppose you're going to let me in on what it is you forgot to pick up, huh? Was it medicine? Fuel? Food? What?" Frasier eventually asked as the mystery was starting to seriously get to him now. Whatever it was, she needed to tell him now before he lost his patience.

"It's something you don't want me without when...you know..." Saeko said; wanting to answer him, yet finding herself ashamed for having to spit it out.

"What? Just be upfront with me already," Frasier practically demanded as he stopped dead in his tracks; refusing to move another step until she said it.

"I need something which a woman requires after a certain point in her life," Saeko reluctantly replied; hoping there would be no further need to press on the subject.

"Chocolate?" Frasier attempted to guess as it was quite clear he knew next to nothing about women in such regard. Saeko could only groan in embarrassment that he was leaving her no other choice but to elaborate even further.

"No! I mean, that would be really nice too, but I need that other thing that women use during a certain time of the month," Saeko attempted to explain to him; hating how hard this had to be for something so natural and necessary.

"Oh...OH! But why me then?!" Frasier didn't initially understand at first before suddenly making a connection; the horrid realization hitting him harder than a speeding train as he visibly shuddered.

"Ugh, I didn't want to say it, but you just weren't getting it! Besides, you really think I brought you out here alone just to retrieve tampons? I could handle that myself no problem," Saeko grumbled as she tried her best to avoid having to be so blatant about such things before Frasier shrugged his shoulders, still not sure what any of this had to involve him for.

"I brought you out here because I wanted to talk with you," Saeko finally said as they continued to walk again; Frasier's curiosity piqued once more.

Yet, he had no response to that. He didn't know what to say or how to feel about her need to simply talk with him. She bowed her head; hoping that it wasn't going to be this awkward the entire trip there. However, she remained optimistic and formed that smile she knew he was ever so fond of.

"I'm just really happy to see you're eager to come along with me. I almost felt like you wouldn't want to go in the first place. You've been working so hard to keep everyone safe that you've ended up isolating yourself from them," Saeko suddenly said as she shot him a warm and inviting smile before they continued to march again. Her katana gently bounced against her hip as she walked upright with a proud stride with every step she took. Her tone hinted that she was somewhat upset that they hadn't been talking to one another; causing Frasier to gulp as he realized that must've been what was on her mind for all this time.

"The group's safety is a major concern that shouldn't be shirked. If they knew about the things we might potentially encounter out there, they'd understand and buckle up. Besides, I couldn't let you go by yourself," Frasier attempted to explain as a cover;hoping she'd buy it and potentially drop the subject entirely.

"Oh? And why is that, hmm? You don't think I can take care of myself then?" Saeko questioned with a sarcastic hum as her elbow playfully nudged up against shoulder. He quickly turned away to prevent her seeing the look of embarrassment on his face.

"As a matter of fact: I feel you'd be the most capable one out of all of us in a close quarters fight. Hell, probably even better than me in some instances. However, should you encounter another survivor with a firearm or be lured into a trap; then your chances are drastically cut. So I couldn't exactly let you do this alone in good conscience," Frasier complimented as Saeko was completely unable to reply at first; pleasantly surprised to hear he had such appreciation and concern for her after all.

"I...thank you. I'm relieved you think so highly of me," Saeko said in a soft giggle before returning to the more serious state that Frasier was accustomed to.

"Relieved? What makes you say that?" he asked as he couldn't guess what she could possibly be so relieved about.

"Well, we've barely exchanged any words over the past several days since our groups have joined together. I almost felt like you were trying to actively avoid me. Like I had done something wrong or insulted you in some way," Saeko confessed as she seemed to be rather upset at the distance between them lately.

"My apologies, Saeko-san. It's been a rough two weeks as you can obviously tell. Now would be a good time to talk;considering we have another five miles before we reach the mall," Frasier apologized before he tried to change the subject once they began to round a street corner.

"Hold on, I see six hostiles over there," he suddenly said the instant his ears picked up the slightest nearby unnatural disturbance to the silence. He momentarily paused and soon confirmed the immediate threat of several undead SDF troopers huddled around an overturned jeep. All of 'Them' turned to face the two teenagers, no doubt due to their voices being carried by the wind.

Each one had on a sturdy combat helmet; making head shots a real pain for Frasier to pull off. Several of his rifle shots either grazed the sides or were absorbed into the thick body armor the former soldiers had on. His expression quickly turned into an angry scowl before Saeko simply smiled and held up a hand as if motioning him to remain on standby.

"Save your energy and bullets. Just leave this to me, Frasier-san," Saeko instructed; her hands slowly drawing the katana from the sheathe. The steel blade reflected off of the sunlight as she then took an aggressive stance.

Without any hesitation, she bolted towards the six undead soldiers with her sword poised to inflict maximum damage. That dominating thrill for danger and excitement took over Saeko as she licked her lips in anticipation. A single swipe went upwards, cutting right into the first one's midsection.

The legs belonging to the first of 'Them' slumped forwards as the upper half slowly slid backwards with a sloppy wet sound. Her combat boot stomped down on the chest before she plunged the blade under the reinforced glass plate that was meant to cover the face. Saeko then leapt back as two more of the undead soldiers lunged forward only to end up swatting at the air thanks to her razor sharp reflexes.

"That's it?" Saeko taunted before dashing forward again; angling the katana to slice at the neck of the closest one.

The thick brown sludge coated her blade as the flesh was cleanly torn apart by the razor sharp steel. The head loosely dangled back, barely connected by several fibers of flesh before Saeko noticed this undead threat was still active despite her well placed attack. With a single backspin kick, the head was completely disconnected and rolled off the shoulders as the rest of the body collapsed like a sack of bricks.

The skilled swordswoman then swiped her blade down; causing the blood to splatter and paint the street beneath her to keep her blade clean. While four remained, she did not fault in her glowing confidence. She casually walked up towards a cluster of three that were much closer while the other one seemed to be distracted by Frasier as he moved, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

"I said stay back! Let me handle this! I need it..." Saeko snapped as she called out to Frasier; whispering to herself at the end as he was left rather surprised by this strange attitude of hers; noticing how she seemed to be utterly thrilled whenever she cut and sliced up another one of 'Them' into oblivion.

Saeko then jumped right back into the fray as she positioned herself between the three former SDF troopers. Her body moved with such efficiency and elegance whenever she would duck and weave between all attempts They would make to grab at her. With several flicks of the wrist, she watched as limbs were severed and the body armor was sliced wide open, the tip of her blade driving into two of 'Them' with a single stab.

Frasier looked in awe as he could see this strange look taking over Saeko. She didn't seem to be fighting for survival anymore. To him, it looked like the young samurai was instead taking sheer pleasure from the thrill and intensity. Like a wild animal that killed for sport instead of food.

Something about it did not warrant fear, but it did cause a part of him to feel very concerned that she'd display such eagerness to rush headfirst into battle. He then shifted his attention to the one straggler that seemed interested in him over her. The eldest Lawson crouched down to take aim underneath a gap that exposed the head to him. Seconds before he pulled the trigger to add another kill to his already high count, the tip of Saeko's sword burst through the back and out of the front.

The last of the undead pack now lay dead at her feet as she was covered in 'Their' blood. She pulled out a thick cloth to wipe the blood from her face and the steel katana before placing it back in the sheath resting along her hip. Her ice cold gaze then looked over at Frasier, who was holstering his rifle before approaching her; watching intently as she was breathing hard, not from fatigue, but pleasure and satisfaction.

"That was quite impressive, Saeko-san. I almost forgot how dangerous you can be with a sword. Shall we proceed?" Frasier said admirably as Saeko smiled at the compliment; nodding slowly to answer his question before they continued their trek to the mall. She then started humming to herself. A part of her was glad he didn't reprimand her for the reckless and headstrong attitude she just displayed. After all, it was pretty much the same way he always fought.

At one point they, were passing down what used to be a busy shopping district. Saeko playfully hummed a song to herself; hoping for another fight while Frasier found himself looking up at a nearby billboard. It was advertising the newest romance movie that would've been playing tomorrow if the date on their makeshift calendar was to be believed. The image of a man holding a woman's hand caught his eyes; taking note at how happy they appeared despite knowing it was just a movie.

His eyes then shifted over towards Saeko; feeling his innermost thoughts coming back to make him realize how much she really meant to him. Then he noticed her hands were open. All it would take was for him to move a bit closer in and lock their fingers together. Never had he been more tempted to hold her hand than he did right now.

However, the closer he came, the more doubt began to pile onto his mind until he eventually reeled his hand back and bowed his head; knowing it was pointless to concern himself with such things. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked at him with puzzlement.

"Hello? Are you still with me, Frasier-san?" Saeko suddenly asked as he realized he'd completely spaced out to the point she might've been talking this entire time.

"Umm, kinda. Yeah," Frasier blurted out in embarrassment. Saeko however found it amusing and began to laugh before she stopped and folded her arms.

"I was just asking if you had any fears," Saeko repeated for a second time; a glimmer of genuine curiosity reflecting in those deep blue eyes.

"Why do you want to know?" Frasier asked, clearly put off by such a seemingly insulting question.

"You can tell a lot about a man when you know what he truly fears most," Saeko replied with a smile, oddly intrigued at what made him tick.

"Well...the same can be said of a woman. So what do you fear?" Frasier nervously replied, trying his best to avoid answering.

"Hey, I asked you first, Frasier-san. Nice try though," Saeko commented as she wasn't going to be tricked that easily.

"So close! Well, maybe when I find something to be afraid of I'll let you know," Frasier replied cheekily; still refusing to answer.

"Oh, gonna be like that, huh? Okay, whatever you say. Next you'll tell me you have no weaknesses," Saeko chuckled as she playfully rolled her eyes at such a stereotypical macho answer; slowly starting to continue on with their journey as Frasier paused momentarily, a look of regret now held over him.

"Saeko-san..." Frasier then said in a weaker voice; sounding noticeably upset as he felt hesitation taking over again.

"Yes?" she gently replied while turning her head over her shoulder; those piercing blue eyes staring straight at him with intrigue.

"I'm sorry," Frasier gently spoke as he then looked down.

"W-What for; you've done nothing wrong to me as far as I can recall," Saeko asked confusedly.

"Oh but I have. I didn't come find you first thing when our school fell. I went with my brothers instead, leaving you for dead for all I knew," Frasier confessed as he recalled that horrible day; how he'd fought like hell to save his brothers, yet didn't even TRY to go after her.

"Believe me, I handled it pretty well," Saeko said reassuringly, clearly bothered by seeing Frasier beat himself down so much.

"I still feel bad. I regret leaving someone like you behind like I did," Frasier attempted to explain as he just couldn't help but feel remorse all the same.

"Someone like me? Now what is that supposed to mean exactly?" Saeko asked curiously; stepping forward as Frasier now appeared to be even more nervous.

"Umm...well you know; somebody really special. Someone I would consider very close and irreplaceable as I said before..." Frasier said with both hands up; almost sweating at this point as he realized he should stop while he was ahead.

"I'm only kidding! I know you consider me very special, just as I do with you. Please stop dwelling on the past," Saeko reassured him with a chuckle as she couldn't help but enjoy getting a rise out of him; watching as he was visibly caught off guard to hear that she considered him special to her as well.

"Wait, you feel the same way? Still...I-I feel I should make it up to you somehow," Frasier began to ask before realizing he still felt partial guilt; Saeko sighing gently as it was quite clear he wouldn't be letting this go.

"Well...you do still owe me for not showing up to that performance. Oh yes, I remember that still in case you were hoping it slipped my mind during all of this," she brought up before pointing out that he did in fact have a debt to settle with her.

" ***Ahem*** Yes, I know that. Perhaps today I can help train you in using your handgun. Would that be good?" Frasier coughed before suggesting the one thing he knew for certain he could do to make up for his past failure.

"Hmm, it's a start at least. We'll see how good of a teacher you are. Now come on, we don't want to waste the rest of the morning out here, do we?" Saeko hummed before suggesting that they move on; taking off with him right at her side with a new spring in his step.

Soon enough, they stood before the empty parking lot and were relieved to see it looked exactly the same way it did just a dayago. Frasier quickly opened the doors before he and Saeko made a beeline for the lobby. Within seconds, Kenji could be seen scurrying around on the second level to investigate the noise.

"Woah, you guys came back already? I'll be right there," Kenji exclaimed excitedly as he darted down the stairs to greet the two. Frasier and Saeko couldn't help but smile to see the young boy still seem so carefree and fun-loving even after all this time.

"Hello, Kenji-kun. I take it you two are still holding up alright?"Saeko asked sweetly before kneeling down to properly greet the boy.

Kenji nodded before he suddenly hugged the two survivors. Saeko lightly giggled at the adorable behavior as Frasier just stood there awkwardly, as if unsure how to respond to Kenji's childlike affection.

"Are you guys here to trade with us again?" Kenji asked the moment her noticed the sealed containers Saeko was pulling out that had a strong scent to them.

"Not this time. I thought it would be nice to bring you two a hot meal. I somewhat doubt your grandfather has much to work with around here," Saeko explained before looking around to see the engineer known as Sho talking to someone in the distance.

"Wow! Thank you so much! You guys are awesome," Kenji said in excitement as Saeko handed him one of the plastic containers.

"So that's what that smell was...anyway, how is your grandfather? Is he still doing alright?" Frasier mumbled a bit as he then questioned the young boy; looking down as Kenji nodded with a bright smile, running off as if urging them to follow.

The two young adults kept up with the energetic boy whodashed up the stairs with ease before they entered the old antique shop. They were instantly greeted by the sight of Isao's warm smile to see that he not only had company, but familiar faces to converse with.

"Grandpa, look! They brought us hot food," Kenji exclaimed with glee as Isao was initially confused but soon just smiled when he realized what Kenji was so happy about.

"And brownies. He made some and there were spares, so I figured Kenji-kun would want some," Saeko added as Kenji'sface lit up even brighter now. By now he was practically digging through the containers in an effort to find them more than anything else.

"Is that so? And here I thought you enjoyed MY cooking," Isao said in a playfully offended tone at his grandson's enthusiasm.

"It's not that...it's just...all that food we have here tastes kinda gross. This actually reminds me of the food mom would make for me after school," Kenji said out of embarrassment for inadvertently hurting his grandfather's feelings.

"It's alright, Kenji-kun. I was only teasing. Why don't you go grab one of my nicer bowls while I talk to our guests?" Isao reassured with a gentle chuckle to keep Kenji from feeling guilty before he then turned to face Saeko and Frasier once the little boy took off.

"I take it you two didn't just come back to exchange pleasantries then? Perhaps it was for more medicine? Or maybe my tea?"Isao asked with a curious raised eyebrow.

"We actually have plenty of medicine for the time being, Isao-san. Though there was something I did forget to take last time,so I'll be sure to grab it on our way out. Plus I wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to you or Kenji-kun," Saeko explained; her words seeming to bring tears to the old man'seyes. He slowly waddled over to sit down on his comfy chair before running a tissue along his wet, wrinkled face.

"Are you alright?" Frasier asked as he turned to look at Saeko with concern before they walked over to Isao, who then looked up smiling at them through the tears flooding his eyes.

"It's just so unexpected to see such genuine kindness during these hard times and from young people no less! Oh...no offense," Isao exclaimed as he seemed to be absolutely touched by the concern this group held in regards to him and his grandson, who still might as well have been complete strangers to them.

"Don't mention it, old timer. We have more than enough supplies to last us quite some time, so this is nothing," Frasier said distantly, almost like he didn't want to admit that they were doing something that wouldn't profit his group in any way.

"Well, however you choose to feel, you should know that we greatly appreciate this. If there's anything you need, you don't even need to ask. I'll do anything I can to assist you and your friends. I might be old, but I can still pull my own weight and more," Isao exclaimed boldly as he seemed to be feeling more energetic and inspired than usual.

"Like making tea?" Saeko sarcastically teased before chuckling at how energetic they seemed to be making the otherwise frail elder feel.

"Yes! Perhaps you'd like some now?" Isao once again offered;Frasier just rolling his eyes at the relentless old man as Saeko nodded while gently chuckling at Isao's undying enthusiasm.

"I'll be right back. Nature is calling," Frasier suddenly announced before taking off to find a bathroom; leaving Saeko alone with Isao and Kenji.

"It's still quite warm so I'll let it cool off," Isao informed Saeko moments later after the kettle's whistle went off; sitting back down on his comfy antique chair before looking to see she was deep in thought.

"I just want to thank you again. You and your boyfriend really didn't have to do all this for us," Isao said out of gratitude as Saeko then shifted her eyes back to him.

"Hmm? You mean Frasier-san? Oh, he's not my boyfriend," Saeko said with a very puzzled look when she realized Isao wasn't referring to Takashi; quickly holding up her hands and shaking her head nervously as if embarrassed by the funny mix up.

"You aren't?! Hmm, I just assumed you two were, considering how you two kept looking at one another the first time you were here. Don't think you can trick me so easily! My eyes might be a little worn from the years, but that doesn't make them any more blind to the obvious," Isao explained as Saeko was now visibly shocked that not only had Isao been watching them from a distance, but that Frasier was looking at her for whatever reason he had.

"Him, the big blonde guy, was checking me out? Umm...regardless, I assure you we aren't dating. Although...ifyou promise not to tell him...I will admit the idea of us being closer has crossed my mind more than once before," Saeko pondered curiously, as if taken aback by this unexpected turn of events; suddenly confessing a deeper feeling for the eldest Lawson brother as she now spoke in a low whisper. She cautiously looked back to make sure Frasier wasn't standing behind her. To her avail, he was still absent.

"Oh? Well do go on," Isao asked as he leaned in with a curious expression on his face now.

"Well, it goes back a long time ago. He was a loner at our school when he first arrived; an outcast that just didn't seem to fit in for several reasons I won't bother going into detail over right now. When I first saw him, I could tell he was strong; not just psychically but mentally as well. I wanted to test this feeling so I offered to be his guide both here and in the art of kendo.

"He reluctantly agreed, and over time I learned little by little that he came from a military family. He was even more disciplined than I was if you can believe it. Best of all though, was that he not only could hold his own in a fight, but he didn't fear me like everyone else did. If anything, there was a strong respect between our differences and balance of power.

"Eventually, he started opening up to me, and we became close friends, as well as strong rivals when we practiced. Each time we squared off, he wouldn't hold back, pushing me to be the best I could be as I did with him. I never expected to find myself attracted to him, yet the signs were all there as clear as day. There was more to him than met the eye. Despite being a foreigner, I felt like we were kindred spirits. That perhaps he saw more in me as well.

"Alas, he never brought up anything beyond friendship, so I could only assume that he wanted nothing more. I eventually learned to hide those strong feelings for him; suppressing any and all urges to make him MINE. A part of me even wondered for a time if I simply wasn't worthy of his affection and love, and other times I questioned if he could even feel such things for anyone outside his family," Saeko explained while Isao patiently sat there and nodded his head to the emotional turmoil the young swordswoman was expressing; sensing that she was unable to hold these feelings back as well as she claimed to.

"I see. I'm quite sorry to hear that. Well, perhaps you should bring this up to him. It couldn't hurt now, could it?" Isao said out of sympathy before suggesting something that didn't seem to sit very well with Saeko at all as she shook her head in protest.

"What? I can't just talk to him about something like that! It would be too awkward...and I'm seeing someone else anyway! I shouldn't be thinking about the past like that. It doesn't matter now," Saeko denied as she crossed her arms; looking away as if a part of her couldn't help but wonder how Frasier may react to her former feelings for him. She was unable to deny her curiosity was starting to get the better of her now.

Before Isao could suggest anything else, the sound of footsteps approaching could be heard. Saeko's heart skipped a beat as she spun around to see Frasier returning to them. Luckily he seemed to be entirely unaware of their conversation.

"Saeko-san, you still want to learn how to shoot, right? Follow me," Frasier suggested as Saeko looked up at him curiously.

"Now? You really want to teach me now?" Saeko asked awkwardly; silently hoping he really hadn't overheard her.

"I do, unless you suddenly have cold feet. I would understand if you couldn't handle it though. Guns can be very scary after all," Frasier confirmed before playfully taunting and poking fun at Saeko's slight hesitation. She looked annoyed at first, but quickly formed a confident smirk as she approached him. Isao smiled to himself as the two began to walk off to practice together.

"It would be very foolish of me to pass up such an opportunity though. Let's go, Lawson-sensei. I'm eager to see what you have in mind for me," Saeko replied; playfully brushing her shoulder against his, noticing his expression was completely flustered despite his best efforts to hide it.

They calmly walked across the entrance plaza and soon entered an outlet store that was going to be selling cheap furniture. Saeko noticed that several pillow cushions had been propped up against a counter for what she could only assume was last minute target practice Frasier had set up for her to use.

"So where do we begin?" Saeko asked with her arms folded; watching as Frasier thoroughly inspected the Vertec handgun she'd been carrying for the last few days almost admirably.

"First off, you need to know the parts of this magnificent tool. This is the safety..." Frasier announced before he began to point out and explain various parts of the weapon, clearly eager to teach as Saeko paid very close attention and occasionally would nod in understanding.

"So I hold it like this, right?" Saeko guessed after severalminutes. Her right hand gently grasped along the grip as her left hand was wrapped under it; taking extra care to keep the barrel pointed away from herself and Frasier.

"That's right. Now, just point it at those cushions and lightly squeeze the trigger, don't pull," Frasier confirmed while noddingbefore he stepped behind her as she took a firm stance and aimed the sights at one of the couches nearby. Her breath was short as she felt her fingertip tug against the metal trigger.

 ***blam***

The recoil was much stronger than she had expected, but her grip on the gun remained strong as she knew she had to be in control here. Saeko watched the split second muzzle flash vanishas a thin trail of smoke billowed up and out from the barrel. The round completely tore into the soft pillow and through the couch like it was made of wet toilet paper. Bits of fluff gently floated to the ground as she suddenly felt compelled to keep firing.

 ***blam* *blam***

Two more shots rang out as another pillow almost jumped up into the air. Saeko grinned as she seemed to be enjoying the feeling this device gave her. Frasier noticed this as well while he walked over to her side.

"Easy there, Saeko-san. Ammo runs out fairly quickly, so you should conserve as much as possible. But I'm glad to see you're eager to keep going," Frasier warned before showing his genuine approval over her first step.

"Right. I must admit, this isn't so bad now that we're actually doing this. But, I would like to up the difficulty. After all, you of all people should know how much I enjoy a challenge," Saeko acknowledged before confessing her typical desire to push herself.

"What in the hell is going on down here?! Who the hell are you kids and how did you get in here?!" a middle-aged woman suddenly demanded while storming over to the two teens. She wore a business suit and matching skirt, and she appeared to be no older than thirty-five as she had both arms crossed, staring at them with obvious blood-chilling disdain.

"Target practice; what does it look like?" Frasier said bluntly as he approached the stern-looking woman; glaring back into her golden eyes as she shook her head impatiently. She quicklyrealized they were armed to the teeth while she only possessed a foul temper.

"I swear to god, Isao-san is going to get us all killed; letting a bunch of punks like you in here," the woman cursed under her breath as she continued standing her ground while glaring at the two of them.

"You know, you really should be more polite to a man with a gun. It's only common sense," he slyly advised before she let out a disgusted huff before storming off.

Frasier simply smiled in satisfaction to himself before walking away to set up a harder shot for Saeko. He disappeared for a moment only to return with several energy drink cans he'd managed to collect from a nearby vending machine; all the while hoping Isao wouldn't be too upset by the massive hole he'd left in it.

Several of the cans were placed further away from the couch. When given the signal, Saeko followed all the steps and squeezed the trigger once more.

 ***blam***

However, no sound had followed after the gunshot went off. Both looked to see she had completely missed the targets. Saeko knew this wasn't something she was going to master in one day, but she had felt so confident and eager to prove herself more after the last three shots. She lined up the sights and tried to fire again.

 ***blam* *blam***

Again, nothing had changed aside from the opposite wall having two fresh holes in it. Saeko frowned in annoyance, only to then be completely caught by surprise when Frasier placed himself directly behind her.

"Your stance is way too firm and rigid. At this point you're practically fighting yourself. Just relax and concentrate, Saeko-san," Frasier said encouragingly as she could feel his warm breath going down her neck.

"Maybe you should put me in the proper position then," Saeko calmly suggested in a low, soft hum as she suddenly stepped back into him while allowing her arms and shoulders to loosen up.

"Sure. Allow me to steady your hands," Frasier accepted before the back of her body was lightly bumping into the front of his.

Both teens let out a soft groan as the other didn't know what to expect anymore. Frasier could feel his chest pressing against her noticeably well-toned back before one of his legs then stepped between hers; causing Saeko to instantly start blushing at such close contact. His rough, strong hands now were being kept elevated beneath her wrists to help her maintain a steady aim; his chin lightly resting on her right shoulder as she felt herself inadvertently biting her own lip in the heat of the moment.

Intense warmth felt like it was burning deep within her body as she slowly pressed back to adjust her stance even further; causing Frasier to let out a low but very audible moan when her shapely butt brushed between his thighs.

 _'Is that his...?'_ Saeko began to wonder before the excitement of the moment took over. She then felt her eyes widen as she fired three more shots in succession.

 ***blam* *blam* *blam***

Two of the three cans splattered and broke into fragments;leaving a foamy mess that dripped onto the floor as the two survivors stood there. Frasier swiftly pulled away in embarrassment only to then walk over and observe the damage done. Saeko meanwhile just stood there watching him; carefully flicking the safety on before she holstered the handgun. An immensely satisfied grin now formed across her face.

"Excellent work, Saeko-chan! You'll surely be a crack shot in no time. I'm so proud of you," Frasier complimented with his back turned to her, but his eyes instantly widened when he realized what he'd just called her; hoping to a God he didn't even believe in that she hadn't noticed his slip of the tongue.

"Thank you for the lesson, Lawson-sensei. I can't wait to surprise you with the progress I'll be making with you to guide me along," Saeko said graciously before she suddenly wrapped her arms around his torso from behind; completely catching him off guard as her whole body felt like a furnace now. Her warmth caused him to sweat as he had to resist the urge to say another lest it resulted in another slip up.

His cheeks were a soft shade of red as the normally disciplined soldier found himself completely flustered; shocked at the fact he could feel his own heart racing hard against his chest. This was a feeling he thought he'd managed to bury deep down and hopefully never visit again. He just kept silent though, despite greatly enjoying every second of the contact she made with him.

"I like my new name by the way," Saeko softly cooed; making it painfully obvious that she caught his mistake and was now teasing him for it.

She then let him go and began to walk away; leaving him to his thoughts before he snapped out of the trance and jogged over to rejoin her. Once Saeko had finally grabbed her feminine hygiene products, they began to leave the shopping mall again after saying their goodbyes to both Isao and Kenji.

"Woah, wait up you two! Hold up," someone suddenly called out; rushing over to them as they stood at the doorway.

The two curiously looked back to see a middle-aged man in a construction jumpsuit rushing over to them; a clear look of eagerness on his face.

"Oh, you must be Sho-san. Komuro-kun told me about you last night," Saeko realized as she recalled the brief conversation she had with Takashi before.

"Yeah, that's me. Did he also mention anything to your leader about arranging some kind of deal?" Sho asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"I don't know. Did he say anything to you, Frasier-san?" Saeko asked her British companion curiously.

"No, he most certainly did not," Frasier groaned as he clearly wasn't even remotely amused by this.

"Oh, so you're...? Ah, well, you see, we were talking about modifying a vehicle or two just in case you guys actually head all the way out to Tokyo. In exchange for my help, you guys would escort us the entire way, since I'm almost positive we wouldn't last one day out there on our own, let alone an entire drive to the capital with everything that's been going on. What do you say?" Sho began to explain as he realized that their leader stood before him and was already gravely unimpressed. However, by the end of it all, Frasier's expression seemed to change rather swiftly.

"An interesting proposal. Hmm…alright, I accept. But remember, I'm in command. Your people will do as I say, when I say. Understand?" Frasier accepted with a nod before looking the man straight in the eye.

"Of course! Wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, I'm Sho by the way," the relieved mechanic said before sticking his hand out,only to be left hanging when Frasier was already walking away.

"Don't take it personally. He's not a big fan of strangers," Saeko whispered reassuringly as the mechanic could only nod in understanding.

"I can see that. But I also came out to tell you guys I need your help. If I'm going to be working on any vehicles, I'll need the proper tools. I have a good assortment here already, but there's one I'm sadly missing that I'll need for the proper modifications I need to make," Sho then brought up as Frasier stopped dead in his tracks and began to slowly retrace his steps.

"Let me guess: you need us to escort you to a place you think might have what you need?" Frasier attempted to guess as Sho could only respond with a simple nod again.

"That was really close. Actually, it would be me and my coworker Kenta-san, since he knows the way there," Sho corrected, trying his best to remain calm despite how intimidating the deathly serious gaze in Frasier's eyes was.

"Fine; make what preparations you need and let's head out. It's best to move now while there's still daylight," Frasier sighed as he watched Sho nod eagerly before darting back inside the mall.

"Do you think we can trust them?" Frasier then whispered to Saeko once Sho was out of sight.

"Isao-san trusts them, so that's the best we can hope for. If not, though...just know that I've got your back," the young samurai replied optimistically, yet keeping herself on alert in case she was wrong. Frasier just nodded in contentment with that answer.

"Alright! Sorry about that; can't even sneeze around here without 'her royal highness' getting a stick up her ass about it," Sho announced as he came jogging back alongside a man roughly his height, both carrying large red backpacks.

"Hello," the other mechanic known as Kenta briefly greeted before they began to head out across the parking lot and back onto the streets. He had an identical jumpsuit to Sho, though the two were noticeable distinguishable due to Kenta's long brown hair and soft hazel eyes.

"Stay close and don't stray for any reason. Let's move," Frasier ordered as he took the lead; the others following close as it appeared it was going to be a clear day.

 _Twenty minutes later_

Just as things seemed to be going smoothly, everyone simultaneously froze where they stood. At first it was thought to be the wind; yet the more they listened, the more unnaturally loud it grew.

"So I take it I'm not the only one that's hearing that?" Kenta suddenly spoke up, however nobody responded.

Before they knew it, a whirring noise zoomed overhead. They all simultaneously looked up to see several helicopters fly by; specifically UH-60 Blackhawks. It was truly a sight to behold tosee that there was still some kind of military presence at all.

"Amazing; looks like they're heading north. Seems like Rika's intel was on point," Saeko said out of sheer astonishment as the rest just stared on.

"HEY! DOWN HERE! WE'RE STILL ALIVE," Kenta suddenly began to shout as he swung both hands in the air, as if genuinely expecting them to help him, let alone hear him.

"Shut your fucking gob, you stupid twat! Do you want to bring the bloody dead down on us?!" Frasier snapped before covering Kenta's mouth.

"Too late," Saeko pointed out as she motioned them to look up the street to see seventeen of Them stumbling out.

"Bollocks! We can take Them if we can separate Them. We'll handle the ones on the left; you two cover the right flank," Frasier cursed under his before quickly taking control. Both he and Saeko then rushed on ahead to break the pack apart.

"But we've never fought these things before," Sho called out; causing both survivors to pause and look to see that their stance alone made it clear they'd indeed never fought the dead before.

"What? Are you serious?" Saeko asked incredulously; unable to imagine how they were able to survive this long without the slightest clue on how to handle these monsters.

"I don't think they're joking...Saeko-san; defend these weaklings while I deal with their mess," Frasier sighed out of exasperation while trying to maintain his composure.

"Okay. Show them how it's done," Saeko replied as she shot him a quick nod before he left her to babysit the two mechanics.

"Come on," Frasier growled as he charged head on towards the first of many; throwing his combat knife into the eye socket of the closest one, giving it a moment to stumble before gripping the handle and shoving it deep enough to pierce the brain.

With one solid kick, the lifeless body crashed against several behind it; leaving Frasier some space to handle the next four that stumbled and shuffled over Their knocked over counterparts. Sparing no time to pick the infected pack apart one by one, he pinned another against a brick wall only to slam the back of the head with enough force to crack the skull. A thick mix of maroon and brown liquid smeared and trickled down the wall before the body followed.

"Watch it," Kenta called out as both he and Sho were practically trembling by now. Saeko however just grinned and watched in awe at how aggressive he was towards his enemies.

Two of 'Them' closed the gap and were practically on top of him now. However, Frasier kept calm as he suddenly reached out and grasped the two of by Their throats; using all his strength to hoist Them off the ground only to violently slam both neck firstinto the pavement.

They both twitched from the malicious body slam, cut shortly when Frasier stabbed one up through the temple with one hand while reaching for his pistol and executing the second with a shot up through the roof of the mouth with the other. Despite the fact it brought him a brief window to recover, it was only a matter of time before more of 'Them' would hone in on himfrom that shot.

While it was an impressive feat, there still remained one he'd underestimated as it was now towering over him. Both decaying hands grabbed his shoulders before launching itself onto him with its full body weight; practically pinning him down while the rest of the undead pack had managed to collectively pull itself back up.

"He's gonna get himself killed! Do something," Sho snapped as Saeko shook her head, fully aware of how urgent things truly were.

"He told me to protect you two. Besides, he's got it under control," Saeko explained as her confidence seemed to be absolutely certain that he was in no real danger yet, despite how it was just inches away from biting him. All the while she was silently hoping deep down that she wasn't wrong lest she'd never forgive herself for idly standing by.

 ***crack***

Grabbing the fire axe he'd been carrying alongside his pack, Frasier shoved back the undead cretin before swinging directly into the side of its head; viciously prying it out before circling back from the rest that were just seconds away from surrounding him.

 ***crack***

He swung the axe in an uppercut motion; splitting the jawline of the first in his path before noticing an undead SDF member was among them. Recalling how Saya had nearly killed herself, Takashi and Kohta by shooting the bandolier of grenades it had on it, he reached out in desperation only to yank back with several pins hanging around his fingers.

"Down," Frasier ordered back to the others before he released the axe and jumped as far as he could before tumbling onto the street, laying perfectly flat as he covered his ears.

 ***BOOM***

Everything went mute as a sudden yellow-white flash consumed the small pack. A dark red mist immediately followed as severed chunks of the dead and tattered bits of cloth were flung up everywhere within the blast radius. Saeko was first to look back up to see that most of Them had been blown to smithereens while some managed to survive. Without hesitation or concern for Sho and Kenta, she dashed over to Frasier as he stood back up to see his last minute plan had worked, even if it did cost him that fire axe to do so.

"What is the matter with you?! Don't you ever do something so reckless again," Saeko scolded as she gave him no room to defend himself. Honestly, he was rather caught off guard at how concerned she sounded despite how she knew what he was doing.

"We've wasted enough time out here as it is. Let's go before more show up," Saeko then suggested as they could already hear the noise of what sounded like an entire horde being stirred up from all the commotion.

"Holy shit! Look," Sho suddenly called out as they turned to see up the street a wave of Them moving in on their position.

 **[Stardust Crusaders OST - Imminence]**

"Where did all these rotten bastards come from?! I thought they'd all migrated north by now..." Frasier snarled as even he knew this wasn't a fight they could hope to win.

"I don't know, but I do know that we gotta get off the streets," Saeko announced as she pulled at his hand before they sprinted back to Sho and Kenta, both of whom looked like they'd seen a ghost given how terrified their faces were.

They all began to run south the way they came from in an effort to reroute to the car dealership Kenta had spoken of earlier on their journey. However, the apartment complex they'd passed by suddenly began to pour the living dead out, most likely housing those that were left behind during the initial outbreak. Mobs began to gather as the street was swiftly overtaken by the dead.

"We're cut off! What now?" Sho asked in a panic as he hoped to God that these two kids had some kind of backup plan.

"Just run," Frasier said, somewhat unnerved himself as he motioned them to fall back into a nearby alleyway. The undead followed right behind them; Their rotten flesh scraping off against the sides of the walls the more They pushed in.

"Up and over," Frasier ordered as he helped push Kenta and Sho over the large fence before he and Saeko began to pull themselves up.

Just as Saeko made it over, Frasier began to follow only for one of 'Them' to suddenly catch up and begin tugging at his feet. One of 'Them' even had its bony fingers tangled in the laces, making it near impossible to pull himself back up.

"I've got you," Saeko announced in a panic before angling her sword to go straight through the gaps of the chain link fence and penetrating the face of the closest one she could deal with.

Knowing he had to break free from the tight hold, the young Brit fired the last few rounds left in his pistol. The desperation and jolty movements made it hard for him to properly aim. Luckily, he managed to pick off one before using his free hand to unravel the laces in his boot; slipping free just in time to vault over to the other side.

 ***thud***

The young and fiery leader crashed against the hard ground only for Sho and Saeko to come to his aid. Together, they hoisted him back up as Kenta went up ahead without them when spotting something they'd yet to notice.

The chain link fence was all that kept Them away for now, but the sheer force of the dead pressing up against it would bring it down in no time. The metal rattled hard as the integrity already began to bend and squeal from the overwhelming stress.

"There's a fire escape we can use! Hurry," Kenta called out as he pulled down on it, failing to notice the single undead rising from a nearby pile of trash that had concealed it from sight. It wore a red track suit that almost looked like what a mail courier would wear.

Before the others could even warn him of the imminent threat, Kenta found himself grappling against the undead man; the two grey hands pulling Kenta's arm aside before leaning in to finish him off. The mechanic tumbled back, firmly pinned under the weight of the creature, watching in horror as he looked into the widening jaws dripping saliva onto his chest.

 ***thwack* *slam* *crack***

Kenta closed his eyes as the sound of bone shattering could be heard above; feeling the tight vice-like grip loosen on his wrists as the rest of the corpse went limp on top of him. He then opened his eyes to see Sho standing over him with a blood stained tire iron, pulling the body off of Kenta.

"I've got you, man. You alright?" Sho asked as Kenta looked himself over to see no bites as far as he could tell but still feeling the shock; nodding in silence before he stood back up to brush the putrid slime off.

"Guys, look! I got one," Sho proudly announced to Frasier and Saeko as they joined up and began to ascend the ladders.

"Good job. I'll be sure to throw you a party and award you with medals when we get back," Frasier said in a painfully obvious tone of sarcasm while they proceeded to narrowly avoid the mass of Them that had already torn the fence down and were clawing aimlessly at the air in a fruitless attempt to grab them.

"Let him enjoy his little moment," Saeko said with a chuckle as they stopped halfway up just to see how close of a call they'd really had.

 **[]**

"Any idea on how to get out of this now?" Kenta asked as he was practically out of breath.

"Well for starters..." Frasier replied softly; suddenly grabbing Kenta by the collar as he glared straight into his eyes before pressing him back until he was leaning over the safety railing.

"If you ever do something idiotic like that again, I'll kill you myself," the callous teen warned as he spoke without a hint of humor or hesitation to be found.

"I-I'm sorry...I just want to get out of this hellhole. Please, don't hurt me," Kenta pleaded apologetically; causing Frasier to pull him back before releasing his hold.

"Bloody useless," was all the disgruntled Brit could say before proceeding to scale the rest of the fire escape; stopping just at the edge to peer over to scout for any potential threats that could be lingering on the rooftop.

Luckily, there were no signs of movement as far as he could see. There was just a large air ventilation unit and an entry down into the building on the flat rooftop. He climbed up and began to walk around to scout their position a bit more thoroughly.

"Everyone take a moment to recover. We'll move again in five minutes," Frasier said, sighing out of exasperation as he sat along the edge of the building.

He looked straight down at the seemingly endless wave of Themstories below. A part of him once more couldn't help but somewhat admire how efficient these killing machines were. No need for rest, an endless hunger for carnage, no sense of fear orself-preservation, and certainly no remorse in what They did. The young teen could only begin to imagine what potential such creatures could've offered were they ever be used for military purposes. However, he put those thoughts aside the moment he felt Saeko's soft touch against his back.

"That was way too close for my liking, Frasier-san. Are you okay?" she asked with concernedly as he didn't look back at her; hating the fact she came to check up on him despite everything turning out alright.

"Me? Aside from a missing boot and watching two people that can't fight for shit, I'm just peachy," Frasier replied bitterly as he held up his foot only to see there was now a hole in the front, allowing his big toe to freely wiggle out in the open.

"Well, it's good to see you're making the best of it," Saeko said; lightly chuckling at the humorous sight before she planted herself beside him. Her side pressed close to his as he tried to ignore that her left arm was practically interlaced with his right.

The nervous teen felt his body heat up on the inside from such close contact; drowning out all noise around them as he'd occasionally glance over to check out her flawless features; watching that long, soft violet hair floating gracefully with the wind as those blue eyes of hers practically put his to shame. He could say it now; tell her what he truly felt about her for the longest time. Never had he been more tempted before this moment. Yet, he could only partially open his mouth before shutting it the moment she looked back.

"What? Is something on your mind?" Saeko asked curiously as she shot him a warm and most inviting smile that sent tremors down his back.

"N-No. I mean yes! Well, kinda...you see-" Frasier nervously began to ramble; finally starting to compose himself only to stop short when Sho and Kenta suddenly joined them.

"So where do we go from here?" Sho asked as Frasier pulled away and stood back up to survey the nearby neighborhood; all the while hiding his disappointment, but somehow feeling relieved he could avoid answering Saeko's question.

"Umm...that church down there, you guys think anyone might be inside?" Frasier suggested as he figured it would be considerably more secure compared to the smaller stores and houses around them.

"I'm sure some people turned to God when this all started. Probably drew in a crowd too, and we all know what happens after that," Saeko added; narrowing her eyes as she could only imagine the desperation and carnage that took place there when the undead swarmed the area.

"Well we can't exactly go back the way we came," Kenta pointed out as he motioned down to the swarms of 'Them' lingering in the alleyway and just beneath the fire escape.

"We're on an apartment complex right now. We always could try going down the stairs, but who knows how many of these things are waiting inside," Sho said in an effort to contribute to the conversation as they all stood there trying to find a way out of this botched mission.

Saeko then walked to the other side of the rooftop to check out the streets below. While plenty of undead were roaming about the area that grenade was set off, there were noticeable gaps that could potentially lead them straight to the front doors of the church. It would be a risky gamble to try their luck down there, but it didn't seem like any alternatives were going to sprout up anytime soon.

"I hate to say it, but we're simply going to have to move through the streets and make a break for the church," Saeko announced as even Frasier didn't entirely seem certain about this.

"Are you crazy? You want to go back down there with all those creatures moving about? Forget it," Kenta protested.

"Oh? And I suppose you've got a better plan then?" Saeko retorted; feigning interest as she was visibly put off by his cowardly attitude.

"Maybe one of those helicopters will fly by again. We could wait for them and they'd be able to get us out no problem! After all, they always taught us to stay in one spot when awaiting rescue," Kenta attempted to put out as the others looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"And maybe they'll bring us hot cocoa while they're at it. C'mon, Kenta-san! There's no way in hell they'd come back, especially not for us simple folk," Sho reprimanded as even he knew there wasn't a chance in hell that would happen.

"It's suicide if we try to walk down there! Listen to yourselves for a second here," Kenta argued as it was clear he had no intent on going back down while there were so many of Them around.

"So is screaming in the middle of the goddamn street, but that certainly didn't keep you from putting us in this situation in the first place. Saeko-san is right; we're going into the streets and straight for that church with or without you. You can stay up here if you want. Just know that once it gets dark, the dead are even stronger and far more aggressive. They'll eventually find a way up here, and I doubt you can survive the drop. So what's it going to be?" Frasier explained harshly; making it abundantly clear that Kenta didn't have a choice if he intended to survive.

"Alright, just...please don't let me die. I'm not ready," Kenta sighed in defeat before pleading for life as if he believed these two could guarantee it.

However, Frasier ignored him and just motioned them to follow in a single file line; clenching the grip to his knife as he pressed his back to the wall, quietly walking alongside it as they descended onto the fourth floor.

So far the coast was clear, save for a few turned over suitcases and random belongings strung about the place. Most doors hung wide open, making everyone reasonably tense as they had no idea what to expect behind each one. By the time they reached the lobby, it was clear that by the look of the shattered front windows and broken down doors, the dead had already moved out. Frasier then held up a hand before forming it into a fist to signal the other three to stop.

"I can see the church from here. It's a straight shot. All we need to do is climb over that iron fence and we'll be in the clear. Before we move out though, let me be clear on one thing: we don't stop for anything; we don't stray from the path, and for the love of God, keep quiet! If those things catch wind of us, then we're all going to have a very bad day. Any questions?" Frasier whispered as he wanted them to know everything before heading out onto the streets.

"I thought these things hunt by sound. How're they not going to hear us walking up beside 'em?" Sho asked as he wanted to be sure they knew what they were doing.

"Take off your shoes and do your best to avoid drawing attention to yourself. Don't panic, whatever you do," Saeko answered as she was already slipping out of her boots.

"Jesus, you kids really are insane. Let's just get this over with," Kenta grumbled as he began to reluctantly follow their lead by prying off his work boots.

Frasier was the first to move out into the open; putting a single finger to his lips before waving over to the others to follow his lead. What should've been a simple minute-long walk felt like all time had stopped, their hearts all simultaneously pounding hard as the dead would just casually wander on by as if they weren't even there. Sweat dropped off of Kenta and Sho's brows as they'd never been so up close to this many of Them before.

Luckily for them, that seemingly never ending walk came to an end as they reached the sturdy iron fence surrounding the perimeter of the church. To their surprise, it even still had the gates locked with none of 'Them' to be seen within as far as they could tell. One by one, they climbed over and began to check for any immediate danger.

However, on their search, they were met by a gruesome and grizzly scene when approaching the two front doors to the church. The heavy wooden doors were covered in blood as what appeared to be nail marks had been clawed into the surface. Most likely someone inside had sealed those still outside from entering; leaving them to the dead that must've swarmed in from behind. One could only imagine the carnage that must've taken place here. The screams and wails of the innocent practically echoed in their heads now the more their imaginations tried to piece it all together.

Frasier took a deep breath as he began to push; expecting to reveal something inside only for it to stop midway. He gave it several more cautious nudges before realizing they weren't going to go through the front doors quietly.

"See anything inside?" Kenta whispered as he kept looking back over his shoulder at the massive crowd nervously.

"No, I just have a crack of light to work with. Let me try and listen in," Frasier said before he leaned one ear to the wooden door in hopes that he could hear anything or anyone that might be dwelling within.

Nothing could be heard, no matter how much he tried to block out everything around him. No shuffling, wheezing, groaning, or any of the other typical sounds he'd normally expect from the dead by now could be made out. He slowly backed away only to then look up at the cross atop the steeple. They then walked around the perimeter to see that even the side windows had been boarded up from the inside. However, the second floor windows appeared to remain untouched as far as they could tell.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Saeko suddenly asked as Frasier nodded slowly before kneeling down to help give her enough of a boost to leap up to the window ledge up above.

"Just be careful," he said out of genuine concern he couldn't hope to mask; causing her to pause briefly and look down at him with one foot already balancing on his palms.

"Hey, do I really seem like the person that needs to be told that?" the young samurai playfully scoffed as if offended by him even suggesting something so obvious.

"Well, no...it's just a force of habit when you have siblings," Frasier backtracked before he realized that she was just messing with him.

"So you DO care about me," Saeko unexpectedly teased as he began to lift her upwards.

"Ah...just get up there already," Frasier expressed in a fluster before pushing as hard as he could; launching Saeko up just high enough for her hands to grab the ledge. He watched as she managed to pull the unlocked window out and climb into the former church.

"So, you and her, huh?" Sho suddenly asked as both he and Kenta couldn't resist chuckling at how embarrassed he was; almost entirely forgetting just how dangerous he was.

"Shut up. There's nothing between us," the shamed teenager grumbled as he couldn't believe he had to escort these two and listen to their mockery.

"Whatever you say, kid. I think she likes you back though," Sho said while backing off; leaving one last say that left Frasier frozen by the very idea of that being a possibility.

Before the young leader could try to dismiss such claims, they could hear the doors slowly opening up behind them. Without hesitation, the three rushed over only to see Saeko standing there waiting with a grin on her face.

"Clear?" Frasier asked; wanting to make sure they were truly safe and could momentarily rest.

"Yes. There's something upstairs you should see though," Saeko answered before suggesting that he follow her to what must've been something she deemed important.

"We'll just leave you two alone for that," Kenta said as he remained downstairs with Sho to check out the first floor.

"Just don't take too long," Sho then added as he and Kenta bumped fists together; knowing Frasier couldn't retaliate no matter how embarrassing this was for him.

"What are they talking about?" Saeko whispered as she seemed clueless as to what they were referring to.

"Nothing, let's go," Frasier said dismissively; shooting them a furious glare before vanishing up the stairs with Saeko.

They both soon stood in one of the several rooms on the second floor, just beneath the steeple. Several sleeping bags covered the floor, each one unzipped and ruffled. Dozens of empty plastic water bottles were piled in the corner of the room with several wrappers littered about the place.

"Looks like some survivors tried living up here. Did you see any bodies?" Frasier estimated from the scene before confirming what Saeko might've seen on her way in.

"No, but by the looks of things, I think whoever was here is no longer around. At least not in this church," she replied confidently; leaning against the wall as she watched him kick aside one of the sleeping bags.

"They must've run out of supplies and tried their luck outside. Doubt they would even last an hour," Saeko then added as she couldn't foresee any good outcomes for the former inhabitants; hoping deep down that there were no kids were amongst them.

"Most people aren't survivors like you and I. Our strength alone grants us the right to exist. Survival of the fittest," Frasier then proudly exclaimed with a sudden burst of energy she wasn't expecting now of all times; all while curving a smile at how highly he seemed to be thinking of her as well. But that didn't mean she wasn't slightly bothered at the almost elitist thinking behind his lack of empathy for what could've very likely been a family.

"So, now that we can finally stretch our legs; tell me, what do you fear?" Saeko suddenly brought up again; completely catching him off guard once more.

"Really? We're doing this again?" Frasier said with a raised eyebrow as he gave her an irked look.

"Why not? I'm curious, and you avoiding the subject only makes me more curious," Saeko responded in an attempt to justify her little game of making him open up, whether he wanted to or not. However, he remained silent and instead began to set his backpack down along the wall before sitting against it.

"Spiders? Heights? Oh, I bet it's drowning! Is it drowning?" Saeko tried to guess; sounding like she was ready to keep going until she got an answer from him.

"Nope, negative, and certainly not; since I'd never allow myself to be caught in such a situation," Frasier denied entirely almost instantly.

"Well, if I tell you one of my fears, will you tell me one of yours?" Saeko finally asked in a desperate attempt to make him open up.

"Maybe," he replied, all too curious himself now that he might learn more of her.

"Okay...well, I'm really terrified of being alone. Honestly, the very idea of isolation is nerve-wracking for me," Saeko confessed as she seemed saddened just by thinking about such a horrid feeling.

"Really? I figured someone so calm and collected would be used to it. Interesting," Frasier admitted as he seemed genuinely surprised by this most unexpected revelation.

"I've been alone in ways you can't possibly imagine, Frasier-san. Maybe I can tell you more about it another time; but for now, it's your turn to share," Saeko foreshadowed only to then make it clear he wasn't going to be able to change the subject this time.

"I have no fears, Saeko-san. Fear implies that there's weakness and flaw; neither of which I am allowed to have," Frasier replied without any sense of doubt in himself or what he just claimed. However, Saeko wasn't nearly as amused by that at all.

"That's a cheap answer, you little liar! You said you would tell me," Saeko grumbled out of sheer frustration before reaching over only to start pinching his cheeks.

"Ow, hey, I just did! Stop that," Frasier chuckled as she continued to pull and tug at his cheeks. Both of them were now in a struggle for control, though it was clear she wasn't going to let him off easy for this.

"Sometimes you really know how to frustrate a girl," Saeko suddenly sighed in a dead serious tone as she stared straight into his eyes. Before any response could be made, she unexpectedly lost her balance and crashed on top of him; resulting in the two butting heads with one another.

Both were momentarily dazed by the sudden impact; Saeko rubbing her forehead hard as Frasier seemed to recover before she could, before instantly falling dead silent once he realized that her bountiful chest was gently resting upon him. Their bodies then pressed closer than ever before; practically sharing warmth from such close contact. How it ended up like this was long lost to either of them at this point.

"Had I known you would resort to such lengths, I might've told you. I wasn't kidding about my lack of fear though. Fear is a weakness neither of us can afford right now," Frasier grumbled as he shook off the pain and put some distance between the two of them.

"What about your past? Do you think you could tell me more about your training now that everyone else knows?" Saeko then asked; refusing to waste an opportunity to learn more about him without worry of any unexpected interruptions.

"It's complicated. Like, when I'm in the middle of a fight,everything is crystal clear to me. All the techniques I've acquired, all the training and lectures are at my disposal. Yet, I feel like I'm on autopilot or something; that I'm just on standby watching another person fight for me. There's no emotional hindrance, no sense of self preservation, just a drive to win at any cost.

"I've tried to dwell on it at times, but it just becomes a blur and can even hurt if pushed too hard. I guess it must be a side effect to the simulator I've been hooked up into so many times. It could be worse though," Frasier attempted to explain; seeming quite uncertain of it himself given the low tone he was now speaking in.

"I see," was all that came out of her; leaving him feeling somewhat guilty considering how disappointed she sounded right now. There was so much they still didn't know that only made the mystery harder to live with.

"I'm sorry I can't give much insight here. Can we please talk about something else?" Frasier then requested; hating how he couldn't read her feelings again, and hating that unknown sensation she made him feel at times like this.

She just stared at him for a brief moment with that glare of hers that made him go weak in the stomach; uncertain what she thought of him whenever forming such a vague expression. She then smirked at the last second only to grasp the wool cap he wore; pulling down on it until it stretched over and covered his entire head. Giggling out of the pure amusement it bought her when he squirmed around trying to pull it back up.

"Before we get too sidetracked, how about we check and see how our friends are doing? It's best we don't sit idle for too long," she suggested instead before motioning for Frasier to follow her back down to the first floor.

Once the two teens reunited with Sho and Kenta, they could immediately see the two mechanics were reasonably anxious, with Kenta even pacing around the room restlessly.

"Are you two feeling alright?" Saeko asked; snapping both men out of their reverie.

"I recognize this area. The garage I mentioned is less than two blocks away from here. If it weren't for all those monsters out there, we could be able to slip in, grab what we need and get out and head back for the mall in no time flat," Kenta explained anxiously while Sho looked to still be keeping his thoughts to himself.

"Well, if there's one thing we've come to learn about the dead, it's that They are very easily distracted and absent-minded. Given how spread out they were already on our way here, I'd say in about an hour or so, enough of them will have wandered off so we can continue on our way," Frasier explained, which seemed to visibly calm both men down as they let out mutual sighs of relief.

Before Frasier could figure out what to do next, he suddenly felt Saeko's hand grasp the sleeve of his shirt tight, and when he turned to look at her, there was an unmistakable and intense look of shock in her blue eyes.

Following her gaze, Frasier suddenly noticed a small droplet of blood, fresh blood, spilling on the floor; and as his focus shifted upward, he saw the smallest trail of blood running down Kenta's hand, and from the nervous look on his face, Frasier knew the mechanic knew what he'd seen.

"You, show us your arm right now," the young Brit immediately ordered, and before Kenta could even react, Saeko swooped in and pulled his sleeve up; revealing the seemingly most minuscule scratch around his wrist.

"What the fuck?! Kenta, did you get bitten?" Sho exclaimed the instant he saw it, to which Kenta immediately struggled out of Saeko's grasp as she too backed away from him.

"No, no, no, I swear I didn't get bit! I grappled with one of those things earlier, it must've just scratched me," he tried to explain; feeling his heart drop at the intense glares everyone was sending him.

"How do we know scratches don't have the same effect as bites? We've never really encountered what happens if someone got scratched," Saeko asked; only now realizing how they'd missed such a crucial thing to know.

"Whoa, hold on, don't start jumping to conclusions yet! It's been a good twenty minutes since then, and I don't feel any different. I feel just fine, I swear! Besides, if it came down to it, couldn't you guys just ampu-?"

Before the last syllable left Kenta's mouth, with the most chilling swiftness and precision, Frasier suddenly pulled his knife from its sheathe and drove the entire length of the blade into the back of Kenta's skull, to the tip just barely protruding through his forehead; his expression still frozen to the unsuspecting empty look he had before.

Without even a flinch in his expression, Frasier pulled the knife from the now dead mechanic's skull; letting his body collapse while Saeko and Sho both looked in utter shock.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO?! YOU FUCKING MURDERED HIM," Sho instantly exploded as he charged Frasier, only for the young Brit to slam the handle of his knife across the mechanic's face; sending him tumbling to the floor before Saeko quickly stepped in between them with her arms outstretched.

"That's enough! Both of you," the young samurai ordered; trying her best to keep from shouting lest the dead outside heard them.

"What kind of fucking monster are you?! He could've been fine! You had no right to do that," Sho grumbled furiously as he was at least smart enough not to get close enough for Frasier to grab him, lest he suffer the same fate his friend just did.

"Wrong, I had every right. This world we live in now can't have us afford to second guess ourselves. There's still too much we don't know about how the infection works. Kenta proved to be a possible threat, and I only did what any smart man would've done," Frasier replied; sheer ice in his tone as he looked down upon the mechanic like an idiotic child being reprimanded.

"To think a murderer like you is leading those kids…what they must REALLY think of you. Oh God, Kenta-san…I knew him for years…h-he was my friend…and you killed him like he was nothing," Sho began mourning to himself; his distraught eyes never leaving Frasier's uncaring gaze as he wiped the blood from his knife on his pant leg before sheathing it once more.

"Word of advice: the sooner YOU learn to not take unnecessary chances, the sooner you can prevent anyone else you care about from dying. Whether you take that to heart or not doesn't mean shite to me. Right now, you're the only chance we have of getting those buses set up for the trip YOU wanted to join us on, so I hope you do the smart thing and don't test me further," the eldest Lawson spoke so coldly, it even gave Saeko chills, almost as though she couldn't believe what the once flustered and admirable Brit she knew had just become. Without another word, Frasier turned his back on Sho and proceeded further up the stairs while leaving Sho to mourn.

As much as Saeko wanted to at least comfort the poor man, she knew confronting Frasier was more important. She instantly followed hot on his heels until he came to a stop in the same room from before with the sleeping bags.

"Frasier-san, what the hell happened back there?" she wasted no time asking while Frasier kept gazing out the window.

"Kenta was scratched, proved to be an issue, and I corrected it. You know that," he stated bluntly; to which Saeko clenched her fists and grabs him by his collar; turning him around and forcing him to look her in the eye.

"You know what I'm talking about, Frasier! Yes, there was a risk, but you didn't even hesitate! Kenta-san was still doing alright! The very least you could've done was give me some time to help him make his peace. That was the least he or anyone else deserves," she protested angrily, only to feel her anger grow even more when Frasier's expression didn't soften at all.

"What good is helping these weaklings make peace with their nonexistent God? You really think any kind of loving God would let people like them suffer in this world like WE do? Survival is all we have anymore, Saeko, and I will do ANYTHING to ensure it for myself, my brothers, you, and our group. Anyone else is just a convenience for us, and if they get in the way, they'll suffer the same fate as that man down there. Understand?"

For the first time she could ever recall, Saeko more than anything felt the desire to punch Frasier in that cold, hateful-looking face of his. She couldn't even stop gritting her teeth as it felt like her fists were going to close so tight her nails would cut into her palms.

"What the hell is happening to you, Frasier? You were nothing like this just a few minutes ago. Don't you dare tell me something like you woke up or something like that! This is NOT like you," she exclaimed before Frasier quickly brushed her off and proceeded to exit out the door.

"Don't go about acting like you know everything about me, because you don't. There are just some things about what I've learned you wouldn't ever understand. Now come on. The sooner we get what Sho needs, the sooner we can get a ride put together and the sooner we can go home," Frasier instructed while Saeko was left standing there in shellshock.

 _An hour later…_

By the time Sho had finally managed to mourn and get his emotions around Frasier under control, the young Brit's prediction had proven true and the majority of Them had migrated off elsewhere, and thankfully there didn't look to be any in the direction Sho had mentioned was where Kenta said the garage was.

Even despite the garage door itself having been left wide open, there wasn't any distressing signs of undead lingering around, and the place itself looked to have suffered little if any looting, which made finding the tool Sho needed, a single welding torch, easier than they'd expected.

"With this, we'll be able to use some of the surplus steel bars at the work area in the mall to reinforce the windshields and windows for the buses. There's bound to be a lot more crazies out there looking to kill people for their supplies, so I can't think of why we wouldn't need that."

His logic certainly made a lot of sense to Frasier, so he didn't need any more convincing to take some spare jerry cans of fuel lying nearby for the torch, since he could only imagine welding bars to the windows of two full-size buses would be more than a little time consuming.

The entire way back, Sho was still very uncomfortably silent, and the entire way he didn't dare make eye contact with Frasier. Now that they'd gotten what they came for, Frasier's frightening survivor exterior had thankfully waned some, but that didn't make Saeko any less concerned. Despite how much she'd come to love seeing the fighting spirit inside him come out, what she'd seen in him at that church was…something else, something that she already found herself deeply disliking.

The sun had already well begun to set by the time they'd finally returned to the mall. Funny how time seemed to slip by so much faster while they were out on the city streets.

Sho didn't even waste time with words or any other kind of emotions as he tucked the torch under one of his arms and took the jerry cans from Frasier and Saeko, clearly just wanting to get to work and get his mind off of Kenta.

"Hey, Sho-san…look, about Kenta-san back there…" Frasier surprisingly began to say in a much less hostile manner before Sho suddenly dropped the jerry cans and shot a chilling glare at the young Brit.

"You think after murdering my friend and talking to me like you did, you have the right to apologize? Fuck you, kid. Now you listen to me, I got nothing against your people, and I'll get one of the buses all set up for you just as much as I will for our own, but as far as I'm concerned, you personally and me? We're DONE," was all Sho had to say before he took the jerry cans back into his hands and stormed off into the mall; leaving Frasier and Saeko alone once more outside.

While Saeko still didn't like seeing her friend being spoken to like that, she couldn't rightfully deny that Sho had every right to still be upset and even angry. But that still didn't make her any less unprepared to see the genuinely remorseful look on Frasier's face; almost as if the time away from the constant fighting had given him time to reflect on his actions and behavior. Perhaps, even despite how necessary he said killing Kenta was, the moral human side of him still didn't like that he had to do it. Just the thought couldn't help but instill a strange kind of…hope in the young swordswoman.

"C'mon, Frasier-san. It's been a really long day. Why don't we head home?" she offered; helping to guide Frasier as they began to slowly but surely make their way back into the frighteningly dark city in the hopes of getting back home to their friends and family.

Suddenly, a single drop of rain bounced off the bridge of Frasier's nose; causing him to wrinkle it in response. Saeko took notice of this and couldn't help but let out a soft giggle that madehim slightly blush at that all-too charming laugh.

"This was a mistake. We should probably take shelter. I'd hate to run into a horde if this picks up any further," Frasier advised as Saeko nodded in full agreement.

"I know this street. Follow me," she announced after she took a moment to observe their surroundings; taking his hand without warning and running down the middle of the open street.

Normally Frasier would question her sudden idea, but she seemed so confident in herself that he couldn't help but wonder what she had in mind for a temporary shelter; following her as the rain began to pick up with each step; grey clouds slowly forming overhead. A crack of thunder echoed in the distance; making it undeniable they had to find somewhere to hide immediately.

Within just a minute, the droves of undead that had been inside most of the buildings were starting to emerge in number; each one standing aimlessly and looking up at the sky as if waiting for something to happen. Their jaws hung open while both milky grey eyes swirled around in place. It was truly a disgusting sight most wouldn't be able to stand, especially when combined with the rancid odor the decaying flesh was giving off in the rain. The wind would breeze by, carrying those painful groans and lonely sighs They seemed to carry with them wherever They went.

Soon, Saeko brought Frasier up to a low building with shutters all across the windows that made up a majority of the front walls. Frasier watched her back as she reached underneath a nearby potted plant and pulled out a key and fumbled with the lock before it made a click.

"Help me lift this up," Saeko suddenly whispered as Frasier walked over and pulled the metal shutters up just enough for them to slip inside before gently setting it down to avoid drawing any unwanted attention from the undead wandering just on the other side of the street.

Frasier let out a low sigh of relief being able to both get out of the rain and to be physically out of harm's way for the time being. His hands roughly combed through his short hair until most of the rain had been brushed off, rolling up both sleeves to his elbows so Saeko wouldn't see his bullet wound from their raid on Shido's compound. After taking a moment to inspect the barely lit interior, he came to realize just where she'd taken him.

"This is your father's dojo…isn't it?" Frasier asked;understanding now how she was able to get them in so easily as he began to pace through the long expanse of a living room. His hand gently felt the cold wall as his wet boots began to squeak against the padded floor.

"Yes...do you think you could remove your boots? I don't want my father to see a single thing out of place when he returns," Saeko answered before making a request; most likely out of sheer respect for her father's studio.

"Of course, my apologies," Frasier said before he quickly stepped off the tatami mats and began to unlace the black boots; wiggling his toes and stretching them out as he was enjoying that relaxed feeling one would get after pulling off their shoes after a long day of being on their feet constantly.

"So...do you ever think of what happened to your family back home?" Saeko suddenly asked out of curiosity as she proceeded to sit beside him.

"What's there to think about? My people are one of the only ones yet to face this scourge. Even if they did, my father would easily handle himself, given his power and available resources," Frasier replied distantly; showing little regard for whatever fate his father may have faced despite what had been said on the satellite phone.

"Don't you have anyone in the family besides your father and brothers to think about?" Saeko pressed on as Frasier shrugged his shoulders, as if he didn't even know himself.

"Not really. I'll be honest with you, our family line is dying, Saeko-san. That's why it's so important to preserve Noah and Marcus no matter the cost, so they can start a family of their own and continue the line," Frasier said as it became all the more clear why he was so hell-bent on ensuring the survival of the Lawson brothers. However, this didn't entirely sate the young sword wielder's intrigue just yet.

"What about you? Don't you want a family someday; someone to come home to?" Saeko asked as she gently ran a hand down his arms; wondering now what was keeping him from such ambitions, somewhat concerned when he turned away silently.

"Hey, no brushing me off this time, Frasier-san. Please, answer me," Saeko then demanded as she had to know just why he would say such a thing.

"I-I'm not brushing you off! I...I just...even if I did feel such things for someone...what would I do? I was raised to fight, bred to kill, taught that your place in the world will be defined only by your strengths. Where does something like love fit into place for someone like me? It simply can't work. It never will," Frasier expressed; conflict hanging from his words as he shook his head in denial; speaking like he'd been thinking about this for years now, yet never could find a satisfying conclusion.

"Do you really feel that way? You don't think you could ever love someone outside your own family?" Saeko asked in a clearly hurt tone as she bowed her head; not noticing the sadness that seemed to be on his face as well.

"I don't think there's a point in dwelling on such trivial matters. I know my place in this world, and being a lover and a father isn't one of them. I am a defender of my people and my country. My brothers will continue the family line while I fight to ensure its success and survival. It's just the way things are," Frasier explained regretfully; speaking as if this was set in stone and could never once be deviated from no matter how much it killed him inside.

"You don't have to do everything on your own, Frasier-san. You act like you're the only one who can make the sacrifices for your family and even us. Please don't talk like that again. There's much more to life than you can even begin to grasp; you just need the right person to show you," Saeko suddenly argued as Frasier looked at her in surprise, astonished at how determined she was to convince him that his fate was in his own hands now.

"Well, at least think about. We should get some rest while we still have the chance," she then suggested as she left him alone to his own thoughts.

She pulled her backpack full of supplies up against a wall before resting her head on it; turning her face one last time to see him doing the same thing. A faint look of concern filled her eyes before she turned to get some sleep that would hopefully outlast the rain; closing her eyes as she felt the drift of slumber take over.

However, she tossed and turned for what only felt like minutes before she sat up to see it was still the middle of the rainstorm. Her gaze then shifted over to Frasier's sleeping figure. There was such a peaceful expression on his face as his eyelashes would gently flutter occasionally; making Saeko smile a little bit; playfully touching the tip of his nose only for it to automatically wrinkle in response.

Just before she could even consider going back to sleep, his scent had begun to draw her in; a musk-like smell that was so strong it couldn't be ignored no matter how hard she tried. All concentration was broken when she caught herself staring at him again; sculpting every little detail she could visibly see, and some that she couldn't.

"Such a strong and manly odor. He must've really been pushing himself today, always trying to be the best for us...for me," Saeko mumbled to herself as she then began to crawl over to him.

An unmistakable drive to get closer to him suddenly took over her body as she slowly found herself straddling over his lower waist; watching that strong chest of his rising up and down with each breath he took. Her curiosity was so strong she didn't even feel herself hesitate when her hands began to slowly lift up his shirt to see the rows of muscles around his stomach.

'So this is how it feels to touch a man's abs. They're so much harder than I expected,' Saeko pondered with glee as her fingertip began to playfully trace around them.

She then paused in contemplation, uncertain whether to continue exploring his body up to his chest or down beneath the band along his waistline. Saeko bit her lips in anticipation as she couldn't decide where to go next. Her crystal blue eyes then narrowed when she finally made up her mind. A look of sheer desire could now be seen painted across her face.

"You're all mine, Frasier-kun," Saeko gently whispered as her hands pulled on the brim of his pants. A wild fire burned inside of her chest and loins as the wait was driving her insane.

Suddenly, just before she could make her next move, two big hands grasped her wrists. Saeko was instantly startled beyond belief, embarrassed to death that he'd caught her peeping at his body while he slept.

"Rraaahhh!" Frasier's voice suddenly echoed in a blood-curdling snarl as Saeko looked in sheer horror at what was undoubtedly a zombified version of him. His once fair skin was now a dark grey as those once beautiful blue eyes were now milky white and looking into two separate directions.

"What?! Impossible," Saeko shouted in shock as she tucked up into a ball only to kick out against his jaw just in time to avoid being bitten; rolling back across the mat to grab her sword.

Saeko took a battle stance as she watched Frasier slowly rising from the ground; moving sluggishly and unpredictably as would any of 'Them'; a low groan emitting past his lips.

"N-No! You can't be...you weren't bitten! How can this be?" Saeko stuttered out of sheer shock as she tried to get a better understanding of this horrifying discovery.

"Damn it, Frasier-kun! Why didn't you say anything?! Why did you have to die?" Saeko cursed as tears began to run freely down her face; weakly gripping the handle of her blade as she watched him limping over to continue the attack.

His hulking figure lunged forward with such unexpected speed;pinning Saeko to the wall as she tried to resist his already overwhelming strength that was now increased several-fold by his undead state. She barely turned her head aside before his teeth could sink into her face. With a quick reaction, Saeko swiftly kicked the side of Frasier's kneecap; causing his undead form to fall down just low enough to knee it back.

"Please...don't do this...don't make me kill you," Saeko demanded as she was at a total loss. Never had she expected to kill someone so close to her heart while fighting to survive.

All she got in response though was a vicious snarl that was swiftly cut short when her hands extended the katana forward. Her hands trembled as the blade pierced right through him. Apain unlike anything she'd ever felt before shook her entire world. A cold darkness overcame Saeko as she fell to her knees, staring hopelessly at Frasier's now motionless body. She was unable to stand she fell on both knees before slamming her fist to the ground in uncontrollable anger.

"Can't be...you can't be gone...without you, I can't possibly hope to hold it back...all I have is the darkness now..." Saeko muttered to herself as she couldn't even sum up the energy to move; her eyes widening as she couldn't believe what was happening to her right now, not even acknowledging the room becoming pitch black before the shadows started to consume her.

"Saeko-san! Wake up," Frasier's voice suddenly echoed out as her blue eyes instantly opened back up.

Saeko felt her heart racing against her chest faster than it ever had before. Sweat covered her entire face as she sat up and began to take in the surroundings around her.

Luckily, she was still where she recalled resting at in the middle of the dojo. The rain was still pouring strong outside as the shutters were still closed tight. Her dearest companion however was nowhere to be seen. There was only his jacket, which had mysteriously found itself wrapped around her shoulders. Saeko gently rubbed it out of personal comfort before she got up to look for Frasier's current whereabouts.

A faint yet noticeable source of light near the restroom immediately caught her attention. On approach, she peered through the open doorway to see a candle resting on the sink while Frasier's figure could be distinctly made out. At first she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and tell him about the terrible nightmare she'd just endured. However, when she noticed a red mark along his arm that thought was instantly forgotten.

"What is that?" Saeko softly asked; causing Frasier to instantly jump before spinning around to see that he'd been discovered.

"I...damn, I guess there's no point in hiding it now," Frasier said as he stumbled over his own words before making the conclusion that hiding his actions would now be pointless.

"Hiding what...? Don't tell me you've been-" the young woman began to pry as she had sudden flashbacks to that horrific nightmare that was still so fresh in her mind.

"It's not a bite or a scratch if that's what you're implying. This happened when we were rescuing Tadashi-san. Those bastards managed to graze me," Frasier explained as he was quick to point out that he was anything but infected.

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Saeko then followed up; still unsatisfied by his answer as she leaned against the doorway with a frighteningly unreadable look in her eyes.

"No. It wasn't necessary, and it won't be when we return to the hotel," Frasier answered as he brushed past her and headed back into the main area of the building.

"Are you kidding me right now?! Of course it was necessary! Ugh! You know sometimes you really are just infuriating, Frasier-san," Saeko announced angrily as she followed right behind him with both fists clenched tight.

"Calm down. I've been taking care of it and-" Frasier attempted to explain only for Saeko to be right up in his face with a soul crushing glare burning in her eyes.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT, DAMMIT! The point is you NEVER communicate with us! You just try to do everything on your own and act like we're holding you back or something," Saeko said in a more furious growl as she was clearly beyond pissed off.

"You don't understand-" Frasier attempted to say, only to be silenced by the sensation of Saeko's hand suddenly slapping him hard across the face.

"No, it's YOU who doesn't understand! I doubt you could EVER understand," Saeko shouted as Frasier was visibly taken aback by this side of her, unable to imagine how bad it must've been if someone as calm and reserved as Saeko was acting this riled up.

"Saeko-san, what's wrong? You've never allowed yourself to get this angry before. Usually you're so calm and composed. Talk to me," Frasier asked as he slowly approached her. A deep sense of concern filled his words as she appeared hesitant now.

"You would if you knew the truth about me, Frasier! If only you knew the things I felt whenever I had to fight; how I feel more alive than ever when there's a battle to be had," Saeko suddenly shouted as she caught Frasier by surprise with her sudden outburst of mixed emotions. Her eyes widened as a twisted smile took her over. All she could imagine now was how he'd see her as a threat or how pathetic she was for feeling like this in contrast to the calm and composed woman she tried so hard to be.

"I never told you this, but just before I met you, I was assaulted one night by a drunken man. He attempted to force himself onto me. Luckily, I had my practice sword with me, so I swiftly took control of the situation and beat him within an inch of his life. The authorities claimed it was out of self-defense, but it was far from what really happened.

"It was that fateful night that I came to realize how good it felt to be in control, to inflict pain upon others, to feel so alive. I actually felt joy when the world ended! Can you believe it?! That's how messed up I am! While people were all dying around me, I couldn't have been happier!

"I wanted to hide this side of myself from you for so long now, I just didn't know how you'd react to it. I didn't want you to be afraid and run away from me. Even now, I'm worried what you're thinking of all this. Yet, now I feel like I don't care what you think of it," Saeko confessed as Frasier simply stood there;paralyzed at the dark revelation, his expression a mix between shock and uncertainty. His silence and lack of response however began to wear on her patience.

"I knew you wouldn't understand...I was a fool to think this would work," Saeko sighed before she bowed her head; her hands balling up into fists as Frasier attempted to place a hand on her shoulder, only to instantly be swatted off.

 **[Apocalyptica - Harmageddon]**

Without warning, she suddenly drew her blade from its sheath;prompting Frasier to remain in his place as he determined whether she was about to attack or if she was just acting out of fear from his unspoken response. Her sword slowly pointed right at him as he could see both her eyes were wide open with a twisted smile forming along her lips. She was losing herself to the darkness that corrupted her soul.

"I don't want to fight you, but if I must defend myself, then so be it. We both know I can't die here, Saeko-san. Not when my brothers still need me," Frasier sighed as he drew his knife out;holding it in a pose that would allow him to block her noticeably longer katana should he be able to parry at the base of her sword.

A chilling laughter filled the room as Saeko seemed to be more than eager to fight him; forming a crazed look that sent genuine chills down his spine. Without warning, she made a beeline straight for him, almost as if she were testing him to see if he'd react.

"No..." Frasier muttered as he couldn't believe that this was really happening now; clenching the grip to his knife as he braced for her impending assault.

 ***clang***

Both blades connected for just a brief moment. Sparks flung up in the air as Frasier, even with his strength, barely could hold onto his knife. He naturally went for his sidearm in the hopes that she'd take him seriously and back down. However, Saeko could see this coming from miles away as she dashed in and swiped clean through the barrel, effectively slicing Uncle Mark's 9mm apart, only for her to leap back when Frasier attempted to swipe at her.

'She's too damn fast for me. I can't possibly hope to beat her in close quarters when she's armed with a bloody sword. I have to come up with something and fast,' Frasier thought to himself as he discarded the weapon aside and calculated an alternate way to subdue Saeko without hurting or god-forbid killing her.

"What's wrong? Not feeling so tough without your little toy?" Saeko teased as she then grabbed a sword hanging on display from the wall only to then toss it over towards Frasier. Clearly she didn't want this victory to be won so cheaply, as well as showing a deep sense of honor that her opponent was equally armed as she was. A part of her still remained inside; giving him hope that he could reach it before she'd be completely lost to the madness forever.

"Fine; we'll play by your rules then," Frasier said in acceptance; setting his knife down before unsheathing the katana Saeko had given him. The twin blades poised for battle now as the two close friends began to circle around the room.

Saeko was unlike any opponent he'd encountered before; when he got past her stunning beauty, there was a fearsome warrior to behold. She was one of the very few he genuinely admired and respected in his life. Now there was a fierce bloodlust that filled those crystal blue eyes of hers, a drive for battle that rivaled even his own, with long slender arms perfect for striking slightly beyond his range. Never once did he dare to break eye contact with her as it was just as much of a mental battle as it was a physical one.

Without hesitation, they both lunged in towards one another;their blades clashing and deflecting off one another with lightning fast reflexes. Saeko was somewhat surprised at how well his training under her had come along as he was actually standing his ground for the time being; showing no fear in his eyes. He knew there was zero room for error here; knowing full well that it only took one well-placed strike to end this fight as well as his life.

Saeko then swung her blade sideways; watching Frasier duck under it only to then kick her sideways with enough force to send her a few steps back. However, she barely seemed to respond to the pain as she was already back for more; putting him on the defensive. Her speed began to increase the longer they fought. Frasier could only make a horrid conclusion that she was only warming up while he was struggling just to keep up with her rapid movements, much less react accordingly to them.

'I can't think with her so damn close. I need to put some distance between us,' Frasier thought to himself as he made a wild swing only to then leap away when Saeko dodged it like it was child's play; forming a confident smirk when it was abundantly clear she had him on the ropes.

"What's wrong? Did you expect to beat me so easily? You can't even begin to comprehend what I'm capable of," Saeko asked tauntingly. A sense of hopelessness filled Frasier's heart as he knew that she was a master of aggression and could break through anyone's defense when it came to the art of the sword.

"There's a reason they called you 'The Tempest of Fujimi Academy' back at school. But from my training, we're taught that the only way to break someone's offense is to be ten times as aggressive and ruthless! If you do not yield, I will break you, Saeko," Frasier shouted back as he changed his defensive pose into one that showed he was going on the offensive as well. Saeko slowly licked her lips in anticipation as she awaited him.

"Go for it," due called out as if trying to test what he was really willing to do.

"Aarrrgghh!" both fighters shouted as they charged forward. Their swings and swipes were delivered with such intensity that sparks began to fly around them with every connection.

Saeko spun around like a whirlwind; her blade centimeters from striking the back of his neck before he threw his arms back in time to block it with the side of his blade. Frasier then swerved his entire torso with the sword extended sideways; watching as Saeko managed to parry it with ease. Sweat dripped down their faces as they fought with a fiery intensity they'd never been pushed to before. At one point they were in a deadlock; pushing back and forth. The blades were under such powerful stress and pressure that it seemed like they'd snap at any moment. Using his overwhelming might though, Frasier launched Saeko back; dashing in as she was finally vulnerable from the stagger.

'There,' Frasier shouted in the back of his mind as he went for the wide opening; bringing his sword down towards her only to swerve at the last second and entirely miss her, instead slicing off a few strands of hair that were caught by the razor sharp tip.

It was at that moment he realized he couldn't bring himself to harm his beloved Saeko. His love for her had somehow managed to completely override his survival instincts. He was now fighting on two fronts, and she could tell just by that act alone he wouldn't kill her, even if it meant death for him.

'Shit, I bet she knows I can't do it. There's no way I can beat her in the art of the sword. I gotta get that katana away from her, but how?' Frasier thought to himself as she seemed to show a complete disregard for her own safety.

"You can't hold back now! Destroy this woman like you would any other foe. Your very own brothers' lives depend on it," Arthur's voice suddenly ordered, as if tempting Frasier to end this fight by any means necessary, undoubtedly by killing Saeko. It weighed heavy on his heart to think of such a horrible act, but his instincts and training made it very clear that he couldn't allow personal feelings to prevent him from fulfilling his duty. He now had to try and suppress his feelings for her long enough to end this once and for all.

"There are alternatives to fighting, Frasier. You don't put out fire with more fire, you do it with water," Uncle Mark's voice then chimed in as Frasier pondered what he could possibly say at this point that would be able to even remotely get through to the berserk Saeko right now; gulping when he'd come to terms with what he must do now, never thinking once this was how it would go down.

'She's in the way of my mission. I can't let this go on. I-I'm sorry Saeko-chan, but even you will not deter me from my ultimate objective,' Frasier began to think as he glared at her; coming to the reality of his situation as he poised himself to not hold back should he ever catch an opening like this again.

'N-No! What am I thinking?! I can't kill her! She's always been there for me! She looked out for me ever since we met; always taking the time to ensure I was happy. She even gave me a purpose when I was practically abandoned by my father! I won't give up so easily! Not when my Saeko-chan needs me,' Frasier's thoughts suddenly echoed as his heart and soul began to burn with a fiery passion unlike anything he'd ever felt before. His entire body was now overflowing with the determination to save Saeko from this darkness she'd been consumed by. He refused for even a second to give up on saving her. He now knew what he had to do in order to end this deadly battle once and for all.

"Alright, Saeko; are you ready for this? Because I'm going to end this now," Frasier announced as if to lure her into a false sense of security; watching her grin as if pleased to hear such a bold claim.

"Is that so? Then by all means, let's see just how much of a man you really are! Don't hold back, because I certainly won't," Saeko announced as she dashed straight for him; showing zero regard for her own safety as her blade was poised for attack. She was completely consumed by her own rage and darkness to the point anyone else would've given up on the idea of her ever coming back to reality.

 ***clang***

Their swords clashed together once more. Saeko slowly began to take control though as she managed to break his guard and backhanded him across the jaw. A small trail of blood trickled down past his lips. However, he refused to give into the rage and instead licked his wound before going back in for more.

He took long swings that she effortlessly deflected; meeting him blow for blow before she stepped to the side; the furthest point of the katana leaving several cuts along his arms and back. She'd managed to break through and would only be going deeper the longer this went on.

"Just give up! You made a valiant effort to fight back, but even you can't hope to withstand such a darkness," Saeko announced as they both knew he was outmatched and wouldn't last another round with her.

"N-Never! You clearly don't know me if you expect me to give up," Frasier called back as he raised his blade up in a challenging stance. Saeko simply scowled before forming that twisted glare again.

Just as the two blades were about to connect once more, Frasier suddenly released his at the last second; watching as Saeko swatted it across the room. Her eyes widened when he was now between both of her arms, unable to react in time as his hands clamped tightly around her dominant arm. Such an unconventional method had completely caught the samurai by surprise.

 **[]**

 **[Hans Zimmer - New York Aftermath]**

"Agh! No," Saeko gasped as he had her right where he wanted; locking both of them down so neither could attack nor pull away. A stalemate had finally been drawn. Both were now breathing hard as their intense gazes met, as if that was how they intended to continue their ferocious battle now.

"Let...me...go! You can't stop this! Nobody can," Saeko snarled as she tried to pull away from him; her eyes glaring sheer hatred into his soul. However, he remained strong as he tried his best not to retaliate and provoke her even further.

"Saeko-chan! I don't care what you are! I might not be as lost as you are...but that doesn't mean every ounce of my strength won't be spent trying to help you! I refuse to let you be consumed like this," Frasier shouted as he clenched both fists tight; staring her straight in the eyes as he could see by Saeko's expression that she was taken aback by such a claim.

"Liar! What do you care what becomes of me?! It doesn't really matter to you! It never did," Saeko cried out as she looked at him painfully. Her voice was filled with anger and pent up feelings she couldn't hope to hold back anymore; slowly prying his grip free, planning to cut him down the moment she could break loose.

"It means everything to me! I vowed to myself not to let anyone or anything hurt you, not even yourself! I will not lose you again because...because..." Frasier exclaimed before his feelings for Saeko began to emerge again; his voice starting to crack as tears threatened to form.

"Because of what...?" Saeko demanded as she was impatient what he was trying to say; watching as he then stepped forward, their bodies now even closer before he took a deep breath of realization.

"Because I can't do this without you! I need you, Saeko-chan! I would've been lost so long ago to my own rage and hatred had I not had you in my life. There's no telling what I would've become if I didn't have such a strong woman such as yourself to guide me," Frasier struggled to admit as he was battling so many emotions at once; hating so much that he was having to even acknowledge such things to her of all people.

"F-Frasier-kun, you can't possibly mean that. You're just saying that, telling me what I want to hear. I won't fall for it," Saeko weakly attempted to deny as she tried to pull away so they could continue their battle; tears now beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as well.

"I-It's too late! I've been like this for so long now, how can you even accept me for the monster that I am?" she demanded as she clenched her eyes shut, unable to believe that he could be anywhere as bad as she was.

"You think you're the only one with a dark side? Every time someone dies, be it by my hand or not, I take personal pleasure in the knowledge that my odds of survival just went up. It feels so good when I fight, when I claim another victory to fuel my chances of being the best.

"When I was in that simulator, all I did was take orders. It felt like it was my only purpose and reason to live on. To be a good soldier was a life I could be more than content with having; like there was nothing left to enjoy in this world the moment I was cast out!

"I only realized how wrong I was the day I met the great Saeko Busujima...how the most skilled warrior of this petty city could see me for what I was truly worth. It was an honor I didn't know would mean so much to me.

"You made me want to forget the past now that I had found that there was more to life than blindly following orders. I realized that if said past ever came back, I wanted to spare you from ever becoming involved in it. I wanted nothing more than to protect you from the worst part of me; a side to me I had to suppress every waking moment," Frasier explained as Saeko's eyes slowly opened. She was utterly shocked to hear such horrible, twisted words coming from him. Yet at the same time such a heartfelt confession made her heart flutter with the knowledge that he needed her more than she could've possibly imagined.

After all that cold neglecting, all those times he avoided being with her for reasons outside of school and training, each and every time he refused to acknowledge her as more than a friend was done so to protect her and to spare her his past life from ever harming her. It made her realize that perhaps he could in fact see her as more than just a close companion.

"That's right; we're both a cut of the same cloth, Saeko-chan. Now you can either give up like a weakling or you can embrace it like I have! Most people would tell you to hide your true nature; but I on the other hand encourage it. Nourish those dark cravings, pace yourself accordingly; and harness your rage for when the time comes to unleash it. Destroy your enemies, but spare your loved ones," Frasier then shouted in an inspiring burst of emotions as she was completely captivated by such powerful words that were like sweet honey to her ears. Her eyes now glimmered with awe as she felt a massive weight being lifted from her soul; both knees buckling as she found herself lost in his hold.

 ***clang***

The sword in her hand dropped, her hands then loosening up as Frasier kept his hold firm; smiling in relief that she was finally starting to come back.

"You're not afraid…are you? You truly do understand me. What I am. What I may become," Saeko murmured, looking straight up at him as he kept her locked in place.

"Oh believe me, there's always been a side of me that fears you, but the rest of me deeply respects and admires you. Besides, I'll never let my fears hold me back from a fight. Will you?" Frasier corrected as he gazed down upon her; Saeko's eyes widening at such a question, knowing he meant it too. He was still personally astonished that just admitting some of his deepest feelings was enough to end their deadly confrontation.

"It looks like there's one more thing for you to teach me now," Saeko sighed as she still couldn't stop looking up at him; seeing the young Brit in an entirely new light now, her hand slowly brushing away a tear that trickled down his cheek.

"There's not much left to teach. I've let my anger out in steady bursts; you on the other hand have been holding it back, allowing it to fester and build up within you. Don't hold yourself back for the sake of the others, but just remember who your allies are on the battlefield and remain true to yourself," Frasier said as there was a momentary silence after. Saeko gently nodded her head in understanding before he finally released her from his hold.

She knelt down to pick up her sword; taking a second to observe him. Frasier felt like she was going to attack again, only to let out a mental sigh of relief when the sword was swiftly put back into its sheath. Saeko then looked back at him with curiosity.

"Perhaps if that side of me ever emerges again...you could help me fight it? I don't want to lose myself to it again; especially not in front of the others," Saeko suggested as she watched him slowly nod in agreement.

"Only if you can promise me the same thing. They've only seen glimpses of my true self, and I highly doubt they'd be able to handle what I'm truly willing to do to survive," Frasier offered as he and Saeko locked eyes again before they shook hands; vowing to one another to help control their darker sides, one fire now used to burn the other one out. He then suddenly felt the adrenaline wearing down, causing his knees to go weak before falling upon them before her.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I forgot about your wounds. Please, allow me to clean them for you. It's the least I can do," Saeko suddenly said as she realized her rampage had left him with fresh wounds.

Without resistance, he remained on both knees; taking off his shirt and allowing her to put a wet cloth against his back and arms. The blood soaked the rag as it was clear the blade did not reach as deep as she initially feared. However, this did not make her feel any less guilty over it. All the while she was cursing in the back of her mind as she realized it could've been much, much worse. Deep down, she still feared that he'd never be able to fully trust her again after tonight.

"I'm so, so sorry... I'll never forgive myself for this..." Saeko nervously muttered under her breath as she placed a long strand of paper towels to stick to his back.

"Enough, stop beating yourself up already," Frasier demanded as he stood up, having no more of this moping and self-hatred.

"But I..." she began to say as if unable to let go of her failure to control herself; stopping midway as he turned to face her with an intense glare of his own that instilled confidence in her again.

"It will take far more than that to put me down, and I will take itall to protect you, Saeko-chan," Frasier softly whispered as she believed every last word of it.

Just then, a sudden urge sparked in both of them as their eyes locked; their lips feeling compelled to touch one another. All breathing became heavier by the second as their bodies felt like there was a fire burning within. Frasier slowly stepped forward until their hips touched again, unable to turn away as he normally would from such close contact. It was quite clear to them what the other was thinking now; what they both truly desired right this very instant.

"Close your eyes," she softly requested as he did as he was told; closing both eyes slowly as he felt her body coming closer until their chests pressed together. A warm embrace had now taken them over.

Frasier let out an emotional sigh before feeling her arms tightly wrapping around his shoulders and chest out of affection. His hands naturally found themselves coiling around her waist and lower back. Saeko then began to lightly hum joyfully to herself as she could feel his heart beating, finding it ever so calming.

'I've been so alone for so long. But not anymore,' they both thought as they slowly found themselves curled up together on the floor. Her head was now resting under his strong chin as he couldn't help but enjoy this heartfelt bond they now shared. Both gently shed tears of joy, knowing this was far from over.

Without any more needing to be said, the two warriors remained wrapped up together against the ground; resting soundly throughout the rest of the night in each other's arms. Their anger and seemingly unyielding rage had at long last been replaced with a feeling of peace and serenity they'd never expected to find. Smiles formed along their faces as they slept soundly for the next few hours; finally content with who they were as well as being able to truly express themselves to one another, relieved to know that someone was out there to help control the darkness that plagued them for so long, that it was no longer a battle they had to fight alone.

 **[]**

 _A few hours later…_

Saeko slowly woke up; her eyes taking a moment to adjust before she lifted her head up to see herself still in Frasier'sembrace. The young Brit looked to be just as awake as she was, and they both felt a natural smile returning to their faces to see each other. For once, there were no words that needed to be said. An unspoken yet unbreakable understanding now stood between them.

The rain had thankfully come to an end, and the sun had already begun to rise once they left the Busujima dojo behind. However, it wasn't until nearly another hour of walking that Saeko realized Frasier was intentionally not heading in the direction of the hotel. She would've wanted to argue if it hadn't been for the fact fate had decided to give them a break and not throw any hordes of the dead at them.

Her curiosity had especially been piqued when Frasier silently motioned for her to keep following him even when he stepped off a smaller road surrounded by lush vegetation. Her ears could even pick up the faint sounds of the ocean as she followed him further down what felt to be a hill.

"Do you remember how you asked me what it is I fear most, Saeko-san? Last night I think I found your answer," Frasier began to confess as he kept looking up at the sky, almost as if talking to himself as well as her.

"I suppose it would be my darker side, right?" the young samurai attempted to guess as she remained curled up to him, gently running a hand against his jawline.

"Saeko-san, what I truly fear most is losing everything I have left on this Earth: my family; my people, and perhaps most of all...you. I know I'm not the best at this whole expressing thing, but just know that I'd do anything if it meant keeping everyone else alive," Frasier expressed in a soft huff as he felt so natural right now around her; able to open up and allow her to see a more vulnerable side to him.

Both warriors finally stepped onto the beach; taking in the scenery to see the calming waves flowing back and forth, the soft sands that kept every last imprint of their footsteps, the almost alluring scent of saltwater flowing through the air, and the seemingly infinite ocean reflecting the glowing rays of the sun off of its surface to create a peaceful serenity that made it hard to look away.

"It's so beautiful. Almost as if nothing has changed," was all she said in awe while staring far off into the ocean. Feeling a tranquil sense from this place now as she found herself leaning against him.

"Yeah, maybe one day we can come back here and properly enjoy it without having to constantly watch our backs," the young man added as he wasn't as impressed, yet could see how the rest of their group would want to relax at a place like this.

"Up there is where Uncle Mark fell. It was when we first discovered that the dead became increasingly stronger after sundown. I didn't know of such things, so I pressed on the attack and nearly got killed for my arrogance and recklessness," Frasier suddenly announced; pointing up towards the nearby highway that curved around the towering cliffside.

"At the last second, Uncle Mark rushed in and managed to knock several of the bastards over the edge; but not without being pulled along in the process. He was dangling for his life. I tried to help him up, but when he revealed that he'd been wounded by one of Them in the process of saving me...we both knew what it meant," Frasier said; trying to restrain any emotion in his voice the best he could, even now attempting to remain strong before Saeko, who simply stood there looking between him and where he was talking about.

"He died for my mistake. If I hadn't been so headstrong; trying so desperately to prove my own worth, maybe he'd still be here," Frasier finally lamented as he spoke with utter shame hanging from every last word. Never had he been so regretful of something, let alone admitting so.

"You did all you could, Frasier-san. How could you have possibly known what was to come? None of us knew what to do at first either," Saeko attempted to console him as he felt her hand resting on his shoulder.

"Perhaps. But...I feel I should've known, or at the very least been quicker to react. There's still so many variables to consider..." Frasier began to agree, only to then lose his train of thought; looking away now as he began to scan the rest of the beach, as if searching for any potential threats.

Saeko had no response to give. Instead, she simply stood there with both arms crossed as she watched him pace about for several seconds in thought; forming a concerned look when he suddenly looked like his blood had become ice cold, a look of genuine horror overcoming his face.

 **[The Last of Us OST - Returning]**

"Christ...oh, God it can't be..." Frasier muttered in English as Saeko stood there, nervous why he was acting so terrified; asight she'd never expected to see.

Just several meters away from them was the decayed remains of a lone undead with one leg missing; washed up onto the shore before it had been engulfed under a pile of wet sand that appeared to have trapped it in place. Bits of seaweed were wrapped around the visibly active corpse as its body just heaved long-winded gasps for air. It was wearing a black set of body armor that was far too familiar and painful for Frasier to recognize the moment he noticed the grim scene.

"Uncle Mark..." Frasier mumbled softly in disbelief as he began to walk closer and closer to the creature; hoping that it was just a horrid illusion or some kind of mix-up.

Each step he took became heavier the nearer he drew to the reanimated corpse. A thick lump grew in his throat as it became increasingly harder to fight the stinging tears in the corners of his eyes. An intense strain pulled down on his shoulders as he had to fight the urge to collapse into the sand beneath him.

"He didn't die, Saeko-san...he came back only to become trapped in the sand. My uncle has been suffering like this for nearly three weeks now," Frasier confirmed as he was now standing just a few paces away from the trapped creature.

"Look away, Frasier-kun. I'll grant him a release from this cruel fate if you'll allow it," Saeko suddenly announced as she began to reach for the handle of her blade only for him to raise a hand up in protest.

"No," was all Frasier said as she looked at him, initially confused before she watched him drawing out his knife from the sheath on his hip.

She simply nodded in understanding before backing away, still ready to leap into action should he hesitate at the last second. Now she could only watch as her dearest of friends began to approach the zombified Mark, who seemed to catch wind that it was no longer alone but now in the presence of food. Both its arms began weakly trying to pull itself out now to no avail.

"I should've been more alert…not make some mistake like a bloody rookie; underestimating the enemy. You'd probably still be alive and leading us onwards without flaw," Frasier began to apologize to Mark's remains as he slowly knelt down to observe the lonely creature.

"You would know exactly what to do; somehow make sense of everything that's been happening. My brothers would believe you every step of the way. Hell, I'd bet my left bollock you could've saved that poor girl and rescued the detective without breaking so much as a sweat," Frasier proceeded to imagine as he dwelled on the things he considered had been an absolute failure on his part; knowing deep down he couldn't make the right decision when it mattered most.

Suddenly, both of Mark's cold grey hands lashed out and grasped Frasier's left wrist; steadily pulling him in as the young Brit could barely hold back against such force. His demeanor however seemed to remain unchanged as he continued talking like he wasn't about to be overpowered and eaten.

"What the...? Oh no! Hold on," Saeko muttered, naturally confused before realizing the danger he was in before dashing towards them as fast as she could.

"What hurts the most is that I only realized how much I respected you AFTER you were gone...that you were perhaps a better father than HE could've ever hoped to have been. I should've treated you like the hero you were, rather than treat you with disdain the way I had," Frasier then confessed; hi voice trembling with raw emotion as he didn't seem to be putting up nearly as much of a fight against the two thick grey hands that were slowly reeling him in.

"Frasier-kun," Saeko shouted as she drew her blade, only seconds away from the two as Frasier himself was only several inches from being bitten himself.

"I'm so sorry..." Frasier muttered as he looked away, unable to face Mark as Saeko stopped dead in her tracks.

Both her eyes widened as she could see at the last second he'd managed to jam his knife under Mark's jawline all the way up towards the roof of his skull. The zombified figure let out a deathly rattle before suddenly collapsing into total stillness and silence; prompting Saeko to sheath her sword once it was clear that her close friend was able to see things through in the end; leaving all to fall silent, save for the sounds of waves crashing and the squawks from a nearby flock of black-tailed gulls that loomed overhead.

Saeko just watched as Frasier lurched back until he landed on his rear; sitting with both his legs arched out. Both palms were now cupped over his face as his fingertips grasped the front of his hairline; trying to hide his face from Saeko, perhaps even the rest of the world, as he was unable to show himself in such a vulnerable state. To be seen so defenseless and weak made this moment all the more painful for him.

Rage began to fester within his heart as his mind was spinning with all kinds of twisted thoughts now; all kinds of voices whispering and shouting at once. Most of them made him want nothing more than to go on a rampage, to kill as many of 'Them' as he possibly could before he fell in battle. A sense of hopelessness ran through him as he didn't care what would become of himself anymore. A cold darkness began to creep inside, an all too familiar feeling he'd normally fought to suppress at times like this, now coming to fruition.

However, before he could begin to indulge in the untempered rage, he sensed a new feeling suddenly taking over. Saeko's entire body now pressed down on his back while her arms came around his sides until both hands locked around his waist. The side of her head gently rested along the center of his neck;noticing his hands gently trying to pull hers away only to soon give in and grasp onto them for comfort. A surprised look took her over as she could feel his tears dripping onto her hands;prompting Saeko to hold him tighter now in support; knowing she couldn't allow him to be lost to what must've been a twister of emotions.

"T-Thank you," was all Frasier could even hope to muster in response before Saeko nodded and kept him in this position for several uninterrupted minutes; taking in the otherwise beautiful sunrise together on the beach as he silently mourned his loss, all while doing her best to keep Frasier from emotionally withdrawing again.

After taking a long moment of much needed time to come to terms with what he'd just done, Frasier had set his Uncle Mark's remains on fire; sternly watching whatever was left becoming reduced to nothing but ashes and embers while ignoring the scent of burning flesh as he then turned to Saeko, who had been loyally standing by him the entire time. A cold expressionless look was all he could show, yet he knew she cared about him enough to stay every step of the way. This was clearly a defining moment neither of them would forget.

"Let's go," Frasier finally said as he began to walk away from the beach and back towards the city streets.

"Are you sure? We can wait a bit longer if you want. I'd understand entirely," Saeko suddenly offered as she stood there watching him pause as if debating on doing so.

"While I greatly appreciate the sentiment and what you're saying, it's unnecessary. If anything, I feel better knowing he's truly at peace now. Let's go," Frasier said distantly before turning to look her in the eye; forming the most genuine smile she'd seen in a long time from him, making it crystal clear she'd helped him through what must've undoubtedly been a living hell.

She nodded in acknowledgment before she followed him, forming a smile of her own. She suddenly took his hand; catching him off guard as she began to lead him back onto the streets of Tokonosu City, enjoying the soft shade of scarlet his face made whenever she managed to get through to his more emotional side; a side she fully intended to get closer to now that she'd been able to bear witness to it.


	16. Chapter 16: Everything We've Built

**Z-Day+19**

 _Tokonosu City_

The fierce rainstorm that had persisted throughout the night; forcing Frasier and Saeko to take shelter in what was once her house had thankfully subsided by morning, and the two newly reconciled and connected warriors didn't squander the chance as they were already as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as could be once dawn had arrived, making their way through the wet, empty streets while enjoying the pleasant scent of freshly fallen rain.

It was unusually quiet. Normally rainstorms had a tendency to draw the dead out into the open, but they could only figure that this was fate's way of giving them a well-earned break from the constant struggling as they were thankfully able to make their way without any trouble until they recognized how close they now were from home.

"Finally, just a few more blocks," Saeko announced with relief as they began jogging down the road in eagerness to reunite with the others.

Just as the words left her mouth, the sudden sound of gunshots echoed in the distance; stopping the two dead in their tracks, hearts skipping a beat. They looked at one another in mutual shock before another series of gunshots rang out; filling them with the dread realization they weren't just hearing things; especially when they realized the direction it was coming from.

"C'mon! Something's wrong," Frasier ordered as they sprinted towards the source; several more shots echoing out frantically.

 _Several minutes earlier_

The hotel had awakened this morning not with the typical comfortable silence but with a very tense buzz among the rest of the group. They'd expected Frasier and Saeko to be back since last night, and to know they still weren't back left them all feeling more than a little worried, especially Takashi.

"I'm telling you they should be back any minute. You just need to have a little faith in them," Noah tried to reason with the young man as he'd grabbed the first shotgun from the armory he could find. The youngest Lawson tried in vain to keep him from storming out the front door, but nothing was slowing Takashi down.

"And what if you're wrong? There's no reason they should've taken this long just to go to the mall and back. They could be in trouble and we might not even know it. Now if you want to help me find them, you can; otherwise get out of my way," Takashi argued; making it clear he wasn't going to wait any longer as he stepped past Noah and stormed out the front doors after clearing the barricade

"Maybe we should go with him, Noah. He won't last long by himself in that state-of-mind," Johann suggested as he watched Takashi keep storming off until he was out of view.

"Hey, why are you guys being so loud? Did they come back yet," Alice suddenly piped in as she squeezed between Saya and Hitomi to get some answers.

"I'm afraid not, Alice. But don't you worry one bit. I'm sure they'll be back any minute now," Noah answered, almost as though he were trying to convince himself more than her.

 ***bkoom!***

A single deafening shot suddenly rang out; causing everyone to go on full alert as Noah and Johann darted outside. Takashi could be seen standing with smoking shotgun firmly in hand. A single casing flew out the side and rolled along the street once he cocked it.

Before Noah and Johann could even begin to speak, they instantly felt their hearts sink upon the colossal mass of undead shambling en masse right for them.

"Get inside and warn the others! I'll try to hold back as many as I can," Takashi called out as he began to fire off more rounds into the frontline of the horde; running off to hopefully draw the dead to him in order to buy them more time.

As if their bodies were on autopilot, Johann and Noah made a beeline straight for the hotel entrance. The young German rushed up the stairs towards the armory as Noah was stopped when Saya grasped his arm.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Saya demanded to know as Takashi's shotgun could be heard pumping out shot after shot.

"It's 'Them'! Hundreds perhaps! Help me move some furniture to block off the entrance," Noah explained frantically as he grabbed for the nearest sofa he could find.

Shizuka out of natural instinct took Alice upstairs while Noah, Saya, Miku and Rei began to push both the couches towards the doorway.

"Takashi! Get back in here," Noah called out; noticing that on all sides the dead began to circle in on the hotel like a tidal wave.

Takashi fired the last round in the chamber before holstering it along his back and sprinting back before he could get cut off. Nearly a hundred hands lashed out in an attempt to grab him as he rushed up the first couple of steps into the lobby; vaulting over the couches just as they were moved to block the front doors.

"Takashi, are you alright? Did any of 'Them' scratch you?" Rei asked in a panicked gasp before looking him over to see that aside from the shock, he wasn't wounded.

"I-I'm fine...we need to pile a lot more up though. These couches and that barricade won't hold 'Them' back for long," Takashi warned as the others all could instantly see how right he was. All five of them quickly started grabbing chairs and stools to further barricade the entrance.

All their hearts rattled and their blood felt ice cold every time the door would budge when the dead outside were able to push hard enough to cause a momentary breach. The desperate survivors would quickly try to patch up any structural weak points as well, with Takashi doing his best to help by butting the stock end of the shotgun into any of 'Them' that seemed to be making it through, but the tenacious undead caused more and more damage until finally the entire barricade gave way.

"Shit! Everybody leg it up the stairs NOW," Noah shouted. Without hesitation they all did as he said and abandoned the first floor to the dead. The rotting corpses dragged and squeezed in through whatever gaps 'They' could fit through before making a beeline for the stairs right on the survivors' heels.

"How long do you think we have before 'They' get up here?" Miku asked nervously as she kept looking over her shoulder, only to turn away when she could see the numerous shadows creeping up after them.

"About a minute tops. We have to reach the third floor and set up a kill-zone. It's the only chance we've got," Noah quickly deduced as he tried to his best to at least seem remotely optimistic.

Just as he'd predicted, the first of many rose up the final step before limping into the hallway of the third floor. Snarls and groans filled the air whilst the spearhead of the small horde wandered about; paying no attention to the two mattresses randomly towering in the middle of the hallway.

"Wait for it..." Marcus mouthed silently as he and everyone else were practically hugging the wall behind the propped up mattresses.

Their hearts throbbed and pounded like drums from the sheer thought of being so close to so many of these grotesque creatures. All it took was one little mistake and they would all die right here and now. Sweat practically poured down Marcus' face as he waited for the others to line up their sights.

"Now," Marcus motioned before both he and Johann pulled down the mattresses like a shield, effectively blocking off some of the initial undead off from the others and began to push their way back towards the stairs.

At point blank range, Kohta, Rika, Hitomi and Kiriko all took carefully placed shots. In an instant, four of 'Them' dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. They then spared no time rushing to help the two young men trying to hold back the advancing dead at the stairwell.

"Goddammit, these mattresses are going to fold over soon. Keep pushing," Noah grunted as he could already see how this last minute plan ultimately wasn't going to work.

"Then let's try to even the odds," Takashi suggested as he placed the muzzle of his freshly loaded shotgun up against one of the mattresses only to pull the trigger.

 ***Bkoom***

The shotgun blast ripped straight through the mattress with little resistance, managing to take half the face of an undead man standing behind it. It wobbled for a moment with a hand outstretched before falling over against those behind it.

 ***Bkoom***

Shell after shell, blast after blast, giving it all he had in himself, Takashi managed to pick off enough of 'Them' to give his friends the edge they so desperately needed; watching in satisfaction as the two mattresses were finally wedged into the stairwell.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face, kid! We're not done yet by a long shot," Rika quickly reprimanded as they had to hastily retreat further back into the third floor to make a last stand.

As they approached the end of the hallway, they could see the time they bought the rest of the group was well worth their risky ambush. One by one, they vaulted over the cabinets and overturned dressers that had been laid out; almost surprised by how fast the others were able to react in time.

"Are you guys alright? Was anyone hurt?" Shizuka asked worriedly; her typical optimism unable to show itself as she couldn't rightfully deny just how royally screwed they were.

"No, we're all fine and dandy…at least for now. Did you guys manage to load the guns?" Noah answered as he looked past her to see several firearms were placed out on one of the tables with boxes of ammunition spilled out in what must've been a rushed attempt to unload them.

"As much as I could, but I'm still not so good at all this gun stuff! Oh, I knew I should've been more prepared for this! Well, if we survive, at least I'll have something to look forward to," Shizuka answered in what could only be described as a mix between terror and frustration at herself.

"Jeez, just our luck...this has to be the third time we've been cornered now," Takashi grumbled as he slumped against the wall; breathing hard as he held himself while trying to catch his breath.

"We made it then and we'll make it now! We've come too far to just give up," Kohta responded more confidently as he finished loading up Takashi's shotgun before handing it to him; earning a grin from both him and Saya, whom couldn't help but feel impressed by the chubby otaku's bold approach.

"I just checked the fire escapes out back. Even if we did manage to somehow survive the drop without breaking our legs, we'd be running out onto the streets with nothing but the clothes on our backs," Hitomi suddenly announced as she came running over, still only dressed in her pajamas.

"What?! That's our only way out though," Johann asked in aggravated disbelief to know they were well and truly trapped.

"Yeah, it is now. Frasier blocked off the lower levels so nobody from outside could sneak up from there," Hitomi sighed as she loaded up her handgun and looked at the others; knowing that words weren't going to solve anything.

"Pfft, of course," Marcus said with an irked huff that his older brother's paranoia and steel resolve to keep this hotel safe had ironically put them all in even more danger now.

"That doesn't matter! If we stop 'Them' here, we won't have to worry about an escape route," Noah butted in as he absolutely refused to let everyone give up.

"That's the spirit kid; now all of you shut up and focus! This is where shit gets serious," Rika said in excited agreement as she quickly pulled out her sidearm and clicked the safety off; aching to fight back.

"She said a swear word," Alice instinctively gasped; instantly causing everyone to turn around in shock to see that she was here instead of hiding in one of the rooms behind them.

"Come on Alice-chan, we should get out of their way," Shizuka suddenly said before anyone else could reprimand her for disobeying their direct order to remain out of sight.

"No! We need to stay and help them," Alice shouted in defiance; hating the idea of having to be forced to hide like she was completely helpless while everyone else stayed to die for her.

"Alice-chan, right now we need you to do as Marikawa-sensei tells you, okay? Please, don't fight me on this one," Takashi said sympathetically as he tried his best to reason with the stubborn child.

"I don't want to say goodbye though. I can't lose you guys too...not after my daddy... please," Alice muttered in defeat as she began to gently sob; knowing that she was too weak to help and unable to stop herself from crying at the thought of losing her new family.

"Hey, don't cry. We'll all be right here when this is over, okay? Now don't come out until we give the all clear sign, alright?" Takashi explained as he gently brushed her hair back and wiped the tears away long enough to see her form a soft smile of understanding.

"G-Good luck," was all that she could muster up now before obediently walking back into the last of the few rooms left under their control with Shizuka; hoping that deep down Takashi wasn't just saying all that to get her off his back.

Before anything else could be said amongst the survivors, the first of the dead could now be seen limping down the hallway. Whatever time those mattresses had provided them was more than they in total had expected. Those ghastly groans and sighs grew louder and more vicious with each passing second. It was a truly frightening sight to behold as 'Their' shadows began to cover the entire hallway; the rancid odor of decaying flesh remaining as strong and disturbing as always.

"Pace yourselves and try to call out your targets, otherwise we'll just end up shooting the same bastard several times over and wasting our bullets. Let those with rifles take the first shots, those with shotguns go on standby, and everyone else just be ready to jump in," Rika instructed as she motioned Takashi and Marcus to move to the front; watching as they crouched beside her. Both their arms rested firmly against the flat coffee table they were ducking behind as the barrels to their shotguns pointed straight into the kill-zone.

"Don't worry, we won't let 'Them' get through," Johann whispered to Rei reassuringly when he noticed how nervous she looked, both of them looking down their carbines as they anticipated the first of many to come.

Visibly trembling but taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, she could at best give a simple nod of understanding as she tried to take careful aim as the first had finally emerged. An undead boy squeezed through with its mouth wide open, still wearing its filthy school uniform. Biting her lip, Rei gently squeezed the trigger as the iron sights lined up between the eyes of the approaching figure.

 ***Blam***

Blood splattered across the carpet as its head flung back like a rag doll before the rest of the body collapsed. Knowing she couldn't afford to waste a second, Rei swapped targets to see a bright mint colored hazmat suit shuffling towards them. She had little mercy to give though as she fired a quick three round burst until only a small stub at the neck was what remained of its head.

What had started off as short, controlled bursts soon turned into desperate rapid shots that only seemed to be absorbed by the groaning masses of decayed flesh pushing closer and closer with each new wave. Soon it became entire columns packed close together instead of small, spread out packs. Smoke gently fumed from Rei and Johann's barrels as they had to reload their magazines.

"You're up boys," Rika announced in a surprisingly calm voice to Marcus and Takashi as they began practically firing at point blank range.

The steel balls ripped and shredded into the dead, either killing entire rows outright or at the very least knocking back those that got hit. This strategy was definitely much more efficient at keeping the hordes at bay. The walls were almost instantly painted with streaks of dark red and brown stains, severed limbs and shreds of meat now started to litter the floor only to be tread over by the next of 'Them' in line.

"Oh, God! There's so many! So, so many," Kohta gasped in awe as he couldn't help but feel claustrophobic from how many were packed into these narrow halls; feeling his knees go weak as he tried to steady his nerves by mowing down an entire row of 'Them' with otherwise perfectly precise marksmanship.

"Don't think about that! Just focus on shooting anything that moves in front of us," Saya shouted at him in a feeble attempt to keep him from panicking. Luckily for both of them, he'd found it in himself to become not only accustomed to, but rather fond of that shrill wailing of hers; both of them taking down another wave together before having to reload their magazines with what soon became the last of the ammo they brought with them.

"Wait, what's that sound?" Rika suddenly asked confusedly as it sounded like the walls around them were shaking as if ready to fall at any given moment.

 ***crash***

Suddenly, in the next room over, they looked in horror to see they'd been completely flanked when the dead actually managed to create a breach in the wall, bits of drywall chipping and cracking off as several gray hands clawed and pushed through. Suddenly, the room on their left began to shake as well, only for that wall to start breaking down too. It would only be a matter of time before the group would be fighting on several fronts against what felt like an endless horde of 'Them'.

"Dammit! Try to block those areas off," Johann shouted as he continued to fire into the main wave that was still trying to push past the furniture barricade.

Those on standby armed with nothing but whatever they could pick up in time quickly rushed over to the two breaches. Kiriko and Rei went to the room on the right while Saya, Miku and Noah went to the one on the left.

"Watch those hands," Kiriko warned as she and Rei began to slice and cut at the several pairs of hands that had dug through the walls. While not killing 'Them', at the very least it was able to keep 'Them' from digging through any further.

"Mom, we need to get dad out of here before it's too late," Rei pleaded; hating every waking moment of this nightmare and wishing she could just go to sleep and wake up in bed, realizing this was just a bad dream this entire time.

However, Kiriko didn't reply as she was far too preoccupied in helping Noah and Miku now; leaving Rei to herself as she could only bow her head in sorrow, desperate to know how they could possibly escape this time. As much as she didn't want to say so, she was fully aware there wouldn't be a rescue with fire hoses this time.

"Think you two can handle it from here?" Kiriko suddenly asked as she watched Noah and Miku both nod; taking off to help put more of 'Them' down before Noah punched the wall out of anger.

"At this rate we aren't going to last more than a few minutes at best," Noah growled in barely restrained frustration; motioning the others to then start barricading the breaches in the walls with whatever furniture they had left. Crude as it might've been, it was better than nothing as large dresser cabinets gave them a bit more time to thin out the main horde's numbers.

"Okay, I'm officially open to ideas now! If anyone has some way of saving our asses, now would be the time to speak up," Rika called out in frustration before kicking back one of the dead that had made it over the barrier and attempted to take a bite out of her. She instantly blasted it's head clean off with a rifle round before pulling back on the bolt to pick off another target.

"I'm trying! Just shut up and let me try to think this through," Saya growled as she desperately look back and forth to hopefully get some kind of last minute idea.

"I've got an idea," Noah suddenly muttered under his breath as he ran back to the main barricade to let the others know of his newfound plan.

"I need all of you to start tossing those mattresses off the fire escape. Try to land them as close together as you can," Noah began to announce as he motioned towards the beds they'd yet to dismantle.

"Oh! I get it now! That way we can use the mattresses to break our fall! Noah-kun, you're a genius," Hitomi realized before finding herself quite impressed at yet another example of his quick thinking.

"Yeah...well...there's still the matter of 'Them' to deal with. I seriously doubt 'They'd' give us the time or opportunity to do such a thing," Kohta mentioned; pausing for a moment before firing another volley of shotgun blasts into the main hallway.

"Given the number of 'Them' that was actually outside, I'd estimate at least over half are inside the hallways and crowding up the lobby by now; leaving the parking lot a little more accessible to move around in, but not by much though," Hitomi sighed as she knew they couldn't just jump to conclusions; looking out one of the nearby windows to confirm that there was still plenty of undead wandering the parking lot.

"So now all that needs to be decided is who's going to stay behind while the rest of us make our escape?" Kiriko brought up; causing everyone not firing look amongst one another. It was obvious that whoever volunteered to remain would most likely not come back.

"This is my plan, so I'm staying behind to make sure it works. If I don't make it...well, it's been an honor surviving with you all," Noah piped in as he felt more resolute than he'd ever been before.

"Noah-kun, don't talk like that! Y-You're coming with me and that's final! I'm not going to let you die like this," Miku suddenly burst out in protest, unable to bear the thought of losing him to those creatures.

"Don't worry, angel. I don't plan on dying so young anyway, but for the second stage of my plan to work, I have to stay. Just keep going without me and don't look back. I promise I'll be right behind you," Noah attempted to persuade her with a false hope; knowing he couldn't really let her know how dangerous this was despite his beaming confidence.

Barely able to accept that there was no convincing the foolhardy boy, Miku grasped him by the collar and pulled him in for a deep kiss before turning away in tears.

"Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep," the heartbroken teen whispered to him before storming off, unable to even look at him now.

"The rest of you go on. We'll handle things from here. Rika-sensei can lead you guys to the mall from here. We'll meet you there if we can," Marcus then interrupted as he motioned the others to go; standing by his younger brother as he knew it was the right thing to do despite his better judgement.

Knowing that time wasn't on their side, the others didn't hesitate to take off and retreat to start moving those mattresses. Hitomi stopped at the last second to look at him. It was clear she wanted to say something to him; knowing there was a good chance this would be the last time she'd see him. However, he just nodded to her with a sly grin before she couldn't help but shoot him back a soft smile of confidence before proceeding to help the others escape out the back.

"So 'genius', I take it there's a really good reason we're staying behind instead of running with the others?" Marcus then finally asked as he wanted to know what this 'part two' of Noah's plan involved.

"That's right. Those things might not be fast, but they are overly tenacious and will follow us. I need to make sure that they don't leave this place," Noah explained as he motioned Marcus towards the armory. Most of the weapons and ammo had either been used up or taken by the others on their way out.

"And how do you plan to do that, exactly?" Marcus pressed on as he kept his sidearm aimed down the hallway, expecting the dead to close in on them at any moment.

"With this little pet project I've been tinkering around with for the last few days. I didn't think I' need to use it so soon though," Noah answered with a grunt before suddenly hauling out several bits and ends of random junk before assembling them together with impressive swiftness and precision, almost as if he'd been practicing for this exact moment.

"A flamethrower?! Jesus, l...and to think you wanted to be a scientist. One can only imagine if you desired a place in the arms business," Marcus gasped out of shock when he noticed just what it was Noah had just put together.

"Yeah...well that's neither here nor there now. What matters now is getting out in one piece," Noah chuckled as he shoved the nostalgic memories aside and hoisted the homemade flamethrower over his back.

"So I take it you've already given it a name?" Marcus then asked curiously as he helped Noah fill up the tank with one of the jerry cans of gasoline they'd been extracting from the abandoned cars for their generators and vehicle.

"Maybe...but I'll tell you it after we make it out of here first," Noah said with a cheeky grin as his brother knew him too well to not give something like this a clever name.

"I'm just gonna say, though, if there was an Olympic event for really, REALLY fucking bad ideas... this would at least take home the platinum. Guaranteed," Marcus said as he proceeded looking over the different gauges to make sure everything was operating as best as could be expected.

"They don't have anything above gold, Marcus," Noah immediately pointed out; albeit still smiling that cocky grin he always had when humoring his brother.

"No, but they'd have to create a new medal just for something this batshit crazy," Marcus explained as he could no longer hide how much he really didn't like this idea.

Knowing this place was truly lost, Noah began to pour whatever gas he had left into the room before tossing the jerry canister into the others resting in the corner.

"You sure you want to do this?" Marcus asked as he realized the instant Noah let those flames fly, time was going to be even less on their side.

"It's either this, or we go down like the men of the Alamo. So yeah, scorched earth it is! Unless you've got a better idea," Noah said with firm determination as he knew that Marcus would've said something by now if he'd thought of a better way.

"Nope…alright, let's do this," Marcus said as both of them turned to the hallway to see the last of their friends had fortunately managed to escape and that any resistance that once kept the dead at bay was now completely destroyed. A pack had already made its way towards them; leaving them with only one way to go now: right through 'Them'.

"You absolutely sure that thing won't explode on us?" Marcus suddenly asked nervously as he pointed at the large tank on Noah's back.

"Only one way to find out," Noah replied just as nervously; but the time for backing out was long gone by now.

With the flip of a handle, the homemade flamethrower began to rumble as the tubes around it flowed before the youngest Lawson gave the trigger a gentle squeeze.

 ***Fwoosh***

The hall instantly began to feel like a furnace as flames burst out the nozzle and into the advancing horde. The first few caught by the flames instantly let out howls of what could've only been 'Their' equivalent of agonizing pain; wandering aimlessly for only a few steps before collapsing. Smoke quickly filled the air as more and more fire spurted out from the homemade contraption. The stench of burned rotting flesh soon became inescapable as wave after wave of the dead fell before them. Black and charred bodies began curling around like a gnarled root; bones crackling as the marrow popped.

Then something completely unheard of happened. The advancing undead suddenly stopped halfway down the scorched hallway only to make a complete 180, as if 'They' were somehow self-aware enough to the point 'They' knew that the fire was going to incinerate any that came into contact with it.

Noah's jaw dropped in awe as Marcus could only clench his teeth together from a mixed sense of anger and disappointment that they couldn't burn away more of the foul creatures. Just when it seemed like they had the upper hand, 'They' managed to change it to a whole new game; proving once more that underestimating these seemingly mindless monsters was fatal.

"C'mon, we need to get to that elevator and cut 'Them' off from escaping the lobby," Noah announced as he flipped on what must've been a safety for his flamethrower before they started hauling a large bag together; trying to rush to the nearest elevator, but not before tossing a match towards the pool of gas in the armory as they took off.

"Think we can get it running? I thought we never got them to run even with the generators," Marcus asked confusedly.

"I'm afraid not. We're gonna have to go down the old fashioned way," Noah confirmed before prying the doors open with a crowbar, leaving them staring into the empty elevator shaft.

"Holy shit, this day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" Marcus groaned as he peered down the dark shaft; feeling his stomach twist and turn.

As Noah gave him an affirming nod, Marcus pulled out a flare and began to give it a twist; making sure to hold it far away from his brother's fuel tank, until it sparked up. He then tossed it down the shaft so they could see where the cable was.

"Oh...that's quite a jump even without all this crap we're carrying. You sure we can't just take the stairs?" Marcus sighed; hating this plan more and more the further they went.

"Nope," Noah said before suddenly taking a small running jump; grasping onto the cables for dear life only to then give Marcus a thumbs up.

The middle Lawson hesitantly swallowed his fears before jumping after Noah. Both began to carefully shimmy downwards; heading straight for the flare as it rested on top of the elevator down below.

 ***thud***

Their shoes clanged against the roof of the elevator upon impact. Both Lawson's then began to pull the emergency escape hatch open before looking down to see the coast was thankfully clear inside. Noah then motioned Marcus to unzip their bag.

"Put this on. Last thing we need is to choke on the carbon monoxide fumes," Noah warned as he held up a gas mask connected to a portable oxygen tank from the bag. Marcus nodded in acknowledgment as he quickly fastened it on while Noah did the same with his own.

Despite being able to overhear what must've been hundreds of 'Them' infesting the lobby just on the other side, Marcus slowly started to open the doors just enough for Noah to get into position beneath him. Soon the tension made everything, save for their heavy breathing through the respirators, completely mute around them.

An undead man in a hazmat suit took quick notice of the creaking doors and let out a shrill moan that caught the attention of the rest of 'Them' almost instantly.

"That's right, you rotten bastards! Dinner time," Marcus announced as he began to pound on the metal doors while Noah couldn't help but grin at his older brother literally laughing in the face of danger before squeezing the trigger again.

 ***Fwoosh***

Agonized groans and wails echoed as the flames spread out across the lobby. The undead caught in the bursts of fire flailed and twitched before eventually giving in to the intense heat melting 'Their' flesh and brains. Sickening popping sounds could be heard amidst the chaos as the thick smoke and scent of burning flesh permeated the air.

However, just as it seemed like Noah would be able to burn every last one of 'Them' to a cinder, the arcs of fire began to grow shorter and shorter with each burst.

"Shit! I knew the capacity was going to be limited, but I didn't think it would be THIS limited," Noah growled out of frustration as he looked up to see the dead not yet caught in the flames began to circle around the two.

"Don't fire at 'Them'! Try to hit the curtains over there! If we're lucky, this entire place will burn down around us," Marcus shouted as he pointed to the nearby windows. All at once it clicked in Noah's head how likely this fire could spiral out of control in a matter of minutes.

Knowing neither of them had any time to come up with a better plan, Noah began to use what little fuel he had left in the flamethrower to set several small fires in several areas at once; hoping to create a chain reaction. Sweat ran down his face as the entire lobby was completely engulfed in the flames in a matter of seconds. It was almost immediately after when the smoke made it near impossible to see several feet in front of them. The toxic black smoke left the two brothers completely blinded as they tried to walk forward in the hopes that they'd find the exit.

"Noah, just run! Don't let anything stop you," Marcus instructed as they began to brush past the dead left wandering aimlessly in the burning hotel. They weren't stopping for nothing as they knew the hotel was going to fall apart once the fires reached the gas lines.

Just as it seemed like the tiniest of gaps could be seen leading to the entrance, Noah suddenly felt a pair of thin, spindly hands tugging at his shoulders. Somehow an undead woman in a blood stained yellow dress managed to get ahold of him amid the chaos. Its grip only tightened as it pulled him in for the kill, its jaws opening wide before biting down into the tube connected to his respirator mask.

"Oi! Get away from him, you bitch," Marcus called out as he swung his entire oxygen tank; bashing the former woman's entire body back with unexpected force; caving in the head after a series of violent bashes and stomps.

He then looked over to see Noah violently coughing and left completely disoriented from the struggle. His oxygen mask had been rendered completely useless with the gaping hole in the tube that connected it to the oxygen tank.

 ***BOOM***

Without warning, the ground shook as a loud explosion rang from upstairs. The chandeliers from above suddenly crashed to the floor; crushing any of 'Them' down below; one managing to barely catch around Marcus' leg; pinning him down beside his little brother who looked at him in horror.

Not wanting to go down without a fight, Noah did his best to fight the burning sensations in his lungs and eyes; gripping the crooked frame of the chandelier keeping Marcus trapped. Unfortunately, any strength he had remaining wasn't enough to lift the heavy chandelier up for Marcus to pull himself free.

The fires continued to spiral out of control as the dead around them flailed and began setting one another ablaze to the touch. Knowing he had to do something and fast, Marcus suddenly grabbed Noah by the hand only to then strap his own respirator mask onto his face.

"Thank me later...and just run," Marcus said calmly as he knew this was the right thing to do.

Conflict and tears arose in Noah's bloodshot eyes before he eventually came to the horrifying conclusion; gently running a hand across his older brother's blood stained cheek before removing his dog tags and pulling away with great reluctance. Marcus let out a sigh of relief as Noah finally came to his senses and took off, running towards what was left of the collapsing entrance. Both of them knew he had no hope of being able to move that heavy rubble from Marcus, and any further attempt would just result in both of their deaths.

Entire walls of fire surged around Marcus as he struggled and tried his best to squirm out. Regardless of what he did, his energy soon burned out, and the constant inhalation of smoke began to dull his senses. His throat ran dry as his lungs burned and made him hack and wheeze hard. Both of his green eyes began to slowly shut as his vision became an impenetrable blur. Sweat ran down his face as he could only wish that he could've given the others a proper goodbye, to let them know that they'd make it with or without him.

"I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't up to the job as much as I thought I was," Marcus grumbled out of disappointment in himself before looking to his sides, noticing an undead bus driver hovering over him with drool slipping past those crooked teeth.

"Well? What the hell are you waiting for? DO IT," Marcus snarled at first before using what little energy he had left to defiantly shout at the horrific being.

He slowly closed his eyes as he felt both grey hands suddenly clamping onto his shoulders, as if it were expecting resistance. A horrid chill ran down his spine as something wet splashed his cheek. However, no pain could be felt, not one ounce of the sensation of numbness or of his own flesh being chewed on and torn from him. Marcus opened up his eyes, only to be met with the sight of the undead bus driver's head split clean in two with a small hatchet digging right into it; it's expression now forever frozen solid before the rest of the monstrous cretin was shoved aside.

 _'Holy shit,'_ was all the young man could think when his vision cleared up enough to realize a new figure was towering over him. Covered in the blood of the dead from head to toe, was none other than Frasier with a look of rage he'd never witnessed up until now.

"I... WILL NOT... LET...YOU... HAVE HIM," was all that could be heard in a blood-curdling cry of pure hatred; sounding more beast than man before he grasped the chandelier. With little trouble, he hoisted it up over his head only to swinging it around like a wild animal, literally bashing the dead that surrounded them back into the fires with it.

Presumably one of the 'Them' that was split in half by a shotgun blast suddenly entered Marcus' peripheral vision; slowly crawling towards Marcus, who started to reach back in an attempt to find something to fight back with, only to watch the body stop when Frasier's boot clamped down on the protruding spinal cord. In a blind rage, the eldest Lawson showed no restraint of power as he gouged and tore the spine straight out of the back with the head still attached to it; smashing the now motionless skull into the floor until all that was left was a string of red pulp dangling from it.

"They will not have you," Frasier softly muttered as he tried to catch his breath; making eye contact with Marcus for a split moment as he knelt down to his level. The middle Lawson then looked up at what genuinely seemed like tears in his brother's eyes before he was pulled over Frasier's shoulders and hoisted from the ground.

Not wasting any time to stick around for the rest of the building to come crashing down over their heads, Frasier stormed through the front doors just as the gas lines began to set off a chain reaction. The entire building bellowed as the flames had now consumed every last room within. The survivors that once proudly built it up as a personal safe haven were now homeless once more and back on the streets with almost nothing but the clothes on their backs as they watched it all burn.

 _Several minutes later_

"One...two...three," was all Marcus could hear at first while he felt his chest being pressed down on. Air suddenly filled his lungs before his eyes shot wide open; his whole body writhing as he quickly pulled away, coughing to the side before spitting on the street.

He then looked around nervously to see everyone was still alive; standing by as they had anxiously watched while Shizuka was kneeling right next to him with a look of pure relief that he was alright. Before he could even react, he felt Hitomi's arms grasping onto him, hearing her gently sob while burying her head into his chest, trembling all over.

Marcus instinctively held her close out of comfort as he looked over to see Frasier and Noah walking away to stare off in the distance at the sight of what used to be their safe haven now reduced to a blazing ruin. Meanwhile, Saeko and Takashi were in each other's arms, relieved to see the other was still in one piece. Then he turned his gaze to see Tadashi being tended to by Kiriko and Rei; a small reopened wound along his left thigh.

"So we made it? All of us?" Marcus asked in a rough voice as his dry throat still ached after inhaling all that smoke; rubbing his throat as he tried to piece things together.

"Yes, but just barely. We pretty much used up all our ammo pushing through the parking lot," Kohta answered directly as he was in the middle of loading in what looked like the last magazine to his rifle.

"It's gone...all of it. All of our hard work just gone up in flames. This couldn't possibly get any worse," Johann lamented as it was still so hard to accept that they'd lost their ace in surviving this nightmare like it was nothing.

"Don't tempt fate. We're not out of the woods just yet," Hitomi suddenly remarked while still holding onto Marcus protectively.

"We need to regroup and sort this out. I suggest we head for the mall and let them know of our situation," Rika said with a disappointed sigh before expressing the only idea she thought made any sense.

"What makes you think they'll want anything to do with us now? We have no fuel, no food, very little ammo left, and to top it off, no medical supplies. We'd be at their mercy," Saya suddenly brought up as it was clear that she wasn't nearly as quick to trust what she still considered total strangers.

"They wouldn't do that. They're good people," Takashi intervened, showing a spark of rather unexpected confidence.

"How would you know that? You're the only one who really talked to them; making deals without going through me first. Real smooth by the way," Frasier spat, as he hadn't forgotten how Takashi had made a deal with Sho since their last visit as a group there.

"Hey! I'm just trying to lookout for everyone's best interest! It seemed like a good idea; no, it WAS a good idea, and if we're going to get to Tokyo, then we have to work with them," Takashi spoke in a sharp, defensive tone; his fists clenching. But while his heart was in the right place, it still didn't seem to faze the eldest Lawson one bit.

"'We'? No, YOU have to work with them. My brothers and I will do just fine without their help. Don't forget we're more than capable of making it out here with or without anyone else," Frasier retorted in a low growl as if personally offended at the insinuation of being unable to survive without them.

"Will you two just stop it?! The last thing we need now of all times is infighting. Let's just do what Rika suggested and go from there. Please?" Shizuka suddenly interrupted in a heartbroken shout leaving both young men feeling undeniably guilty as they stared at her golden eyes threatening to tear up.

"Fine," they both grumbled, knowing now was the worst time to be arguing while left out in the open and so vulnerable to attack.

"Let's get moving then. If we hurry we'll be there by midday," Rika announced as she motioned them to start marching despite how worn out and exhausted they now were.

"Christ, what a way to start the day," Noah sighed as he took Miku's hand and started walking with her in the rear flank of the group.

"Let's just hope that we can get back to that mall in one piece without getting into it again," Miku said with some optimism; ultimately relieved that Noah was still by her side alive and unharmed.

The march to the mall felt longer than ever before. The entire group could only move as fast as Tadashi could keep up. Several stops had to be made to either avoid the undead or to catch their breath. It wasn't easy for them, not after the tremendous loss of the hotel. To feel homeless and vulnerable was killing morale the further they lingered about. Luckily they were able to avoid further conflict and ultimately made it to the mall in one piece. However, the once empty parking lot now had several cars and vans parked around in several areas. Almost as if set up that way deliberately.

"Here it is. All we need to do now is-" Frasier softly announced in a sigh of relief only to stop short of finishing his words when the doors refused to open.

"What's wrong? Forgot how doors work or something?" Rika questioned in a taunting manner as Marcus couldn't help but snicker at that remark. However, the young leader of the group wasn't nearly as amused.

"Shut up. It's locked and I can't get the damn thing to budge," Frasier retorted in an annoyed growl before trying to pull even harder on the twin handles.

"Oooh, he said a bad word," Alice noted aloud as she was surprised to see nobody else noticed or responded to his foul language.

"Hey, what's that noise?" Rei suddenly asked as she immediately felt certain they weren't alone like they'd initially thought.

"Because we're not alone anymore," Kohta announced in an alerted gasp as he pointed out several 'Them' wandering towards them from across the parking lot.

"Damn, 'They' really are back in town. We need to get out of here," Saeko cursed under her breath before making it clear to the others staying in the open while this exposed wasn't an option anymore.

"We should retreat and regroup. There's not enough ammunition left to fight back," Tadashi suggested next as he could just tell by the expressions on the other's faces that they were down to just a few rounds at most.

"Hold on! I think I can get the doors open, just buy me some time," Frasier protested as he was confident he could pry the doors open if he'd just put a bit more strength into his futile attempts.

"I'll try to buy you some time. Just don't expect it to be much," Saeko volunteered; placing a hand on his shoulder before walking forward to confront the first of 'Them'.

However, when she went to grasp the handle of her katana, she felt her body suddenly collapsing from the sheer exhaustion from several hours with little to no rest in between; falling to one knee as she was finding it hard to move.

"Saeko-san, don't do this! You're not going to last a minute over there in this state," Rei warned as both she and Saya rushed over to help their friend stand back up.

"It was worth a shot," Saeko sighed in disappointment tone as she hated having to look so vulnerable in front of the others now of all times.

"Hey! What's going on down there?" a voice suddenly announced from above the group as they looked up to see a sturdy-looking figure standing atop the roof of the mall.

"We're trying to get in but the doors are sealed shut with something. We could really use the help," Takashi explained before having to turn his attention back to the undead that began to move in on the right.

"I'll grab a ladder! Just don't make any more noise than you have to. We're trying to keep anymore of those things from coming back here," the unknown survivor acknowledged before heading back wherever he came from before.

"There won't be anyone left to save at this rate. Everyone bundle up over there! I'll distract 'Them' for as long as I can," Johann suddenly ordered as he motioned the others to get up against the walls as he ran towards one of the cars, whistling at the top of his lungs before waving the dead over in his direction despite knowing the dead were completely blind.

Without much room to run, Johann quickly began to make his way up to the top of a parked news van before continuing to make noise by stomping his feet on the roof; whistling and shouting as more and more of 'Them' were drawn in like moths to a flame. However, the more that he drew in, the less likely he'd be able to stay up there without 'Them' simply tipping his only safe spot over.

"H-He's going to get himself killed! We have to do something," Rei said in both fear for Johann's safety and anxiousness; moving to assist him before suddenly being held back by her mother.

"You'd have to be insane to think I'd let you go over there," Kiriko expressed sternly despite seeing her words killing a part of Rei as she couldn't stand to just stand by while Johann practically sacrificed himself to buy them just a bit more time to escape.

"We might not be able to fight, but we can certainly distract the bastards," Marcus suddenly announced as he took off in another direction; doing the exact same thing by whistling and climbing atop one of the scattered vehicles in an attempt to divide the dead from overwhelming Johann's position.

Seconds later, a makeshift ladder was dropped below just high enough for the survivors to reach it. The group made sure to prioritize that Tadashi and Alice were first up, shortly followed by Shizuka as the others eagerly awaited to be extracted.

"What about them? Please tell me you've got a plan to get them out of there," Rei asked desperately as she was practically ready to go back down there to help them get out to safety.

"I've got these. Help me throw them around," the survivor that presumably was a part of Sho's group by his construction jumpsuit replied as he held up what looked like a small crate filled to the brim with light bulbs.

Knowing what he had in mind, the others quickly began to start lobbing them off; the glass bulbs shattering in volleys that soon caught the attention of some, but not all of the dead. Luckily for Johann and Marcus, it provided just a wide enough opening for them to get through the increasingly dense pack of 'Them' that had attempted to box them in. Marcus was the first to go up as Johann quickly followed, both astonished that they'd managed to make it.

"Too close! Way too close," Marcus gasped as he was completely out of breath, still astonished he'd made it out of that in one piece; looking up to see Johann peering back over the edge to see that roughly thirty of 'Them' now gathered where the ladder once was, each one groaning and reaching up as if expecting them to come down. Luckily for the survivors, the undead were incapable of finding another way in and instead just stood in place.

"Thanks for the assistance. Just who are you anyways?" Marcus asked once he noticed the unfamiliar face of their last minute savior.

"I'm Osamu, nice to meet you all. I take it you're the kids that keep visiting Isao-san and his grandson?" the man named Osamu asked with a welcoming grin while everyone else quickly and politely bowed in greeting.

"Well that depends on how many 'kids' you see doing that these days?" Marcus replied sarcastically, instantly earning an elbow from Noah as he quickly stepped forward upon realizing Frasier wasn't budging.

"What my brother means to say is we're very grateful for your help. Thank you, Osamu-san. I perish the thought of what could've happened if you didn't arrive," Noah piped in while Osamu brushed off the formality with a hearty laugh. Clearly he was just happy to see so many new faces.

"Don't worry about it. It's always good to see more live ones instead of the alternative. Let's just get back inside before more decide to show up," Osamu said as he didn't seem to be annoyed by Marcus' cheeky comment before motioning them to follow him through the stairwell.

Without any reason to argue, the group eagerly followed Osamu down into the main body of the mall; wandering through a maintenance tunnel before soon finding themselves back at the entrance plaza. Instantly they noticed piles of wooden furniture and several other large appliances placed alongside the front entrance in what looked like an attempt to barricade the place in much like their original setup at the hotel.

"Back so soon? What do you guys need this time?" Sho's voice suddenly announced as he could be seen standing on the second floor, speaking from the bridge.

"We...we need a place to stay," Takashi reluctantly answered as he just stared at Sho, whom seemed rather puzzled by that statement.

"What? The large, secluded, defendable hotel isn't enough for you?" Sho chuckled; uncertain what was really going on.

"It's gone. Burned to the ground just about two hours ago," Rika bluntly replied, showing no subtlety as she was straight to the point.

"What?" Sho muttered in disbelief, looking closer at them to see she wasn't joking; seeing as they had more supplies with them than they normally would've brought to just visit them again.

"You have got to be kidding me! Are you guys alright? Does this mean you only have what you brought with you as well?" Sho said in shock as he was visibly stunned by this turn of events.

"Barely. We have no food, little water, and just enough ammo to survive a small skirmish at best. Nothing more, nothing less," Kiriko answered; making it quite clear they were beyond desperate at this point.

"Unbelievable...I told you they'd screw this up somehow. I warned you that trusting a bunch of stupid kids was a bad idea," a woman's voice began to curse from behind Sho as he turned back to face her.

"Calm down, will ya? At least they're alright for the most part. We'll just have to make sure the one vehicle we have left is large enough to accommodate everyone that's going," Sho responded as he knew finger pointing wouldn't resolve anything.

"Perhaps I can lend a hand with-" Frasier suddenly offered as he finally spoke up; the others, excluding Saeko, finding it rather peculiar that he'd remained this silent up until now. However, Sho's friendly demeanor instantly turned to a sour gaze filled with contempt as he looked back down.

"Save it, I don't need anything from the likes of you. Just don't touch anything, asshole," Sho said in a clearly seething sneer; still furious over what happened not even twenty-four hours ago and storming off without giving the young lad a chance to defend himself.

"Jeez, who pissed in that guy's cereal?" Marcus whispered as even he felt that response was a bit harsh despite knowing how hard it could be to work alongside his elder sibling at times.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Frasier briefly grumbled before falling silent again.

"Well, bless my old eyes, I didn't expect to see you all again so soon," the much-more welcomed familiar voice of Isao suddenly greeted them as he came slowly walking down the stairs with Kenji loyally staying by his side until locking eyes with Alice; at which point both kids excitedly bounded over to each other.

"We're sorry to keep bothering you like this, Isao-san," Takashi apologized before Isao brushed him off with a casual wave of the hand.

"Oh don't be so hard on yourselves, it's no bother at all. Honestly, those construction workers keep to themselves and focus on working so much, I might as well be by myself most of the time," Isao explained before his normally jovial expression grew more serious when he saw the lack of regular optimism on everyone's faces, and the noticeably larger supply of equipment they all had on them.

"We wouldn't ask something like this of you under any other circumstances, but we—" Marcus began to ask before Isao rendered him silent with one raised wrinkled hand as he took a deep, contemplative breath.

"Of course you're all welcome to stay here. With the world out there being what it is, how could I possibly turn good people like you away? My family did the same for those who'd lost their homes during the war, and it's only right I do the same," the kind old man immediately surmised as everyone felt a world's worth of weight lift from their shoulders that he was so understanding.

"We're grateful, Isao-san. Truly we are. If there's anything at all we can do to help—" Frasier started to offer before Isao firmly shook his head.

"I'm not some uncaring landlord, young man. You and your people are in trouble, and in troubled times like this, we need to look out for each other more than ever. And besides, I've never seen Kenji happier in these last few weeks than whenever you all come with that little girl of yours. How could I possibly deprive him of the only real friend he has left?" Isao explained with a strong hint of emotion upon mentioning his grandson, while everyone else looked to already see her and Kenji eagerly play with each other across the plaza.

"Excuse me, but you said those construction workers are busy working all the time? We couldn't help but overhear a couple of them talking about some vehicle they're putting together and possibly taking us with them," Marcus suddenly interjected; everyone else nodding in agreement, while unanimously hoping it had something to do with their Tokyo expedition.

"That's right. Ever since you told them about Tokyo possibly having shelter, Sho and his men have been working nonstop to get one of the shuttle busses in the garage down below outfitted for the trip. All the while we've been stockpiling what we can from the shops in the mall that might be useful, since we honestly don't know what to expect out on the road," Isao confirmed.

"Yes, I never got a chance to tell you all. The man who spoke to us from the bridge a minute ago, Sho, he's going to put together a second bus for us to take the trip as well," Frasier finally remembered to point out, and while everyone at first looked excited by the good news, they just as quickly looked a bit confused.

"Wait, he was just talking about ALL of us sharing the same vehicle with them. Why are you suddenly saying we're riding separate?" Noah asked worriedly once he saw the reluctant look on Frasier's face.

"Does that really matter? I like this idea better. We don't know those people, so I say we're better off in our own ride," Saya spoke up while Isao looked reasonably troubled by the sense of animosity.

"Does it have anything to do with why he got a stick up his ass the instant he saw you?" Marcus whispered curiously to Frasier, but the eldest Lawson just let out an irritated grunt and stormed off; no doubt to find anything to get his mind off the subject of those construction workers.

"Hey, grandpa, if they are getting their own bus, can we ride with them?" Kenji suddenly asked excitedly with Alice once they'd overheard the transport arrangements; to which Isao let out another amused chuckle before placing a firm hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"Well now, I can't think of any reason why not. I'm not sure when they'll be all finished, but once they are, we'll go with them if you really want to, Kenji," the old man confirmed; causing his grandson to nearly jump with excitement as he and Alice just as quickly took off running and laughing; leaving the rest of the group with an amused chuckle amongst themselves that quickly dissolved into being lost in their own thoughts.

A solution was there in front of them, but what could they possibly do to prepare in the meantime now that they had so little ammo and anything else?

 _Three Days Later…_

 **Z-Day+22**

The next three days had been…a challenge to get adjusted to, to say the least. Most of the group struggled to accept that they'd lost the hotel the first morning, and the entirety of the day had been spent struggling to collectively get back on their feet and formulate where to scavenge next; since they'd made a point of picking all the nearby place clean, with all those reaped rewards now going up in smoke.

The second day had thankfully managed to prove a little more productive, with a lucky break coming in the form of the discovery of an abandoned warehouse on a nearby dock that still had a healthy supply of preserved and canned foods and even some medical supplies; clearly a distribution center for any of the nearby markets, hospitals and pharmacies.

And the third day had at least allowed the majority of the group to become a little more familiar with Sho and his work crew as Noah and the rest of the boys; excluding Frasier for obvious reasons; had volunteered to try and help outfit the second bus as had been promised.

While things seemed to have slowly but surely been coming back together, there was still no denying that the group as a whole was still feeling very tense. Tadashi's wounds were still preventing him from being as active as everyone else, while at least still healing; and over the last couple days, Hitomi and Johann had become considerably distant from everyone else; from Marcus especially in the case of the former.

But amid all of this, what had really started this morning off with a bang was when Noah had proposed heading out to see what he could salvage from the remains of the hotel and anywhere else nearby.

"No way in hell are you going out there, Noah," Frasier had instantly declined as soon as the words had left his youngest brothers' mouth.

"Come on, Frasier, stop acting like I'm a little kid. You know for a fact I can shoot, and I know how the dead work, and on top of that we barbecued the majority of them; and I can stay quiet a lot better than you can," Noah tried to plead his case while the rest of the group was visibly trying to weigh the pros and cons.

"That doesn't matter. You and Marcus nearly got killed while I wasn't around, and if you think I'm letting you go out there by yourself, you're out of your damn mind," Frasier immediately snapped back, when Miku suddenly stepped forward.

"He's not going to be alone. I'm going to keep an eye out for him out there," she volunteered, only for Frasier to coldly blow her off with a disrespectful grunt.

"And I'm SURE AS HELL not letting YOU go out there with him. Now that's final, Noah. You are NOT going out there," the eldest Lawson declared as he began to storm away.

"Then what would you have us do, Frasier? You're most useful here while everybody still needs to come to a consensus on what else we need and where to go looking for it. Meanwhile I know the area around the hotel for several blocks better than the rest of us. I should know, I mapped it all out myself, you know that. And I know what places nearby we hadn't picked clean, and like I said, we're both fast and light on our feet. I know you don't like it, but I personally don't care; I'm not going to just sit here and basically do nothing just because you say so. And I don't care if you don't trust Miku, either. I trust her to have my back if we run into trouble out there. I'm going out there and I'm getting this done whether you like it or not."

The silence that hung over the rest of the group in the wake of Noah's open resistance was unbearable. At a point, everyone nearly thought Frasier was going to charge his brother and break his legs; especially if the barely restrained rage on his face while his back was turned to Noah was any indication.

"Fine, then. You think you're so grown up and able to look after yourself? You think I'm just being paranoid again, that I don't know what I'm talking about? Then go ahead and go out there and see what happens. Go ahead and take that bitch with you too. If you're such a big man now, then you'll surely be able to suck it up when she stabs you in the back and goes running off to her old people. Just don't come sobbing to me like a little brat when she does. Now go on," Frasier muttered with sheer venom before violently storming away up the escalator; leaving Noah, Miku and everyone else speechless that he would actually speak to his own brother like that, especially Marcus.

"You two should probably go. I'll try talking to him," Saeko instructed; prompting Noah and Miku to hesitantly nod in acknowledgment before Marcus handed them both two camping backpacks to load up with whatever they'd find.

With nothing left to be said, the two youths stepped out the glass doors after using one of the maintenance keys and pulling some of the barricade aside. Fortunately after three days, the crowd of undead that had gathered had lost interest and had gone wandering off once more; leaving them with only the scent of the morning air and complete silence.

"Are you okay, Noah-kun?" Miku asked concernedly once she saw the visibly hurt look on Noah's face.

"I'm fine. It's just Frasier I'm worried about. He's been acting so strange since we got here, and he won't tell me or anyone else why. It's like ever since that guy Sho spoke to him, something flipped," Noah tried to explain before he felt his girlfriend's tender hand on his shoulder.

"How about you? I can't imagine how hard it is having to listen to him talk about you like that," he then asked her in return while Miku let out a tired sigh.

"Honestly, I've come to accept your brother will NEVER accept me, and while he can be a real asshole when he's in moods like that, no offense, it doesn't mean that much to me. I just wish the rest of them could realize I'm with you all 100% now. I'm at least glad Marcus-kun knows that, and I think Alice-chan and maybe even Marikawa-sensei might know it too," she admitted while Noah brought a supportive arm around her waist in return.

"Well, we can worry about how to do that once we get back. How about we get this thing over with, huh?" Noah reassured her before motioning for them to get a move-on; and with an eager nod and smile, Miku quickly kept her pace with him as they crossed the parking lot and went further into the city.

Two hours passed without anything noteworthy happening to the two young survivors as they eventually made their way back to the hotel. They soon walked up to the smoldering ruins of what was once their beloved sanctuary. Ash and dust coated the street and the surrounding buildings as bits of brick and other rubble littered the foundation. Bits and shards of glass could be heard crackling under their feet as they walked up to the ruins. Several dozen pitch black corpses could be seen burned to a crisp and motionless amid the wreckage.

"What a bloody mess. I'm amazed the remaining dead in the city didn't come flocking here when this place came down," Noah commented ,mostly to himself; balancing himself as he boldly trotted over a pile of rubble before kicking it playfully; sending a single chunk of charred wood clean off from the main beam it was a part of.

"Noah, I have to ask you something. Do you really think it'll be any different at this quarantine zone we're going to?" Miku suddenly asked as she looked over to him with curious eyes while wringing her hands together nervously. Her tone and tendency to bring her eyes to the ground hinted that she harbored some serious doubts about their grand plan.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked back curiously.

"I know everyone's counting on it working out, but to me…i-it just seems like another disaster waiting to happen. Nothing the government or military has tried has worked so far. What makes you guys think this will work?" she clarified; prompting Noah to stop digging around in thought.

"Well...it's not like your concerns aren't valid. It is quite troublesome having a bunch of people in one spot. The more people there are, the easier it is for an outbreak to spread if someone were to get infected. Then there's the possibility of just how much of 'Them' a place like that might end up attracting over time," Noah replied as he couldn't help but see some points that were hard to ignore.

"That's what I'm saying! But it's not like it matters in the end. I doubt anyone in your group would listen to me anyway...hmm, I wonder if it would be possible to live out on the sea. I never have been on a boat before," Miku stated in emphasis before bowing her head at the pointlessness of bringing it up to the others; all before she caught sight of a broken picture frame on the ground with an image of a sailboat on it.

Before Noah could reply, a sudden chilling sensation up his spine stopped him dead in his tracks. He then began to slowly and carefully observe their surroundings. His blue eyes thoroughly scanned and surveyed every last detail he could find from the surrounding buildings. His breathing became short and silent as he had a horrid feeling deep down in his heart that made him realize this was more than just simple paranoia.

"What's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost. Do you hear something?" Miku suddenly whispered concernedly as she set down the picture and quickly returned to his side.

"No, it's probably my imagination getting the better of me. Let's get going. This place is useless to us. Plus it leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Noah tried to shrug it off as he quickly ushered Miku to stick to him as he made a quick stride to get away from this place.

"Well, I can fix that bad taste in your mouth when we get back home," Miku whispered with a lewd grin on her face, but felt worried when noticing Noah's surprising lack of enthusiasm in regard to her suggestive innuendo.

Something clearly had him on edge, more than usual at least. As they began to walk away, she noticed he'd be sure to check every last window or alley they passed. A crow perched on a power line towering above began to caw when they drew too close before taking off; its wings flapping hard as they watched it soon vanish.

After traversing over an abandoned highway exit with cars piled all around it, they soon found themselves standing before a rundown hospital that surprisingly still seemed to have electricity; given by some of the faint lights that could be discerned through some of the windows. It had to have been from the backup generators being stored somewhere an EMP couldn't reach it.

"Noah, what are you thinking? What are we doing here?" Miku whispered as Noah began to walk up to the front doors; peering inside to scout for any signs of trouble.

"Two reasons. One: I'm almost certain this place should have plenty of the medical supplies we need to cover the trip. Two: don't panic, but I'm almost certain we're being followed. By whom I don't know, though I need to say now we can't go back until I know for sure we've lost them," Noah revealed in a hushed whisper. Miku felt a fearful chill develop in the pit of her stomach as her lover's recent silence finally made too much sense.

"Are you serious?! Do you think the dead are tracking us?" Miku asked in an even softer hush as she instinctively looked back over her shoulder.

"No, 'They' may follow the living, but 'They' aren't nearly as subtle or quiet about it. Whoever's following us is alive," Noah answered in grim certainty.

"Noah, I'm scared," was all Miku could bring herself to say before he looked over to her and protectively took her hand into his.

"Don't worry, Miku. I won't let them hurt you," Noah vowed as both his voice and protective gaze couldn't help but reassure her doubts. She formed a look of confidence in him before letting out a low sigh of relief.

"Okay…so what do we do now?" Miku then asked as she tried her best to not panic.

"Just follow my lead and act casual. We want them to keep thinking that we don't know what's really going on," Noah instructed before he stepped away from the windows and began to walk towards the two front doors. Both automatically opened up the instant he stepped on the mat.

"R-Right, casual. Well, lead the way then," Miku softly repeated to herself as she followed close behind him.

"Jesus Christ...what kind of nightmare was this place?" Noah muttered under his breath as he stopped to take in the sight before them.

Chairs were turned, flipped, and scattered all around the floor; papers littering almost every square inch as well. Only several of the overhead lights were still operating, and those that did, did so just barely as they flickered. A crackling static sound could be heard as an entire chunk of wall had somehow been broken off to reveal loose wires. The dried up blood stains eerily stood out most of all in contrast to the sterile white room. All that could be asked now was whether or not the former inhabitants of this place were still lingering deeper within the halls and operating rooms.

'Figures. A place with a high population like this during this outbreak must've been a massacre,' Noah realized to himself as he tried to remain focused.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Noah? Maybe we should just make a break for it," Miku suddenly suggested as she felt almost certain they could outrun whoever was stalking them back to the mall. However, Noah just shook his head in dismissal.

"We can't. I'll bet that's exactly what they want. They're probably trying to find out where the rest of our group is. They're counting on us to lead them right to the mall," Noah further explained as he seemed to have finally deduced the motivation of their mystery pursuers.

"Damn...I would've fallen for it too! So what do we do if we can't run? Perhaps if we try to wait them out?" Miku cursed for feeling so foolish, hating how useless she felt at this moment before quickly throwing out the only other idea that felt possible.

"The best thing we can do right now is focus on gathering more medicine and maybe some medical tools for Shizuka-sensei. Maybe we can find something in here to even the odds if we're lucky," Noah explained as he knew that they were completely alone on this one. His older brothers weren't going to be able to get him out of this mess this time.

Without another words, Noah took Miku's hand and quickly headed down the first hallway we could find. The silence of the hospital was so much more eerie than the silence of the outside. The place itself felt so much more claustrophobic; and just knowing that someone out there was watching and following them only made the nervous twisting in the young Brit's gut even worse.

Thankfully he managed to snap out of his mental reverie when he noticed a directory on the wall; his eyes quickly falling on one distinct room that thankfully looked to be just around a couple corners.

Continuing further on with a more confident stride in his step, Noah checked every open doorway they passed to make sure none of the dead were inside just waiting to pounce on the next unlucky sap to come strolling by. Fortunately it wasn't even a minute before Noah found the room he was looking for and quickly Miku inside with him before carefully shutting and locking the door.

He then turned around to reveal to his female companion the security camera hub for the entire hospital, with just barely over half the screens still projecting the different rooms of the hospital, with a good number of them containing a good number of 'Them' around from what he could see.

"Noah, what are we doing in here Shouldn't we be looking for supplies so we can get back before dark?" Miku asked as Noah was feverishly observing each room, what they were labelled as on each screen and trying to connect them to the glossary on the same exact floor plans that were put up on the wall of this room as well.

"I need to mark this all down first, Miku. This is a strange bit of good luck. I can mark down which parts of the hospital we can't go into and use that to help us narrow down where to look for the stuff we need," he eagerly explained to her as he was already hard at work scribbling everything he observed down on a nearby empty notebook on the desk.

Just when all seemed to be going smoothly, Noah looked up at the security monitor again to see ten people, all male, walking in through the front doors. Each one was armed with either a handgun or a shotgun. However, Miku was far more disturbed that she could recognize each and every one of them. Terror instantly filled her heart as she looked upon one in particular; noting his all-too familiar ponytail, soul patch and cold, sunken eyes.

"I know those people. T-they're a part of Shido's group..." Miku muttered in shock as she recognized the one man who had her complete attention as her beyond-wretched former step-father Mamoru; leaving her with a nearly vomit-inducing feeling of petrified terror in the pit of her stomach.

"Shit. Looks like they got tired of waiting," Noah sighed as he knew that it was only a matter of time before their pursuers would come forward; silently grimacing as he also quickly recognized one of them as his "favorite" loud-mouthed hair-trigger-tempered punk Tsunoda.

"What are we going to do? They'll kill you if they find us," Miku asked in a desperate and terrified whimper; more than certain that these people would take her back to Shido alive if they could for she could easily imagine what.

"It's okay, Miku, don't worry. They haven't found us yet. I'll handle this. I want you to just stay in here and don't open that door for any reason. Thankfully there's no window for them to peek inside of, but just to be safe, hide in the locker in the corner until I come back, okay? Do you understand?" Noah answered as he motioned her towards a nearby locker to stay safe inside of before carefully shutting her inside; trying his best to not look at the terrified but also despairing look in her orange eyes to know she couldn't do anything to help him yet again.

Truth be told, he absolutely hated the fact he'd be leaving her all alone to defend herself if anything actually DID happen to him out there. But desperately trying to return his focus to taking care of their unwelcome guests, he turned his attention to a nearby supply closet upon opening the office door just a crack.

 _A couple minutes later…_

"Alright guys, remember that we want these two alive," Mamoru announced in a low hush as they began to enter deeper into the hospital with one man being left to watch the entrance.

"What? Fuck that, old man! I'm killing that limy cocksucker the moment I see him. I've got a score to settle with that little shit," Tsunoda instantly spat with sheer venom as just the thought of Noah brought his blood to a boil and his long-repressed bloodlust to an all-time high.

"Let's at least get some info out of him first. Remember, we need to find out where the rest of them are hiding," Mamoru stated firmly; the menacing look in his sunken eyes actually making the blonde-haired punk visibly back down.

"We already know they were holed up in that hotel before it burned down. They couldn't have gone too far if those two came here for medicine. Just don't be so quick to shoot, they might not be the only ones here," one of the other men suggested.

"Don't be such a little bitch. Any of the dead that were here should be long gone by now," Mamoru taunted before lightly punching the cautious man in the shoulder.

"Even if there are a few stragglers, we can handle it. These guns should be more than a match for two fucking teenagers and a couple of those undead shitbags. Okay, let's split up. We don't leave until we find them," he then announced before motioning them all to start patrolling the hallways in hopes of cornering their targets.

 _Minutes later on the first floor…_

Noah slowly peeked around the corner to see three men wandering in his direction. While their trigger discipline seemed poor, those shotguns in such a tight hallway wouldn't give him a fighting chance. He looked back to see two swinging doors that led directly into the kitchen. With a plan in the back of his mind, he slowly retreated back into it to see it was completely untouched.

Knowing he had to get their attention, the young Brit took a nearby ladle resting on a rack before tossing it across the room and hurriedly finding a place to hide.

 ***clang***

A piercing echo rang out; immediately catching the attention of the three men as they hurried over to investigate the source of the noise. One of the men wearing a red bandana leaned down and picked up the ladle before forming a smug grin.

"You see? I told you idiots we were hot on their tracks," he gloated before lightly smacking one of the others in the stomach with it.

"Just shut up and start looking. He couldn't have gotten very far," the second one wearing a ski mask replied in an impatient growl as he motioned them to spread out.

Not wanting to waste time, they all split up and began to walk alongside the countertops and aisles trying to find more clues; hoping to corner Noah before he could give them the slip again.

"Come out; come out, wherever you are. The sooner we can get this over with, the better," the man in the ski mask announced as he watched for any sudden movements; ready for the young Brit to slip up.

Noah bit down on his tongue as his small frame allowed him to hide in one of the nearby ovens; having to remain absolutely still to avoid the metal from bending or shifting under his weight.

"I don't see him anywhere. This is hopeless," the survivor wearing the bandana announced as he rested his elbow against a stove.

"He couldn't have gotten out! There's only one exit here. Start looking in those ovens. The kid's pretty small, they looked small enough for him to fit inside," the ski mask-wearing survivor suggested from the exit as Noah instantly felt his heart racing harder than ever before. One by one, he could hear the neighboring ovens being pried open, each one louder than the last.

 _'Shit, have to come up with a plan now while there's still time,'_ Noah thought desperately as he knew he couldn't just sneak out now.

"A-ha," the man in the red bandana suddenly announced in declaration as he pulled on another oven door; the other two instantly rushing over when they heard the commotion.

"You found him?" the third man wearing a baseball cap backwards asked as he peered over to see.

"Better! I found someone's lunch! Fully preserved, too. Bet it's still good to eat," the one in the red bandana announced proudly as he pulled out what looked like a cup of ramen still in its packaging.

"You idiot! I thought you'd found him," the man wearing the ski mask shouted angrily as he slapped it out of his hands before stomping on it.

"Hey! I was going to eat that, you dumb fuck," the bandana-wearing survivor protested.

"You'll be eating my fucking fist if you don't stop messing around. Now get back to it," was all the ski mask could declare in anger as he kicked the door to the very oven Noah was in, before storming off to guard the exit again.

The tension soon wore down as Noah peeked out just enough to see things were now clear for the time being. He then began carefully edging his way out; cringing every time he made a sound. He could only resort to crawling along the tiled floor as he went low enough to look under the rows of aisles to see where the others were currently walking.

When one started moving his way, he carefully navigated around them and narrowly avoided crossing paths; all the while completely unaware of his sweat leaving behind a somewhat noticeable trail wherever he went.

"Hey? What in the hell is this?" the red bandana asked loud enough for Noah to hear as the young lad looked back only to realize he could actually use this to his advantage.

"Stupid bastard is just leading me right to him," the red bandana chuckled in a soft whisper before wandering straight into the large area that appeared to be the freezer.

"Oh right, like I'm gonna fall for that one," he said before walking back into a pot that was placed behind him while he stood there debating on whether or not to go into the freezer.

The sudden feeling around his foot startled the man enough to the point he lost his balance and started knocking over several pots and pans; each one causing a loud booming echo to startle everyone in the room. In his momentary panic, he pointed the shotgun in a random direction and pulled the trigger.

 ***Bkoom***

A single shotgun blast sent multiple utensils flying across the kitchen as several plates shattered from the heavy impact. The other two survivors looked over to see what happened; keeping an eye out for Noah as they jogged over.

"What the hell are you doing? You're wasting ammo! Don't shoot unless you actually see them," the ski mask instructed when he realized it was just a knee jerk reaction instead of their friend actually finding their target. Soon it was deathly silent again as they realized standing around yelling at each other wouldn't accomplish anything.

"Wait...do you hear something?" the bandana asked as he could've sworn he heard a whistling noise now that they'd stopped talking.

"It's probably just another trick! Just ignore it and keep looking," the ski mask said angrily as he began storming across the aisle at his wits end; stopping dead in his tracks when he saw a small lone figure standing in the doorway.

"Looking for little old me?" Noah asked tauntingly; watching them instantly spin around to see that he was now standing at the exit. Each one was hesitant to draw their weapons; watching to see what he'd do next since he seemed so confident of himself, far more than any man should be in his position.

"Stupid little dipshit! He could've left without us knowing," the bandana announced as he took aim for the youngest Lawson; the other two quickly doing the same.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Noah suddenly suggested in a more serious tone as he began to point towards the ovens; prompting the man in the ski mask to lean over the counter, his brown eyes widening at the sight of missing gas caps.

Before he could even consider stopping his more impatient associates from making another move, a single shot rang out, only for the entire kitchen to instantly burst into flames thanks to the discharge from the shotgun. Noah ducked around the corner just in time to avoid being pelted as he could feel the intense heat even from where he stood.

The foolish baseball cap man that fired the shotgun and the one wearing the red bandana were killed near instantly from the blast; each one blown to pieces as their ammo went off prematurely from the intense heat. However, the survivor in the ski mask was unfortunate enough to survive. His screams of agonizing pain could be heard drawing nearer and nearer as he came running out of the kitchen in flames only to dash past Noah and smack straight into a wall. A low alarm then began to ring as emergency sprinkles turned on shortly after, slowly dowsing the flames long after he'd fallen dead.

"Well I did warn you, didn't I? Okay, three down, seven to go," Noah said to himself as he shrugged his shoulders. Knowing there was no use lingering around since none of their weapons would be of any use to him now; instead running off to set up another trap for these people.

Just as soon as the words had left his mouth though, he rounded a corner only to suddenly come face to face with three other men coming down the opposite end of the hall. They all four froze as Noah hadn't expected to run into more so quickly. With a sudden jolt of energy, he bolted back the way he came as several pistol shots echoed out; pelting the wall where he just stood.

"Come on, don't let that little fucker get away," he could hear the men shouting behind him as Noah desperately rounded corner after corner; not even noticing a nearby mop lying on the floor before it tripped him up and sent him skidding across the floor.

Ignoring the ringing in his head from the hard impact, Noah scrambled back onto his feet and ran for the nearest double doors he could find; only to feel his anxious breathing vanish the instant he found himself staring into a hallways full of 'Them' that all unanimously turned in his direction the instant he opened the doors.

"I heard him fall; he can't have gotten too far! Come on, he's gotta be hiding in there," The first of the three pursuing men called out as they hopped over the precarious mop handle and noticing the double doors. With a furious kick, they sent the doors flying open and blindly charged in, only for all three to come to a grinding halt the instant they saw the mob of nearly two dozen of the dead.

Their previous bravado instantly vanished as their minds momentarily went blank on what to do, at least until they suddenly heard the sound of the double doors slamming shut behind them.

Acting on what had to be the most desperate last second thinking he'd ever had, Noah had thought to hide in the corner behind one of the double doors once he'd heard the three men closing in, and as soon as he knew they were in the hall, he'd quietly slipped out from his hiding place and pulled the doors shut; even thinking to slip the mop through the door handles, and none too soon either as the desperate screaming and pounding at the door followed almost instantly before multiple gunshots starting blasting from inside.

But after barely a minute, the gunshots stopped altogether and the screams grew more and more agonizing and horrific as the three men were hopelessly torn apart just on the other side, with Noah being forced to listen to it all as he desperately held the door closed; only moving away once he was sure the dead had taken all three of them out. Fighting the urge to vomit deep in his stomach, Noah wasted no time heading wherever else he had to, to take care of the last four of these assholes.

 _Several minutes later on the fifth floor_

"So what do you think that exploding sound was? Didn't sound good to me," a man wearing glasses asked softly, unnerved by the recent rumbling from downstairs before all went silent afterwards.

"Yeah, I heard it. Who knows what it was? Just stay sharp and keep quiet. I bet this place is also crawling with those biters," replied his associate in a turtleneck; who was far more focused and ready for anything than his timid counterpart.

"It looked pretty clear coming in though," the man in glasses brought up nervously; none too keen on being in a building full of 'Them' that he couldn't see.

"Maybe, but I hear sometimes the dead will get left behind from the moving hordes and just wander buildings they were in when they turned," his partner replied; not even noticing the way his bespectacled partners' face went pale.

Suddenly, before anymore words could be exchanged, the cables to the nearby elevator began to creak; draw the attention of the two survivors. Upon investigating, they soon stumbled across the suspicious sight of one of the elevator doors being left wide open; almost as if inviting them to come check it out for themselves.

"You see that? I bet that punk is in the elevator shaft trying to sneak out," the turtleneck man suggested as he suddenly took off and darted for the open passage in an attempt to jump out for the cable.

However, at the last few steps, he failed to notice a puddle of cleaning soap had been spread out, making the marbled floor especially slippery. The glasses-wearing man could only watch in horror as his friend lost control of his balance and tumbled straight over the edge.

 ***thud* *crack***

"AAAAAH! FUCK, FUCK, FUCKING FUUUCK! AAAH! OH FUCK! MY FUCKING LEGS!" instantly came echoing up the elevator shaft shortly after that stomach-turning splat and crack.

"Holy shit, man! Are you okay?!" the glasses man called out as he rushed over, careful to slowly move with extreme caution when approaching the now obvious trap that was lying in wait across the floor. He peered over the edge to see both of his comrade's legs twisted like pretzels.

"Oh my God, oh my God," the terrified man began to mumble to himself in pain-induced shock, barely able to hold in his own sick when he could see bits of bone jutting out of the shins. Back on the fifth floor, the glasses man was completely unaware of one of the doors slowly being opening up beside; far too focused on his cursing partner down below.

"Just stay put, I'll go get help," the panicking man said in a rush; turning around just in time to come face to face with an undead woman in a bloody hospital gown that spared no time sinking her teeth into his throat before he could even scream.

'What the fuck is he doing up there?' was all the crippled survivor could think; clenching his teeth as it was a constant struggle to not shout out from the agonizing pain. Looking straight up the shaft, he could see a single arm hanging over the side before it suddenly came falling straight down at him, landing just beside his busted legs.

"What the...?" was all the man could mutter before both his eyes went wide when realizing this was the left arm to the man he was just talking to a moment ago. There weren't even any screams or anything to tell him he was in trouble.

"No...NO! I can't die in here! Not like this," the severely wounded survivor bellowed out as several heads looked over before an all too familiar groan could be heard echoing down the shaft.

Without waiting for the dead to mindlessly walk over the edge and crush him from the fall, the man agonizingly crawled towards the emergency hatch to the elevator and opened it up, only to be looked up upon by several of 'Them' that had been trapped inside. All of 'Their' arms and hands stretched out as if actually expecting him to come down. He just looked back and forth realizing he was completely and utterly doomed now, with no chance in hell to escape.

"F-Fuck this, man...FUCK ALL OF IT! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES CAN ALL BURN IN HELL," was all he could cry out in defiance as he pulled his pistol from its holster and swiftly jammed the barrel into his own mouth and pulled the trigger with a resounding BANG.

Meanwhile, Noah was crawling through an air duct; making sure to move without causing the metal surface to pop and alert anyone; knowing he had to get back to Miku before they found her first. Just as he was above the room he left her in, he looked in shock to see the door was wide open and so was the locker he'd told her to hide in. Sounds of struggle could suddenly be heard from another room down the hall, but he couldn't see anything from where the vent was. Without delay, he crawled over a few more feet before kicked out the worn out grate and landing on the floor to an operating room; arriving just in time to see Miku being held tight by Mamoru against the wall.

"Miku," Noah cried out as he stood on the opposite end of the room, both fists clenched as he could see Mamoru keeping a pistol pressed up against the back of her neck the moment he spoke out; holding her in front like a human shield.

"Back off! Take one more step and I swear the last thing you'll see of her is her brains all over the wall," Mamoru warned as it was clear he was being serious.

Noah did as he was told and held both hands up while desperately trying to come up with a plan on the spot. He couldn't let Miku down when he was so close to getting them out of here.

"You seem like the gambling sort. Care to make a wager?" Noah suddenly asked; catching both Miku and Mamoru off-guard.

"Huh?! Why the fuck would I do that when I have all the cards here? What could you possibly have to offer me?" Mamoru asked in both anger and confidence.

"Because you don't have this," Noah suddenly announced triumphantly as he held up a square card with a lanyard attached to it.

"What the hell is that supposed to be?" Mamoru asked as he squinted his eyes; trying to discern what the young man was holding up.

"It's a key card, genius. I managed to swipe it off one of the corpses downstairs. I've locked us in this hospital and there's no way out unless you think you can survive a several story drop and make it home in one piece," Noah explained as Mamoru seemed absolutely terrified by the possibility he was trapped in here now lest he play along.

"W-What?! You're crazy! There's dead all over here and you just locked us in here with them?" Mamoru growled as he shook his head in disbelief at how suicidal this plan of Noah's seemed.

"So I take it you'll accept my wager then?" Noah said with a sly grin as it seemed like Mamoru himself realized that saying no wasn't an option anymore.

"Heh, alright, if you're so insistent on dying today, then go right ahead. What's the game?" Mamoru chuckled out of slight amusement.

"We both have pistols, yes? So fastest draw wins. Winner goes home without being filled with lead and gets the lovely lady too. Unless you're afraid of a fourteen-year-old that is," Noah explained before making sure to taunt and belittle Mamoru to throw off his focus.

"What kind of stupid bet is that? This isn't the Wild West, you stupid American," Mamoru snapped as he suddenly pointed his handgun towards Noah, only for the young Brit to grin before he drew his sidearm even faster and managed to blast Mamoru's trigger finger clean off; the gunshot ringing all across the hospital.

"Ooowwaaaaaaaaahh! You son of a-" Mamoru howled as he instantly dropped the gun and lost his grip on Miku, whom viciously elbowed him in the ribs before she sprinted to Noah's side.

"For the record, I'm British; and now all the cards are in my hand. I win," Noah said with a victorious ring to his words, honestly amazed himself that his aim was so spot on.

"You actually did it! I don't know how you, but you did it! That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen," Miku said with absolute delight and amazement in his heroic display of courage and skill.

"I'm not done yet," was all Noah said before brushing past her; acting like she wasn't even there.

"Huh?" both Miku and Mamoru said out of confusion before Noah approached the injured man and struck him across the face unexpectedly. Bits of teeth scattered onto the floor as he went back in and began to viciously bash Mamoru across the face with one brutal punch after another.

"I finally get what Frasier's been trying to tell me. Sometimes not everyone can be saved. Sometimes you have to do the dirty work to make sure someone you care about doesn't have to," Noah began to announce his personal revelation before kicking at Mamoru's kneecap; causing him to shout out in pain before taking a knee to the nose, the impact instant shattering the cartilage.

"So many innocent people died when this all happened, yet a piece of shit like YOU survived? Unacceptable," Noah rambled as Miku stood there, frozen in total shock at the carnage on display before her; trembling in her shoes as she was at a near loss for words to see Noah become so vicious and violent.

"W-What are you gonna do?" she asked weakly, unable to even look now as he grabbed a scalpel from the nearby countertop.

"Look at it this way: I'm the doctor, and people like him are a cancer that infects this Earth. So now I make the decision to operate, cutting the cancer out entirely," Noah responded in an all too chilling sigh of certainty as he began to look at Mamoru with malicious intent; slowly tracing the tip along his nose before suddenly slicing upwards at the inside of one of his nostrils.

"You can't...I'm unarmed..." Mamoru tried to beg as broken bits of teeth rattled around in his mouth; bleeding across his face and stump of an index finger.

"You'll learn the real meaning of 'unarmed' by the time I'm through with you," Noah said in an unsettling tone as he continued to approach the cornered Mamoru; only stopping when he felt Miku's arms wrapping around him from behind, leaving him momentarily stunned when he realized what she was doing.

"Stop it, Noah! This...this isn't you! This isn't the boy I fell in love with," Miku suddenly cried out as her tears started soaking the back of his shirt as Noah was still breathing hard from the adrenaline and testosterone surging through his system.

"Let me go, Miku. It's the only way to make sure he never hurts anyone else again," Noah practically growled as his fists only clenched tighter; his muscles starting to flex as if he was trying to get Miku to back off without laying a hand on her.

"Please! Don't do this, Noah! He isn't worth you turning into the very thing you hate. Let's just go," Miku continued to plead in tears as she trembled all over.

"But what about all the things this monster has done to you? I remember all too well what you told me! Does all that suffering he put you through mean nothing now?" Noah demanded to know. He would've sworn that Miku more than anyone else on the planet would want to see this pedophilic rapist scum dead and buried.

"Oh believe me; I will NEVER forget what this piece of shit has done to me...but I'd never forget you throwing your humanity away either! Especially over someone as worthless as me," Miku admitted; her voice ringing with raw emotion as she glared at Mamoru with utter contempt, hatred and disgust after the hell he put her through; her more than justified anger slowly turning into a more regrettable and saddened tone.

"Is this what you truly want?" Noah finally asked; almost sounding hurt as he felt pain from the conflict in his heart. He wanted to listen to Miku and do what she wanted, yet a part of him wanted Mamoru to suffer in unholy pain for what he did to the girl the young Brit loved.

"What I truly want right now is to go home with my man and forget about this crappy day, to make sure we'll still be together tomorrow and every day after that. So c'mon, let's go," Miku answered as she made it crystal clear that Mamoru was no longer worth their time or trouble.

Noah simply scowled at Mamoru before eventually giving in and walking away as he tossed the scalpel aside; knowing that in the end, revenge on her behalf would change nothing. He knew that if he allowed himself to fall into such an abyss of rage and hatred, there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to escape from it. A part of him now wondered how Frasier handled such feelings when deciding between life and death so seamlessly.

"Pathetic..." Mamoru suddenly announced under his breath as he looked up at them with an all too cocky grin behind his wide-eyed stare.

"I knew you didn't have the balls to finish me off; that you were too scared to make a real man's decision when you had the chance! But best of all, I know it's also because she wouldn't let you do it," Mamoru exclaimed between his almost hysterical laughs.

That's right...little Miku-chan is still daddy's little girl. Even after all these years, she still knows who's in charge. She'll never forget what we went through together. She'll do ANYTHING daddy asks her to do to keep him happy…just like the good little whore she was and still is," Mamoru taunted with a sickening grin as Noah clenched both fists, the rage and blind anger blazing inside him making it near impossible to resist not bashing this disgusting excuse for a man's head into a bloody pulp. He then unholstered his pistol and turned the safety off.

"Call her a whore one more time…please," Noah demanded as he raised the handgun back up, pointing it right between those tired, hateful sunken brown eyes from across the room.

"Or what, you're gonna shoot me in the face? You can't fool me twice, kid; we already know you aren't going to do shit! Just wait till the others get here," Mamoru said confidently; calling out what could only be presumed to be a bluff.

"They won't be coming," the youngest Lawson muttered bluntly as he just stared Mamoru down. His face was impossible to read as a sullen silence filled the room.

"What? N-no, you're bluffing! No way were they all done in by a little brat...that's bullshit..." Mamoru denied; completely dumbfounded at the thought of someone as young and small as Noah being capable of such things.

"I'm sure that's what they thought too at first. At least, before the dead tore them all apart thanks to me," Noah retorted as he couldn't help but recall the blood-curdling screams those men made as they were eaten alive.

At first Mamoru was silent, stunned at the very least by the unexpected news, as well as the cold realization that he was all that was left. However, he then couldn't help but let out a chuckle that admittedly put off both survivors as they gave him mixed looks of suspicion and concern at what he could possibly be laughing about.

"Heh, to think I thought you were just a spineless pussy...well, you may have killed all of those losers, but you won't be so lucky when the rest of our guys find you," Mamoru chuckled softly before coughing violently after his severe beating; still confident that at least Shido's group would succeed where they failed.

"This toothless dog is done for. Let's go before it's too late," Miku sighed as she knew they weren't going to make it if they wasted any more time with this scumbag.

"Right," Noah acknowledged as he began to follow her towards the door, finally ready to leave this place once and for all.

"Is that it then? Well fine! Go ahead and run! Just a limy faggot and his worthless, little slu-" Mamoru began to wail out in anger only to stop when a sudden gunshot rang out.

Mamoru let out a horrified yelp of pain as blood seeped out the fresh hole in his pants between his thighs. Noah meanwhile looked in wide-eyed shock as Miku had, with almost surgical precision and swiftness, swiped his pistol from his hand and shot Mamoru right in his crotch with one shot.

"Don't you EVER talk about him like that! He's more of a man than you and any of those other assholes put together," Miku growled out of spite and disgust before spitting on the floor in Mamoru's direction while he feebly and pathetically squirmed on the floor, in too much pain to even scream.

"Y-You shot me in the...in the..." Mamoru gasped as he was mortified and in a freezing shock before the pain all at once finally caught up to him.

"Did I now? Well, that's quite a shot then. What with it being such a small target and all," Miku taunted as Mamoru stopped feeling sorry for himself long enough to focus his anger on the young girl; Noah meanwhile standing back. This was many years-worth of trauma-induced cathartic vengeance she more than deserved to enact, and God forbid he deprive her of that.

"You think you're so fucking funny?! I'll fucking give you something to fucking laugh at! Just you wait till I get my fucking hands on you, you little fucking cunt," Mamoru snarled before glaring up at Noah and Miku, who just stood there shaking their heads.

"Something tells me that's not going to be happening anytime soon," Noah sarcastically remarked as Miku handed him the gun, slipping it back into the holster at his hip after flicking the safety on.

"I won't kill you. I'm better than killing an unarmed man. However, I'm not inclined to save you either," Noah declared as he began to make his way for the exit, before a resonating sound of multiple hands clawing and pounding at the door began echoing throughout the room.

"Oh shit, I forgot all about 'Them'. What do we do now?" Miku realized all too late while Noah kept looking between the vent, the door and Mamoru's squirming form on the floor. All at once, a grim idea suddenly occurred to him.

"It's too risky for the two of us to try the vents, it might not be able to hold our combined weight. But…I can't believe we've always overlooked this," Noah said mostly to himself before looking Miku in the eyes.

"'They' can't see us even if we're just inches in front of them. They're drawn to noise only. If we stay absolutely quiet, 'They' won't attack us," Noah explained, and Miku almost instantly got where he was going with this, but didn't look any more enthusiastic.

"You're suggesting we go through 'Them'? Are you crazy?" she asked in a hushed whisper once she realized the dead could probably hear their every sound through the walls.

"Specifically, we let 'Them' in, hide behind the doors, wait for the majority of 'Them' to get through, and then we make our way out," Noah further elaborated, and he could practically see the wheels turning in Miku's head as she seemed to be desperately trying to think of an alternative…at least until her eyes landed on Mamoru again; and the instant their gazes locked, his face went pale with what must've been going through her head.

"If we do this…I need to watch," Miku suddenly stated, with Mamoru's expression growing utterly horrified while Noah just looked concerned.

"Miku, are you sure? You shouldn't have to force yourself to—" Noah tried to protect before Miku placed her hands on his shoulders and forced him to look into her orange eyes as they began to well with tears.

"That…animal ruined my life…took every bit of happiness I had, every ounce of love I had for myself…all before I met you. You don't know the kind of pain and suffering he's caused me. Don't try to talk me out of this, Noah. I need to know for a fact with my own eyes he's dead and gone forever. I. NEED. TO. SEE. THIS," she proceeded to explain between choking down her sobs while Noah felt his heart wrenching in sympathy for her. Finally, he took a deep breath and gave her an understanding nod before reaching for one of the door handles.

"No, no, no, no, don't do this! You don't have to do this! Please, you can't do this to me, it's not right! Please, I'm begging you, don't leave me like this," Mamoru instantly began to plead and beg as Miku grabbed the other handle, and on a silent count of three, they both turned the deadbolts and pulled the operating room doors open; instantly letting in a veritable wave of 'Them' inside as 'They' all began making a beeline for the bloodied, prone pedophilic scum.

"Come back! Don't leave me here! Get back here," Mamoru demanded as he reached out only to keel over in agonizing pain; groaning as the blood began to pool around him. Through his rage and pain-induced tears, he looked up to just barely see Noah and Miku watching him intently from between the shambling forms of the dead as 'They' quickly began to converge on him from all sides.

"Please...?" was all that could then be heard, not in a violent outrage but in a soft, lonely whimper. Soon the sound of him grunting as he tried to crawl away was swiftly buried amongst the hungered groans and growls that soon filled the room before it was pierced by a chilling scream of agony as multiple bony claw-like hands began digging into every inch of Mamoru's body 'They' could get a grab of.

Miku and Noah both tried to keep the bile rising in their throats down as they soon heard the sound of a sickening squishing sound as the dead tore Mamoru's entire torso wide open through his back; easily snapping his spinal cord in half before struggling to rip it out with his ribcage still attached, while others eagerly tore out a multitude of his organs with it; the stench of it all nearly making the two youngsters heave where they stood. And it was all topped with the sight of the dead tearing the lips from Mamoru's face but also flat-out ripping his entire upper jaw right off his head with a sickening snap!

Unable to bear watching this horrific feasting for a second longer, Noah desperately turned to Miku, who while looking just as disgusted, also had a very grim and serious look in her eyes. She NEEDED to see this, and now that she had, now that she knew that monster was well and truly dead and gone for all time, there was a semblance of…acceptance, even peace on her face.

"Okay…I'm alright. Let's go," she finally gave the okay as the two quietly slipped out of the operating room; making a beeline for the lobby.

Miku and Noah stopped just long enough to compose themselves after such a soul crushing moment. The young Lawson was still coming to terms not only with how he nearly lost control of himself back there, but also how he chose to stay with Miku while watching for truly the first time how the dead could truly tear a human being apart. How those more twisted emotions as he wailed on that rapist piece of shit felt so wrong but also felt so right. He was truly stunned at how at the flip of a switch, he'd essentially become as blood thirsty as Frasier had been.

"Was that really the right thing to do? I understand why, but you still didn't have to force yourself to see all that," Noah suddenly asked in a soft hush as Miku still looked to be fighting back the urge to puke from that beyond-grotesque display.

"He got what he deserved, and I didn't want you to lose yourself over me by killing him yourself. I'm not worth you losing what makes you such a brave and special young man," Miku said in a weak sigh as she placed her hand alongside his cheek, hoping he'd soon just rationalize this as he always would and let it go.

"You have a point...it was all your call anyway, and I should respect that. I'm sorry," Noah reluctantly accepted as he couldn't find the strength argue with her on this. Not when all that mattered was what she wanted after all this.

"Don't be. He isn't getting out of here, alive or dead," Miku said reassuringly.

"I suppose you're right," Noah sighed as he couldn't help but cringe at the memory.

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right," Miku said with a cheekier smirk on her pretty face as Noah found himself thankfully smiling again.

"Is that a hint of cockiness I detect?" he asked sarcastically with a curious grin.

"Speaking of that-" Miku began to say with a lewd, mischievous grin as they stopped before the revolving door; giving Noah a firm squeeze around his sides before gently pulling him closer.

Just moments before he could move in for a kiss, Noah grasped Miku's shoulders and shoved her aside as a figure from the corner of his eyes rushed at them.

"Gotcha," Tsunoda suddenly announced as he sprung out from behind the receptionist's desk, and tackled Noah to the ground. The young Brit was completely caught off guard as his eyes widened at the sound of a knife being unsheathed.

"So glad to see you! How have you been? Have you seen this knife?! No? Here! Take a closer look, motherfucker," Tsunoda began to question frantically as he pinned Noah's arms beneath his legs and pushed down with all his strength; trying to stab the tip directly into Noah's left eye.

"I'll pass," was all the young Lawson could say before managing to move his head to the side, feeling a sharp pain running down his cheek as blood gently trickled past the edge of the blade before it clanged against the floor. Before Tsunoda could react, he suddenly felt a sharp pain of his own when he turned to see Miku jammed a scalpel from a nearby spilled surgical tray into his shoulder blade.

"Agh! You fucking bitch," was all Tsunoda could cry out before forming a fist and backhanding Miku across the face; sending her back against the desk as he went back to focus on finishing off Noah, only to be kicked back as he watched the fired up young man breathing hard as he wiped the warm blood from the gash on his cheek.

"This has been such a long time coming. After you blindsided me, I've wanted nothing more than to see you bleed like the little bitch you are," the crazed punk taunted as he licked the knife with Noah's blood on it; taking great pleasure in his rival's pain.

"Not my fault you're a pussy that relies on sucker punches to win a fight," Noah replied as he then drew out his own knife and began to twirl it between his fingers; Tsunoda's confidence visibly waning as he realized how much sharper and sturdier Noah's blade was in comparison to his crappy knockoff brand excuse of a knife.

"Fuck it, I don't need a knife to kick your ass," Tsunoda grumbled before tossing his blade aside; half expecting Noah to do the same.

"Was about to suggest the same thing," Noah naturally said, setting his knife aside; completely unaware of the second knife in Tsunoda's back pocket.

Without warning, Tsunoda drew his secondary weapon and rushed Noah, only to then slip head over heels when the young Brit reached back and tossed a jar full of pens where his attacker was going to step next. All Noah did next was step aside with his arm outstretched; causing Tsunoda to stumble forwards only to unexpectedly charge right back into him.

Both survivors crashed against the desk. Tsunoda dropped his blade but soon found himself on top of Noah, his hands tightly grasped at his throat.

"How does it feel, asshole? I don't know if people turn when they die regardless of getting bit, and frankly I don't give a shit. If they do, it means I can kill you twice! If not, I'll still have fucking killed you," Tsunoda taunted as he squeezed harder and could see Noah's face turning red. Noah meanwhile desperately reached around behind himself to find something, anything to even the odds.

"Any minute now your windpipe will collapse and you'll die with your lungs on fire as she watches it all. What do you have to say to that tough guy?" Tsunoda taunted as he slowly began to reach for his knife to slit Noah's throat with.

"You seem...tense...take this and relax. Doctor's orders," Noah barely croaked before suddenly jamming something into the side of Tsunoda's neck.

"Ahh...w-what? What...did you...do to me?" Tsunoda began to mutter in confusion as he began to feel the spot the needle was injected had already become numb, his words soon reduced to a series of dopey slurs. His entire system soon was under the effects to the point he could hardly standup at all, let alone walk straight.

Noah normally would capitalize on this opportunity, but couldn't now that he had to use both hands to keep back the sudden undead nurse that had come shambling into the lobby; grunting profusely in struggle as he was just moments away from being bitten by another undead man that had come into the lobby through the revolving door.

 ***Fwoosh***

Without warning, Miku suddenly came just in time with a fire extinguisher in hand; spraying both Noah and 'Them' alike, the two undead suddenly letting go and taking a wild swing for her as if infuriated that she was interrupting the moment. Miku let out a surprised yelp before jumping out of the way and dropping the heavy extinguisher on the floor.

 ***Clang***

Just before two creatures could grab a hold of Miku, Tsunoda blindly stumbled between the two; not even flinching a muscle as he was tackled to the hard floor and instantly had a set of teeth ripping into his right arm. Miku staggered back before looking to Noah, who motioned her to remain silent as the revolving door beside him began to spin. Before their eyes, more of 'Them' poured into the room within moments of her dropping that extinguisher.

Luckily, 'They' showed zero interest in Noah or Miku as Tsunoda was the only one making noise at this point. Horrid sounds of flesh being mangled and torn could be heard as his blood splattered across the faces of his killers. Even Noah once more had a hard time keeping himself from puking as they both watched in both disgust and horror as Tsunoda's stomach was dug into only for his entire torso to be torn wide open, revealing his innards before they were violently torn out by the impatient creatures feasting upon him. Noah could only guess the morphine shot he'd injected into his neck was the only reason Tsunoda wasn't screaming in agony.

"Aha...ahaha! Hahaha," was all that could be heard amid the carnage. Noah and Miku watched in dead silence as Tsunoda was torn to shreds; completely unaware of his own demise despite it unfolding right on top of him; laughing gently until an undead man in a bloody surgeon coat jammed its fist into his mouth and viciously ripped his tongue out.

Miku simply glared at the remains, or what little there was, of her former excuse for a friend. She didn't cry or scowl. The teen girl simply just stood and watched as within moments he couldn't even be recognized anymore. She then felt Noah's hand take hers; motioning her to move on as now was not the time to be lingering.

More and more of 'Them' poured into the room to join in on the feeding frenzy. Both survivors remained quiet and just casually brushed past the foul creatures; holding hands tight as eventually they navigated past the worst of the horde within the hospital. Such horrors could be seen as entire waves of these grey skinned monsters roamed freely; wheezing and sighing as if speaking to one another. Even the way 'They' walked was a bizarre sight considering most just limped with one foot dragging against the floor.

Without a moment to spare, Noah and Miku soon found themselves standing outside in the most welcoming sunlight; the scent of fresh air never sweeter than it was right now. Miku then glanced over at Noah, whom simply stood there reflecting on what just happened; knowing that after today, nothing would be the same for him. He then turned his gaze to her and simply formed that heartwarming smile that always got her blushing.

"Let's go home," was all he could say before gently kissing her forehead, a strong sense of conviction in his words as it was clearer than ever before to Miku that she made the right choice in the end by choosing to follow him that fateful day.


	17. Chapter 17: Picking Up the Pieces Part 1

**Tokonosu City, Japan**

 **Z-Day+22**

In spite of the clear refuge the mall had proven to be for the group, none of them could deny that their close call when losing their home at the hotel still weighed heavily on all of them, some more visibly than others. While the friendly company of Isao, Kenji and Sho and his crew to an extent, the much more wide open spaces of the mall didn't provide the same sense of personal security that the hotel did; and the realization of how foolish they'd been to think they'd outsmarted the dead stuck with them more than anything else.

It was nearing sundown as Takashi stood before the barricades at the front entrance; peering through the small gaps, feeling his throat dry up every time he'd catch a glimpse of 'Them'shambling by. Truth be told, Takashi was shaken more than pretty much the rest of the group to realize that if only a few of 'Them' were to be riled up, 'They' could easily break through. As he continued to stand watch, the rest of the group took notice and began to walk over to see how he was doing. Luckily he'd suffered no further blackouts as of lately; a dim sliver of hope things were turning around for them at last.

"Don't worry, Takashi-kun. We'll be out of here soon enough," Saeko said reassuringly; remaining as ever calm and composed as always. In the wake of everything that had happened to them up to this point, how she could remain this way puzzled the others, but her confidence was certainly a welcome change of pace. Takashi simply smirked at her as he took one of her hands to silently express his gratitude.

"Well, that day can't come soon enough. I don't know about the rest of you, but I hate feeling so trapped in here," Saya interjected; crossing her arms as she impatiently tapped her feet while looking outside through the gaps.

"The fact we got literally backed into a corner back at the hotel doesn't exactly help the mood either," Hirano added; recalling the fear he felt while being trapped in such close quarters with the undead; never feeling truly as helpless as he did when forced to run.

"Exactly; we can't let that happen again," Saya agreed; snapping her fingers as she pointed at him as if it wasn't painfully obvious to the others already.

"Even if we do make it out of here, we still can't be sure about... you know..." Rika then muttered softly before stopping to look around; making sure the coast was perfectly clear before continuing.

"The rest of Isao's group," she finished as they all looked at her; surprised at the lack of trust on her part.

"What? You really don't trust them after everything they've done for us?" Rei asked, unable to imagine someone like Isao ever doing them any harm.

"And you do? Yeah, they've been kind enough to let us in, but we have no way of telling how they'll act once we're out on the open road. For all we know, they might just take off with our stuff in the middle of the night and leave us stranded God knows where, assuming they even decide to let us live to begin with," Rika scoffed when addressing how naive Rei was to trust them so easily.

"I hate to admit it, but that is a possibility we just can't ignore. They seem like good people, though that can change when things get tough. Good people get hungry too, after all," Kiriko suddenly brought up. While it was hard to swallow for the others, they all couldn't deny that the possibility seemed far too plausible for comfort.

"So what are you suggesting we do? Never drop our guard around them? Treat them like thieves without a trial? For Gods' sake, Kenji-kun's just a kid. Are you suggesting we treat him like a threat too?" Hitomi protested; feeling quite uneasy that there was so much distrust for those that took them in without question.

"I'm suggesting we remain vigilant. We work with them as best we can, and hopefully we all make it out in one piece. Just don't let your guard down around them. Got it?" Rika said with a stern glare; having expected the former policewoman to not be so naive.

"Y-Yeah," Hitomi sighed; her police intuition starting to fill her mind with doubt while also realizing they had to be tough now more than ever.

"So how is their progress looking anyway? I've been hearing them going at it all day yesterday," Kiriko asked out of curiosity; wondering just how far along the engineers had come on their only means of transportation.

"I was a little skeptical at first, but when Hirano-san and I checked it out, they showed us the modifications being made. We even got to help at one point," Marcus answered; sounding rather proud that he was able to help out; glancing over at Hitomi with a smile, only for her to briefly glance back at him before looking away.

"Well that's a relief. If those buses are operational, then we'll just need to load up on what supplies we have and take off as soon as possible," Shizuka sighed out of pure relief. It felt so close they could all practically feel the open road now.

"I hate to admit it, but a part of me will actually miss this city. Before 'Them' I mean," Rei said with a surprising sense of sentimentality.

"Yeah, a lot of good memories have been had here," Takashi replied with genuine belief that despite all his anger and confusion in the world, that this place was truly his home.

"And terrible ones as well," Johann said, softly feeling his voice drift off as past horrors filled his mind yet again. The others couldn't help but silently agree on their own personal demons spawned from the past few weeks.

"Will it really be any different where we're going? It's an awful long journey to Tokyo, even by car," Marcus asked as he didn't seem to understand the point of what they were saying. Then again, he'd only been here for one year now.

"What other choice do we have?" Hirano asked; not liking the idea of walking any more than they already had been lately.

"We can still wait for rescue. Don't forget, there's a good chance the Lawson's military connections will get us out of this mess," Shizuka answered with beaming confidence while listening in on them.

"No. I'm afraid they won't," Frasier suddenly answered. The others hardly even noticed him up until now; considering how quiet he was being, an oddity all on its own.

"W-What do you mean by that?" Marcus asked, somewhat put off by how distraught his eldest sibling sounded. Frasier just remained silent at first, only to take a deep breath shortly after, as though steeling himself.

"I didn't know how to say it to you guys, but I got a response back from my father," Frasier finally confessed; leaving everyone in utter silence as to why he'd withhold such vital information from them. His lack of responsiveness after that did not do well for morale either.

"And?" Marcus prodded as he couldn't let Frasier back out now. The growing silence and lack of a response caused his temper to boil in anticipation for such vital news.

"Well don't just leave us in the dark! Say something, you mug," Marcus impatiently demanded as Frasier's hands clenched into two tightly gripped fists.

"I don't remember what he told me. The only thing I can recall from our talk was that we have to keep moving. As much as I hate to say it, we're on our own," Frasier groaned; gritting his teeth as he seemed to be in sudden distress.

"What do you mean you don't remember?! How long ago was this?" Rika practically growled in demand; both hands grasping onto the collar of his shirt.

"It was...it was...I actually don't even remember that much," Frasier attempted to recall; pausing before he'd try to look away each time, before finally coming to the conclusion that for the life of him, he could not remember a thing.

"You've got to be kidding me. Is this some kind of sick joke?" Rika fumed before pressing him back against a nearby pillar. What was even more shocking was how docile he appeared to be, no resistance whatsoever to break her off of him like he would've any other time before.

"No. I tried to think about it, but every time I do, my head starts to feel like it's going to split open; like an automatic defense system for something I'm not supposed to know," Frasier attempted to explain; but unable to give them a straightforward answer still.

"Kind of like when you try to think about your training in that machine you mentioned?" Johann brought up as Frasier glanced at him with some form of semblance now.

"Yeah…now that you mention it, that's exactly how it feels," he answered with conviction; finding it very odd how similar the two felt.

"Something tells me you were dropped on your head one too many times. Typical...useless...Christ, I need a drink," Rika muttered in disgust before shoving him back and walking away; pissed off she couldn't even get one word out of him that could give them any closure.

"So I guess that leaves us with only one option then. Great," Takashi announced with unmistakable disappointment. The others still kept their judgement and silence to themselves as one by one they left the entrance plaza to go find something more productive to do, as well as to forget what had just been revealed.

Then, just like that, Frasier was left alone to his own thoughts once again. It had been a rough several hours ever since Noah had left with Miku for yet another supply run. At first, the young Brit remained true to his words; claiming he held no concerns for what would happen to Noah. However, the longer he had time to dwell on it, the more he realized he'd made a terrible mistake. Every passing minute was spent standing by in anticipation; his body constantly pacing back and forth acrossthe entrance plaza. His nervous footsteps echoed around him while he stood guard, despite being in no position to do anything were they to come under attack again.

Suddenly, he noticed two figures moving in his line of sight through one of the gaps in the barricade. His eyes narrowed at first to focus in on what were clearly two survivors running into the parking lot. Without needing to even guess who they were,the eldest Lawson dashed up the stairs; storming through a maintenance tunnel before crashing into the door leading up to the rooftop. Rika was now on watch; paying him no attention whatsoever though as she too had spotted the two incoming figures.

"Looks like your little brother is tougher than I gave him credit for. Impressive," she said without any hint of sarcasm.

"They must be exhausted though. Clear out the dead in their path," Frasier said with a firm sense of command now that his worst fears were put to rest for the time being.

"Is that an order?" the sassy sniper teased; hardly taking any of this very seriously now.

"It will be if you don't start shooting," the young man growled as he stared at her intently. That burning intensity she'd come to find rather attractive had caused her to form a sly grin of amusement. Being able to get under his skin so easily was always a bonus too.

"Oh, I just love a man that takes charge," Rika playfully swooned before propping up a bipod for the rifle on the ledge to better steady her aim. Frasier, however, wasn't amused in the slightest' scowling even harder as a low groan emanated from his throat in response.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll spot them," she remarked dismissively; not even remotely intimidated by his noises of frustration.

Without waiting a moment longer, Rika began to fire off several shots through her now silenced rifle. The undead unfortunate enough to be caught in her sights suddenly came down with (what Marcus deemed) exploding head syndrome, where one by one she formed a clear path for Noah and Miku to run across. Within moments, the two had scaled up the ladder Frasier tossed down before being pulled up and over.

Both were breathing so hard, neither could get a single word out. Knowing there must've been several questions on their minds, Noah preemptively held up the backpack he'd taken with him. Without hesitation, Rika and Frasier rummaged through it to see a bountiful amount of medicine inside.

"I'll take this back to Zu-Zu so she can properly sort this stuff out," Rika offered, knowing full well that Frasier would want a moment with his youngest sibling.

"Did I…did I do good?" Noah asked out of genuine curiosity between his gasps for air.

"You made it back in one piece, didn't you? That's all I could've possibly asked for," Frasier said; watching Noah smile as he knew that was the best thing he was going to get out of him.

"Though something tells me it wasn't an uneventful trip," the oldest Lawson then added as he took quick notice of the bruises and cuts Noah had acquired in his short time out; dried up blood staining his shirt.

"We...we ran into some resistance. I've got news that everyone needs to hear about," Noah briefly explained as he tried to sit up.

"What kind of resistance?" Frasier asked in a more interrogative manner. Whatever good mood he was in had completely vanished just like that.

"It was a small team of men from Shido's group. They were quite well armed to say the least. We barely got out of there alive…even had to fight one of them up close and personal," the young Brit explained as he could see the look of disbelief and anger welling up in his brothers' eyes. He then glared over at Miku, who was still laid out from the sheer exhaustion of their ordeal.

"Does this have to do with her? I swear if she alerted them to your position or tried to sell you out," Frasier began to growl as he clearly was set on doing what he promised to do to Miku should she betray them in any way shape or form. Before he could even lift a finger though, Noah reached out and clamped around his wrist instinctively.

"Back off, Frasier. She got that shiner while saving my life from those wankers. How much more does she need to do to prove she isn't one of them anymore?" Noah defensively spoke up as he knew where this was heading if he didn't stand up for her now. However, Frasier simply pulled his hand back and scowled.

"When she gives her life up like the pawn she is. Honestly, I'm somewhat disappointed that she came back at all," he answered in an all too honest grumble; his eyes suddenly going wide realizing just how messed up that really was to even think.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean that. I just need to be alone to think about how we're going to handle Shido's return," Frasier began to apologize. A sense of guilt now overcame him as he turned away and left the two lovers on the rooftop.

"He's never going to accept me, is he?" Miku asked in a hurt tone; feeling a strong amount of distrust from everyone to the point she wouldn't be very far from the truth.

"Don't worry about what he thinks. He's just talking out of his arse; always does when he's stressed out. Besides...believe it or not, my father would probably be even harder to impress," Noah attempted to explain; thinking somehow that would actually make her feel better.

"That doesn't really inspire much confidence," Miku mumbled, unable to really see how that was going to do her any good.

"Like I said, don't worry about impressing them. We've got a much more pressing matter to attend to," Noah suggested as he could see a rather flirtatious smile form across Miku's lips.

"I'll go spruce up the bed," she said with great enthusiasm before lightly tugging at his belt loop.

"Right; make that two pressing matters," Noah said to himself; realizing how, ultimately, things weren't so bad for him.

 **A short while later…**

It was only several minutes later when the entire group had gathered again; including those left alive in Sho's group. While the bags full of medicine certainly lifted everyone's spirits, it was a short lived victory when Noah had to explain how Shido's people had tracked him and Miku to the hospital; especially considering how the men they'd encountered didn't seem to be equipped nearly well enough to be traveling long distances on foot. Everyone's moods now soured at this foreboding news. As if on cue, just when they thought they might be taking a step forward; fate saw to it they took two steps back.

"So, does anyone have any ideas what we do about these guys, then?" Sho finally asked, clearly unaware of how dangerous these people truly were. However, given how Takashi's group looked when they heard the news, he didn't have to guess this new group was bad news.

"Nothing; we just hope they don't find out where we are, and when the time comes to move out, we leave them in the dust. Simple as that," Marcus proposed; seeming absolutely confident that they could easily outmaneuver Shido's group without them even realizing it.

"Well how much more stuff do we really need at this point?" Tadashi asked.

"As a matter of fact, we don't need anything else at this point. We have plenty of fuel, food, and water to last us about a week before we'd have to consider rationing what's left. The only thing we're waiting on now is for you guys to finish working on those buses," Saya said; her tone sounding surprisingly optimistic.

"Give us about a day or two and we'll be finished. One of the buses has an issue with the radiator, so I want to be sure it won't break down on us in the middle of nowhere," Sho explained; the group seeming at ease knowing they'd be rid of this town sooner than they'd originally hoped for.

"Maybe this isn't as bad as we're making it out to be. That hospital they followed you to is still a pretty good distance from here. If we can keep a low profile, they'll be none the wiser," Johann said with relief.

"That's still a pretty big 'IF'...but it's all we've got at the moment," Saya said, unable to feel as certain about it all as the others did that their luck could last that long.

"So is there a reason Frasier-kun isn't here right now? Normally he wants to be informed of every little thing. Does he already know?" Shizuka suddenly brought up; the others looking around only to realize he wasn't actually here as they'd thought.

"He was the first person I told. Obviously, he didn't seem too pleased," Noah admitted; recalling the way his eldest brother had just stormed off without another word; which he knew well by now was never a good sign, if not one of the worst ones.

"He has been rather off lately," Hitomi added; hoping deep down he wasn't going back to how he used to be when they first met. Honestly, at this point, she couldn't help but dread the idea of them fighting again.

"What else is new?" Marcus said in a half-hearted attempt to lighten the mood even the slightest bit. While some did smile a little bit at his remark, it wasn't nearly enough to help lessen the gravity of their situation.

"I mean he's been acting even more odd than usual," Hitomi clarified; recalling several moments over the last couple days(specifically ever since they'd lost the hotel) that made her pause at the realization that the pressure might've been getting to him as well as it had been for Takashi.

"Call it a woman's intuition, but I think he needs serious help," Shizuka suggested, a deep sense of almost motherly concern filling her voice.

"Right...well, so long as he's not randomly taking swings or drawing weapons on us, he shouldn't be of any…well, MAJOR concern for now," Noah pointed out, still able to recall the raw fear he felt when faced with the threat of being shot in the sidefor simply refusing to let Frasier kill.

"Good point. Well, with all this being said, I really should get back to tending to Tadashi-san. Thank you again for bringing me all these supplies, sweetie," Shizuka complimented; taking the bag of supplies Noah and Miku brought back before suddenly kissing him on the cheek; giving him a flirtatious wink before heading off.

"Oh...n-no problem," Noah said with an embarrassed blush filling his cheeks; both Marcus and Miku barely able to hide their jealousy, though for obviously different reasons.

"Johann, would you mind lending me a hand?" Rei suddenly asked; snapping the young German out of his own thoughts as he realized she was beckoning him to join her and Shizuka. No surprise; the nurse had pretty much made Rei her unofficial assistant/student over the last several days.

"Oh, of course; I'll be right there," Johann answered at half-attention before following her and Shizuka into the bed store everyone had pretty much made their de facto resting place in the mall.

"Well, guess the meeting's over then. Let's get back to work. Dinner should be ready shortly," Hitomi stated authoritatively; once again avoiding making eye contact with a confused Marcus as Saya, Noah and Khota quickly joined her side on the way to the kitchen.

 **An hour later…**

For the last couple hours, ever since the bad news Noah had given him, Frasier had kept himself isolated in one of the smaller personal offices of the mall; never once saying a word to himself and preferring instead to dwell on his own conflicting thoughts and emotions. Just knowing that the attack on Fujimi Academy hadn't discouraged Shido's people from attacking had really rubbed the eldest Lawson the wrong way, and to know they'd come even remotely as close to the mall as they did, as well as what kind of hardware they were now packing, left him seriously more on edge than he usually was. However, even though he knew for a fact he was all by himself here, his natural survivors' senses made him realize he wasn't…ENTIRELY alone.

"Are you just going to keep sitting here alone like some kind of recluse, lad? You know you should be keeping your strength up now more than ever," an all too familiar voice suddenly spoke out as if it were right in front of Frasier; but he didn't dare look up to acknowledge it.

"What do you want?" Frasier said in an uninterested groan when he realized his inner voice had manifested into the image of his deceased uncle once again.

"You should go down and eat with them," the apparition of Mark suggested; talking in a calm and even fatherly tone that unnerved Frasier even more now that he really knew Mark was truly gone.

"I've got more important things to do than keep up a failing charade. Besides, they're more than capable of stuffing their bellies with the fruits of my labor without me being there to watch," Frasier argued; seeing no point in showing up to something so unimportant.

"The others are going to worry about you if you keep this up if they aren't already. The more you push them away, the more they seem to want in," Mark tried to explain; only infuriating Frasier even further.

"Worry about me? They should be more focused on themselves,considering how much they rely on me as it is," Frasier brought up; trying to shift the focus off himself.

"And you don't rely on them for anything? Don't lie to me, Frasier, we both know deep down how much you desire their company, how much you want their approval," Mark said. Such words couldn't be truer; ultimately causing Frasier to pause for a moment and swallow his pride.

"They are not my ultimate concern. They are not within the parameters of my mission, but thanks to Marcus and Noah's stubbornness for us to stay with them; I simply can't walk away from this mess unfolding before me anymore. Those people are why I've yet to return home. They're why I've been denied my rightful place at father's side and can't see Lulu until I've succeeded in my task," Frasier explained as calmly as he possibly could; but remaining short and to the point with little emotion at first, but the longer it dwelled on him, the more furious he began to sound.

"Staying here to fix their problems is not my responsibility or my problem. Yet here I am with no other choice but to look after these bloody weaklings, and they should all be GRATEFUL," he finally erupted before hurling a bust that was there to display jewelry at the image of Mark; the solid object naturally phasing through him before crashing into a nearby display case.

 ***smash***

After the shattered glass was scattered across the floor, all that could be heard for the moment was Frasier's heaving breaths. His face was in a sweat now while he tried to regain whatever composure he could hope to find. A sudden shift of the eyes allowed him to suddenly realize both Saeko and Takashi now stood there in the doorway, both in shock from his uncalled for outburst.

"How much of that did you two just see?" Frasier muttered as he still felt a trembling sensation in his hands; not even having to look to realize Mark had long since vanished again.

"Enough," Takashi blurted out, still in shell shock. A look of distrust and concern for the others' safety filled his eyes now. Now he couldn't help but feel uncertain if it was wise to stay so close to someone so easily unhinged by what seemed like nothing.

"I'm sorry you had to witness a moment of...such personal weakness," Frasier then apologized, somewhat ashamed and embarrassed he'd been caught in such a bad time; trying to avoid looking over to the bust he'd just thrown in his momentary fit of rage.

"Why were you talking to yourself?" Saeko eventually asked after a moment of silence between them; unable to keep herself from sounding deeply concerned with what could've possibly driven him to do such a thing.

"Does it really even matter?" the young Brit grumbled; hoping to not have to bring Mark up again.

"Kind of, yeah. Even before all this, that's never been considered a good sign," Takashi replied, being rather blunt about it; a look of suspicion forming on his face now.

"I'm fine for now, I just had to vent a little," Frasier answered;keeping his response short and hoping to avoid any further questions.

"Understandable; considering how things are looking now that we know Shido's not out of the picture. We should be grateful Noah-san was able to take care of them like he did before they found out where we are. This place isn't nearly as defendable as the hotel was," Takashi said in a more understanding tone; all three of them more than aware of how big and therefore hard to defend, and vulnerable this mall really was. They all knew deep down that their best defense for now was hiding while hoping any hostile survivors simply moved on.

"Anyway, we originally came to ask what your thoughts are onthe possibility of reevaluating the route we'd be taking to Tokyo," Takashi suddenly brought up; causing Frasier's head to perk up in interest.

"What's wrong with the one we've already charted?" he asked; narrowing his eyes in suspicion, since he'd thought their original route was perfect, especially in terms of saving time.

"Well, we came to the conclusion that there's a good chance most if not all of the major highways to and from Tokyo had to have been destroyed to prevent the infection from spreading any further than it already had. Not to mention any damage all the recent rainstorms might've caused. We should really consider traveling through the countryside instead to avoid the hang-ups," Takashi thoroughly explained. At first Frasier seemed reluctant to listen. However, in the end, he seemed convinced by this possibility as he let out a heavy sigh of acceptance.

"Yeah…yeah, you guys have a really good point there. Damage by the elements aside, it's ridiculous to just assume the SDF or the Marines wouldn't think to destroy any major routes to such a huge city; if not to at least try and slow down the spread of the infection. I'll be sure to talk this over with my brothers in the morning," he acknowledged, both Saeko and Takashi relieved (and understandably surprised) to see he wasn't quick to shoot their idea down out of his stubbornness.

"There's also some talk now about using just one bus instead of two. We'd have enough room for Isao's group, and we'd be wasting less gas if we just travel in one," Takashi continued to explain; Frasier naturally reverting to his more skeptical demeanor.

"I don't think that's a very good idea," he said while shaking his head.

"What makes you say that?" Takashi asked confusedly. Saeko meanwhile had a strong feeling what was keeping Frasier from speaking up. His glance briefly caught hers before turning back to Takashi.

"This has to do with Sho-san and how he treated you…doesn't it? Just what exactly happened between you three while you were out there?" Takashi then realized; putting the pieces together as Frasier reluctantly nodded. Even if he tried to deny it, there was a good chance Saeko would tell the truth anyway.

"I don't know if I should tell you. It was a rash but necessary decision, and we'll just leave it at that," Frasier stated, unable to get into the details as if concerned someone else could be listening in on them; or that knowing the truth would make Takashi ultimately trust him even less.

"Fine, I get it. Just think about it at least. It could save us a lot of time and resources," Takashi relented as he and Saeko began to take their leave.

"Wait..." Frasier suddenly blurted out; both of them stopping in place to glance back over their shoulders at him.

"Look…I really hate to admit it, but a part of me lately has been filled with…considerable doubt. Lately, I've found myself second guessing my decisions on what we do. I'm starting to think perhaps I'm not always going to be making the right call,nor will I always have everyone else's best interest at heart. Maybe…maybe I shouldn't be the one in charge, at least not entirely. Perhaps it's for the better that after we reach Tokyo,should this refuge even still exist, that my brothers and I part ways with you guys," Frasier reluctantly confessed; showing a more surprising side they'd not expected to see again: a display of real humility and uncertainty. For once he didn't have the exact answer, and it absolutely terrified him.

"Is that really how you feel? Do you really think that's for the best?" Saeko asked, shocked he wouldn't even consider staying behind with her, let alone invite them to tag along.

"I do. There's no way I could ask any of you guys to come with us, but this is not our true home. We have to keep moving and return to our people. It's just the way things are," Frasier expressed in a heartfelt manner, every last word he uttered truly felt genuine to them.

"Yes…perhaps this IS what was meant to be after all," Saeko eventually conceded in a low sigh, silently heartbroken to hear him say such a thing. However, the deep respect she had for him helped her recognize this wasn't her choice to make, even if it meant they might never see one another again.

 **Elsewhere in the mall…**

Meanwhile, Johann stood beside Shizuka while she continued tending to Tadashi's still wounded body; checking him over to ensure he wasn't going to develop an infection. The process had proven to be quite meticulous as she was still thoroughly looking him over even after a whole hour. Even though Tadashi had gotten his cuts and open wounds taken care of long ago, his body itself was still covered in a multitude of increasingly nasty-looking bruises that still made it difficult for him to move around. All the while, Rei was loyally at Shizuka's side to help in any way the nurse needed her to, while Kiriko remained steadfast at her husband's side; the pain in her eyes easy to see as she looked upon his wounds.

"How's he holding up? He is getting better, right?" Kiriko asked;trying to remain even-tempered as best she could, but the strong need for certainty was making it all the harder for her to do so.

"Well he doesn't have a fever or anything life-threatening like that, but those bruises make it impossible for me to say he's at 100% just yet," Shizuka answered honestly; glancing over the now purple splotches on Tadashi's skin. A saddened look formed on her face, still lamenting over why someone would do such a horrible thing to another living person.

"Don't worry about those. I'm tougher than you think," Tadashi tried to say in an attempt to calm his wife down; letting out a raspy cough before a sharp pinch shot through his body from his ribs.

"Ouch..." he regretfully groaned as he couldn't even attempt to play it off now.

"It sounds like he has a broken rib or two as well. Make sure he breathes regularly to keep his lungs clear of mucus. We can't risk him getting any infections. Put a pillow to his chest if he needs to cough," Shizuka advised, trying her best to assess the situation while pointing to one of the nearby pillows in their room for support.

"Do we have any ice?" Rei asked; the seriousness in her voice showing didn't want to be here just to stay on the sidelines.

"Right here," Johann replied; handing a small but incredibly cold pack to Shizuka who returned his assistance with a warm smile.

"Ah, thank you, sweetie! Press there while I listen to his heart beat," she instructed; placing a stethoscope against his lower chest.

"Ah! Oh, God," Tadashi suddenly winced aloud as he practically jolted from the cot they had him on; leaving everyone else visibly tense as that could mean a lot of things they didn't need right now.

"What's wrong? Did I press too hard?" Shizuka asked concernedly; wondering if her clumsiness had yet again hurt one of her patients.

"No, it's just...really cold! I wasn't expecting it," Tadashi answered; Shizuka sighing out of sheer relief it wasn't her fault;Johann meanwhile trying his best to stifle any laughter while both Kiriko and Rei on the other hand were clearly trying to keep themselves from shutting him up before he could embarrass them even more.

"Oh, Dad..." Rei groaned, somewhat relieved that Johann could at least find this humorous if no one else could.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. Don't let me stop you," Tadashi sheepishly relented as he knew how they were clearly not in the mood for this.

"Well, everything sounds about right for the condition he's in right now. I think he's going to be just fine. Give him another month or two and he should be back to normal," Shizuka said in her bubbly tone; pulling back after carefully listening in on his heartbeat.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Shizuka-sensei. You have no idea how much this really means to us," Rei thanked in agracious manner; trying to not get too emotional in front of everyone despite how increasingly hard it was.

"Oh, you don't have to thank me. I'd do anything for you, Rei-chan. We're all a family, we look out for each other," Shizuka said reassuringly; sounding immensely touched before practically squeezing Rei in a loving bear hug; inadvertently smothering the teenage girl's face in her massive bosom.

"And don't think I've forgotten about you, Johann. This really means a lot to m-to us..." Rei said moments after being released from Shizuka's hold, only to realize he was no longer there with them.

"Well that's strange. Must've had something on his mind for him to take off so quickly," Tadashi mentioned; sitting up slowly as he was surprised how he'd missed the young German's absence.

"That's not like him. I hope there's nothing wrong. I'm going to go check up on him," Rei said with no hesitation; already making a beeline for the exit to the plaza.

"Don't worry about it, Rei. I'm sure Johann-kun just needs a breath of fresh air. There's no need to jump to conclusions. You should consider getting some rest," Kiriko advised, thinking nothing of it herself. However, her daughter clearly didn't share the same sentiments. She could easily make out that familiar rebellious shimmer in Rei's eyes.

"Still...I'd hate to ignore him if there was actually something on his mind. I'll be right back," Rei stated; taking off before her mother could come up with another reason to keep her here. Now, her parents were left in an all too awkward silence.

"So…is it just me, or does she seem to be rather...FOND of that boy?" Tadashi suddenly asked; causing his wife to nearly do a double take to make sure she'd heard his blunt question right.

"Very nice deduction. They should've promoted you to detective," Kiriko playfully teased; Tadashi at first letting out a sarcastic laugh before realizing she didn't say 'no'.

"Oh…I see. Well, I hope this doesn't cause any problems with Takashi-kun. The last thing we need is a bunch of teenage drama," Tadashi then realized; hoping that he wouldn't have tosit through such a thing, much less try to quell it.

"Wait, you mean she never told you?" Kiriko suddenly asked; sounding genuinely surprised.

"Told me what?" Tadashi asked; curious what his wife could possibly bring up that he didn't already know by now.

"Dear, Rei broke up with Takashi-kun well over two months ago," Kiriko explained; her husband visibly shocked to only just now learn this.

"Oh...I wonder why she never said anything about it to me. Do you think she was too embarrassed or upset to say so?" he then questioned, truly surprised as to how he'd been able to miss this. Wondering now what else he wasn't being told by his daughter.

"Try to not take it personally. It wasn't exactly easy for her to tell me either; but I'm a woman so I knew exactly what she was feeling from my own…past experiences," Kiriko managed to explain to him. Luckily their bond as mother and daughter had made it relatively easy to tackle such delicate subjects.

"I see...well, I don't know about you, Kiriko; but so long as our little girl is happy and safe, that's all I need to know," the former detective was finally able to say without any regret or hesitation.

"You know, she really missed you, Tadashi. You should've seen her all the time we were moving around trying to find you. She was so determined to find and rescue you; willing to take whatever risk was necessary to keep the group together," Kiriko then explained; recalling how they argued about finding him, but Rei never once gave up.

"Takashi-kun and some of the others told me just as much. I honestly couldn't be more proud of her. She's been through so much, more than anyone should ever have to…but she is wise to keep such good company as these people. I hate to say it, but our little girl isn't so little anymore," Tadashi commented, truly relieved to know that regardless of whatever might happen to them, their daughter would always be with good friends to keep her going through it all.

"Don't ever expect me to think of her as anything but our baby girl," Kiriko disagreed; her motherly sentimentality leaving her unable to let go so easily. Tadashi could only let out a deep and understanding sigh as his wife finally crawled into his cot beside him; the two of them holding each other like they did every night, leaving them both feeling quite nostalgic for the good old days before.

"So, Rei…she likes Johann-kun, huh?" Tadashi asked one last time; still trying to understand it all. She and Takashi had been close for so long, it was hard for him to imagine the reality was that her affections may now have been for someone else, even if it was for one of the people who saved his life.

"I'm sure if you were to ask her, she'd say they're just good friends, but she's not as good at hiding her real emotions as she thinks she is. But yeah, I think she really does like him. It's not exactly like I can blame her; they have been through quite a lot together since our groups first joined up. Honestly, I haven't seen her as genuinely happy as she is whenever she's with Johann-kun in a long time. It actually reminds me a lot of how she USED to be with Takashi-kun a long time ago. And it's quite obvious that all the struggling we've had to go through has only brought the two of them closer," Kiriko concluded; unable to hide the fact that in spite of her trying to put some distance between the two before, she couldn't help but feel happy for her daughter for finding someone who could make her smile so brightly again.

"What do YOU think of him?" Tadashi then asked; curious as to what his wife's word on the boy would be.

"Well, we've talked a few times here and there, and he comes off as a good boy to me. He's never said or done anything to raise any of my red flags; in fact, he's actually quite a bit more compassionate and sweet than most boys his age I've come across over the years. He's also clearly fond of Rei's company at times, yet he can be distant sometimes as well. Not that I can really blame him for that either. In the time before we got you back, Johann-kun…well, I'm sure Rei would be able to tell you a lot more, but he lost quite a bit…even more than that…and it was our Rei that went out of her way, with no need of convincing or asking from anyone else, to bring him back. In the end, all things considered, past tragedies notwithstanding, I honestly think he really is a good person for our daughter to be around," she explained, her initial uncertainty slowly giving way to a deeper kind of understanding of Rei and Johann both; the accepting smile on her face showing a kind of curiosity for just how things between the two youths might play out from now on.

"Do you…do you think I should I talk to him? Set up some boundaries while there still are any? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy those two get along so well, but she's still our daughter," Tadashi suggested, hoping to instill some authority while he still could; all the while Kiriko just let out an aggravated sigh that Tadashi just had to bring up the one possibility she wanted to think about least of all.

"You're probably going to think I'm crazy for saying this now that you had to go and bring it up, but…no. No, I think Johann-kun's a really positive influence on her. And Rei's a lot more practical than either of us like to think sometimes. I'm sure she's more than capable of handling…THAT whole aspect quite well on her own. And besides, she'd be furious if we started trying to involve ourselves into her love life. Remember how she reacted the last time we tried something like that?" Kiriko said in disagreement; knowing full well how badly that would play out in the end.

"Don't remind me, I thought she'd never speak to us again that time. Well, with this all being said, this has certainly been an enlightening day," the detective expressed in an earnest sigh before smiling to himself; having a strong feeling in his gut that their family would be alright in the end.

 **Meanwhile…**

While her parents discussed among themselves, Rei was busy wandering the mall in an attempt to find Johann; still puzzled how and why he would vanish without a trace despite only leaving moments before she took off after him. Just when it seemed like he might've actually left the mall entirely, she finally noticed him out of the corner of her eye sitting alone in the music shop with his violin in hand.

"There you are, Johann. I was starting to think you'd actually up and left. Are…are you alright?" Rei began to ask as she carefully approached him; uncertain what he was doing when she realized he wasn't playing like she expected.

However, there was only silence as Johann didn't even acknowledge her presence, almost like he was caught up in his own little world. It left a certain kind of woe in Rei's heart; knowing something wasn't right about this. With one hand reaching out, she gently touched his shoulder, only for Johann to practically jump out of his own skin.

 ***snap***

The neck of the violin suddenly snapped clean off, dangling by the strings that still attached it to the rest of the body. Both teenagers looked at one another in shock as neither knew what to say when they realized what was going on. Their breathing was now heavy as it was clear they'd inadvertently spooked one another.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to...oh no, your violin broke! I'm so sorry, Johann; I shouldn't have disturbed you," Rei began to apologize; unable to think straight as Johann just looked at the two separated pieces of the violin in his hands.

"It's fine. Cheap piece of junk anyhow," Johann replied halfheartedly; tossing it aside without a second thought.

"Are you alright, Johann? You seem so tense lately, and it's starting to-" Rei began to ask; stopping herself short when he glanced up at her. Something about his eyes looking into hers made her heart instinctively skip a beat.

"Worry you?" he finished as she could only nod; somewhat embarrassed he had to finish her own statement for her.

"Do you…do you want to talk about it?" Rei asked in an attempt to move on before an awkward silence could set in.

"I'll be alright," Johann briefly answered; seeming surprisingly quick to shut her out.

"Johann, please don't start acting stubborn like Frasier-san with your feelings. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Rei began to say more insistently; slightly irritated by his reluctance.

"Since when do you ask Frasier about his feelings? I didn't know you cared about him that much," Johann retorted, unable to resist the chance to tease Rei as she went red in the face from that last suggestion.

"I-I was asking for somebody else. That's not the same thing. I really don't think that much of him," Rei nervously stuttered, uncertain if he was really just messing with her, or if he was actually jealous.

"I'm sure it isn't," Johann said with a mischievous smirk before she flicked his ear in disapproval.

"So are you going to tell me what's got you so tense lately? You seemed just fine earlier," Rei said in an attempt to get him to open up to her once more.

"I see you're not going to let that go anytime soon. Alright, if we're being entirely honest right now...I've been holding in a lot…more than you might think. The outbreak…what happened to Toshimi-chan, Shido's band of psychos out there somewhere, and now we've lost the hotel. I genuinely felt safe there! I honestly thought that no matter what happened out there, we could actually drop our burdens and actually feel at home," Johann lamented, truly unable to bottle up his fears and his stress anymore.

"I know exactly what you mean. We're all feeling really tense right now. Despite how nice Isao-san's group is, I still can't help but feel uneasy staying here; like we're constantly having to sleep with one eye open. What happened at the hotel…I feel like it was a really painful wake-up call for all of us that thing are never going to be easy," Rei added; shuddering at how vulnerable she truly felt sometimes; and how hard it was to express such concerns without bringing down the spirits of the others.

"It all happened so fast too. One minute we we're getting up like any other day, and then the next thing you know, we're up to our necks in 'Them' with our backs literally to the wall. Even after we got out, it's really got me wondering whether or not we're really going to be safe if rescue ever does come for us, or if this Tokyo sanctuary even exists by the time we get there," Johann began to explain; doubting just how legitimate and safe this so-called sanctuary really felt to him.

"That's not even the worst thought to cross my mind, believe it or not. Lately, I've been dwelling on how long it'll be until someone else I care about dies while all I can do is watch. I don't know if I can go through something like that again," Johann then confessed; a look of cold terror in his eyes when their gazes met. Nothing in this world seemed more horrifying to him than to relive such a traumatic event.

"I used to think that a lot in particular, too; how we'd be fine at first, but eventually we'd be picked off one by one until I'm allon my own, before I ultimately die like everyone else," Rei admitted as she sat at Johann's side; her hands clenching instinctively the further she went.

"However, in spite of all the times I feel scared every day just thinking about the things we know could happen now, I also try to remember how much we've all accomplished as a group. It helps me to remember that when all seems lost, we've always found a way to get by; no matter how bad things have gotten. That should count for something, right?" she then continued in a far more optimistic tone; hoping that he'd see what she was getting at.

"I guess you have a good point. We are fortunate to be surrounded by good people. While we could be doing a hell of a lot better...at least we're able to make the best of what we've got," Johann agreed, causing Rei to smile warmly in relief.

"I think it'll take more than just sheer strength alone to get through all of this. When we work together, we have to be able to trust one another, like a family. We've got to have each other's backs when we need it most. If we're going to make it through to the end of this nightmare, we can only do it together," Rei expressed with genuine hope in her words; certain deep down that this was their best option at survival.

"You make it sound so easy, Rei. I really want to believe you, but how long will this 'family' last when it gets right down to the wire? When we lose someone we can't go on without?" Johann brought up; knowing that talk was nothing when pitted against an actual situation.

"Yeah, I know it sounds like a bunch of optimistic bullshit, but I still think it's the honest truth. I mean, just three weeks ago, I would've had no idea who you were, nor would I've given a second thought what might've happened to you if things got bad...but in the short time we've known each other, I feel you've become one of the most precious people in my life," Rei confessed as best she could. However, Johann was completely caught off guard by what she was saying near the end; his blank stare causing Rei to somewhat panic at his lack of a response.

"I know, I know; it's crazy, foolish even, to think like that, but I'm being serious about this. We only first met three weeks ago, yet I care about you like I've known you for years. This bond I feel with you has been made BECAUSE of the hardships we've encountered together," she attempted to explain, feeling incredibly awkward all the same. Johann's silence at first made her feel like she'd just come off like a crazy person would've;however, he soon let out a sigh and looked right back at her glistening reddish-brown eyes.

"After…after Toshimi-chan died...I didn't care anymore about living, as you and Frasier clearly saw out there in that forest. Nothing could've possibly dragged me out from that void of despair and anger. But then…then you had to come along and show me I wasn't all alone like I thought I was, that there wasstill hope amid all the pain and suffering I was drowning in. Now here I am; only just now realizing how I'd do anything possible to protect you from everything that's out there. It's stupid of me to act like we can stop everything that comes our way, but can you at least promise me that no matter what happens to me, you'll never give up and do whatever you can to keep everyone else safe?" Johann proceeded to explain; his voice low as he dug up the worst memory he'd ever have, before his eyes slowly began to regain their life as he finally expressed just how much Rei had truly done to bring him back from the brink; the beautiful brown-haired girl unable to keep from blushing at the sheer emotion in his voice.

"Of course. I promise you, Johann. You can count on me," Rei said in a soft and emotionally trembling voice; putting her warm, soft hand over his when he seemed like he was going to break down again after digging up his old painful memories. The two of them remained like this in silence for a good several minutes as Johann took deep breaths to compose himself again; all while Rei never removed her hand from his while also deep in thought.

"Johann...do you mind if I ask you something?" Rei suddenly asked. Luckily all these questions made it hard for Johann to really dwell on his past traumas.

"Not at all. What is it?" Johann asked; curious what there even was for her to ask him at this point that she didn't already know.

"When you... well... killed that man, Joe; was that the first actual living person you'd killed?" Rei struggled to ask; realizing how much the memory had to be hurting Johann when she saw the look of pain in his eyes.

"I...Y-yes, he was," Johann answered; his voice going almost unsettlingly cold at the mere mention of that name.

"I see. What's it like, if I may ask?" Rei acknowledged before pressing her curiosity even further.

"Why are you asking me this?" Johann instantly asked back; curious what her answer would be since she'd never asked such a thing before.

"I just…I feel that given how unstable and unpredictable people have become in the wake of all this, I might have to do the unthinkable someday. I guess I feel like maybe if you can tell me what it felt like for you, it'll help me to not let the thought bother me in case I'm ever in that situation. You really don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable," Rei confessed;visibly shaken at the thought of herself being forced to potentially kill a living, breathing human being.

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess that makes sense. Well... at first, I honestly didn't feel anything; just rage and adrenaline when it was all over. The thought that I'd just murdered a living person with my bare hands actually never once occurred to me…not in the wake of the moment at least. But days later, that's when the realization hit me all at once. I didn't regret what I did to that animal for a second, but I still felt like there was now a permanent stain on my conscience; like no matter what I did from now on, that realization and that stain would never go away for as long as I live," Johann explained, for once truly able to express how changed he felt when describing in detail what it felt like to know he'd truly killed.

"I'm so sorry you've had to shoulder all this, Johann. I can only hope it won't weigh on you much longer than it already has," Rei said sympathetically before bringing her arms over his shoulders and pulling him in for a soft, affectionate hug. He gave her a faint smile in thanks, but couldn't summon the energy to return the kind gesture; too emotionally exhausted from having to recall such terrible things.

"Johann, do you ever feel like if things were to go back to the way they were before, you'd be able to handle society? Do you think you could just forget about everything we've endured and go back to living a life like the one you had before?" Rei suddenly asked; not even personally sure if she'd be able to go back to something like school if the chance were to ever present itself.

"Honestly, I just don't know. I'll let you know when I really find out, should we be lucky enough to make it that far," the young man shrugged as he knew there was no point in planning that far ahead.

"Deal….you know, you're more than welcome to stay with me and my family; not just tonight or tomorrow, but…I mean after all of this," Rei suddenly offered out of the blue; watching how Johann seemed especially moved to hear that, but still struggling to find the words to say so.

"Thank you, Rei. I just might have to take you up on that," Johann thanked, truly touched by both her kind words and very generous offer.

"Good. Because in all honesty, I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer anyway," she said with a rather flirtatious smile now on her face before she suddenly went the extra mile and sat herself in Johann's lap with a joyful giggle while holding him closer and tighter; the young German finally returning the favor in kind as he slowly brought his arms around her sides and held her in return.

 **Meanwhile…**

While everything else among the members of the group across the mall took their natural course, Marcus could no longer keep himself away from Hitomi's personally designated bedroom after the last tense few days. He honestly couldn't fathom what had changed her in such a short amount of time to where she wouldn't even look him in the eye for more than a split second, let alone even talk to him. Before he could even open the door,she was already walking out; not even acknowledging his presence before trying to step past him.

"Hitomi, wait," Marcus said with urgency in his lowered voice, his arm branching out between Hitomi and the doorway. A brief look of surprise filled her amber eyes when reluctantly observing him.

"Look, I have some questions for you, and I want some actual answers. Why are you acting so... so weird; especially whenever I'm around?" Marcus wasted no time asking, anxious to know what had been going on with her for the past couple days.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hitomi replied, but her lack of eye contact made it impossible for him to believe that for even a second.

"Oh, really? So then it's just my imagination that you've been actively avoiding me these last few days? For God's sake, you won't even look me in the eyes anymore, even now," Marcus further questioned; determined to know just what she was hiding.

"Marcus-kun..." Hitomi wearily mumbled; wanting to say something so badly to him, yet no words could escape her lips. Her hands pushed up on Marcus' arms until he slowly took the hint and backed away from the door frame.

"Is it because you don't care about me anymore? Is that it?" Marcus then asked; regretting it instantly the moment her entire body froze in place. Her hand suddenly grasped the doorknob tightly before she slammed it shut and turned to face him.

"You want to know what's wrong?! You really want to know, do you?" Hitomi suddenly burst out, her voice mixed with anger and sorrow. The deeply pained expression on her face made it abundantly clear that last question was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I thought you were dead! When the hotel burned down and I only saw Noah emerge from all that smoke, I thought I'd lost you forever," she began to rant as she stormed up to him; his feet naturally moving back as he didn't want to be within reach of her arms lest she took a swing at him.

"In that moment, all I could think was that while I ran away with the others, the most wonderful boy I've ever had the pleasure of knowing...the one person in this world that could always find a way to put a smile on my face...the first guy I've ever wanted to be closer to than anyone...was dead," she then lamented as what was blind rage quickly cooled into a weak and pitiful mutter as she suddenly pulled Marcus in and held him tighter than he'd ever been held before.

"I cared about you so much; I wasn't sure I could even move when I thought you were gone. This was why I thought we should've taken a break to begin with, but all that did was make the pain of thinking you were dead that much worse; just to think that I'd never get to speak to you again and…and finally tell you how I truly feel," Hitomi began to sob, unable to keep her emotions inside any longer.

"Hitomi-chan," Marcus attempted to say, only to feel her hold on him tighten before she suddenly pushed him back with a frustrated glare in her eyes.

"Don't 'Hitomi-chan' me! I'm so angry and confused right now, I could just...I could..." Hitomi snarled as she balled up a fist;wanting to hit him in the chest to take her frustrations out,before he suddenly grabbed her wrists as if he knew what she was inevitably going to do.

"How could you have been so reckless, Marcus-kun? Don't you know that I love you?" Hitomi suddenly asked, both of them frozen in the moment as she could see those last few words visibly hit Marcus harder than anything had before.

"Yes," Marcus eventually answered, surprised to hear her confess love like this. They both knew feelings and attraction were there for a while, but neither of them thought it could've ever turned into something like this.

"And don't you love me?" Hitomi questioned further as she finally began to calm down.

"I do…I love you so very, very much, Hitomi," Marcus didn't hesitate to finally confess. Hitomi however didn't seem so happy to hear that as he expected as she began shaking her head in refusal.

"Please, don't say that. Please tell me that you find me intolerable or something. Tell me that it would never work out in the end so I can just move on with my life; so I can just pack up my things and leave once the buses are ready to take you guys out of the city," Hitomi began to plead; begging that her feelings for Marcus be simply one sided and he ultimately did not need her nearly as much as she needed him.

"Is that really what you want? To hear me say I don't love you?" Marcus asked, hardly able to believe how distant and afraid she was to accept how they felt about one another.

"Yes! The more I try to forget about you and move on, the more I find myself wanting you; craving you to the point I can't even...think straight," Hitomi admitted as she was finding this to be even harder to go through with than she could've possibly imagined; her eyes quickly looking Marcus over from head to toe during that brief pause in her rambling.

Without even thinking it through, no longer concerned for the consequences, Marcus pulled Hitomi in until their lips met. At first her eyes widened in shock; hands curled into fists as she was poised to push him back. However, she couldn't fight the fire within her any longer as her fingers stretched back out into a more relaxed gesture before they latched onto his shoulders, closing her eyes and pressing her whole body into his, knowing he was what she needed and wanted now more than ever.

When the sweet and tender, if not rather reckless kiss was finally over, Hitomi already knew this wasn't going to be nearly enough. She anxiously reached for the door handle; pressing a small privacy button that locked it shut; looking back over her shoulder before shooting Marcus a naughty-looking grin.

"Hitomi-chan?" Marcus said curiously; uncertain what she was doing before finding himself backing up as she approached him until his heel bumped against her bed.

"I don't want to go on the way I have been anymore, Marcus; constantly worrying about you…worrying about how if I let myself fall any deeper for you, I won't be able to go on by myself anymore," Hitomi expressed softly; her voice now far more calm, yet still trembling a bit.

"I know it's hard to believe there's still any hope after what's happened to us. Sometimes I doubt we'll get out in one piece, but I agree. We need to stop holding ourselves back and just enjoy each other while there's still time. We need to 'seize the day' as Noah would say," Marcus attempted to console her, watching as both her hands began to gently trace along his arms before gently locking her fingers with his.

"Alright…so no more pretending like we don't want each other and no more waiting this out. So where does that put us right now then?" she asked, almost as if she'd already made up her mind, but was curious to hear what he had to say about all this.

"That depends...is that a mirror in your pants? Because I can see myself in them right now," Marcus said, unable to resist cracking off a terrible joke before Hitomi sarcastically rolled her eyes; pushing him back into her own bed. The young policewoman gave him no time to react before she was already on top of him; pressing her heart-shaped butt against his crotch, playfully rocking back and forth to tease him.

"Completely bloody worth it," Marcus groaned as she pressed down harder on him; unable to help but chuckle at the young Brit's crude humor. As she continued grinding their crotches against each other, she could feel his member already hardening beneath her as he seemed to be waiting for some kind of sign to continue.

"So is this the part where you tell me it's your first time?" Hitomi taunted as she looked at him with a sly grin; wondering how he'd actually respond to that.

"I'd be lying if I did," Marcus suddenly said; a look of surprise filling Hitomi's face to learn that he actually wasn't a virgin.

"Ohhh, is that so? You've been a bad boy and lost it already? I'm rather disappointed in you," the young policewoman casually teased while feigning what sounded like hurt feelings.

"Sweetheart, it's alright to be jealous you know," the foolhardy Brit retorted; glad to see that seemed to fire her up even more.

"Me, jealous?! Ha! I hardly know of this jealousy you speak of," Hitomi tried to play it off, not even aware until now a part of her was in fact somewhat jealous that she couldn't be the first to rock his teenage world.

"That look on your face suggests otherwise," Marcus pointed out only for her to form a sharp frown.

"Eh? Shut up! I'm still mad at you, you know," Hitomi playfully snapped before slapping his wandering hand back down. Marcus still had that shit-eating grim on his face though, indicating he got what he wanted out of her reaction.

"If it makes you feel any better, she didn't look half as beautiful as you do right now," he suddenly admitted as Hitomi couldn't help but blush.

"It's a start," she shrugged, unable to deny how sweet and touching that was for her.

"And if I needed to describe the whole endeavor in just two words...I'd go with 'limp fish'," Marcus then brought up further;Hitomi raising an eyebrow to this odd discovery.

"Are you talking about the experience or the smell?" Hitomi asked with a giggle as she ran a finger along the rim of his pants in contemplation.

"Both unfortunately," Marcus replied, clearly not finding any fond memories of his first sexual experience. Hitomi had to restrain herself from laughing any harder than she already was now.

"Ahaha, aww, poor Markie-kun. Well, I'm still counting it, so my judging your performance won't change," she sighed in a more soothing tone; pulling harder at his pants and forming a seductive smile that set his inner soul on fire.

"I wouldn't expect it any other way," he said with one last confident gasp before her body leaned over for another kiss; their lips connecting once more as her hands instinctively pulled down on his pants.

 **[Spandau Ballet – True instrumental]**

Hitomi's fingers clutched around his underwear as well, no longer sparing herself the excruciating wait a second longer. A cold breeze suddenly ran up Marcus' inner thighs when he realized she'd pulled his pants and undergarments alike down past his ankles and tossed them to the corner; leaving his manhood entirely exposed before the now shocked policewoman.

"No...no way! You were not able to hide this much all this time," she exclaimed in sheer disbelief while both her hands began to grasp at the shaft; going as far as comparing Marcus' entire member to her arm. Starting from her elbow and reaching as far as her wrist, she couldn't believe what awaited her now.

"I never said it was easy," Marcus replied, only for her to suddenly give his dick a firm squeeze at that remark.

"I'm going to punish you somehow...but right now I can't focus with a concealed weapon in my hands," Hitomi warned, barely able to concentrate with so many perverted ideas flowing through her head right now.

"I hear you get in a lot of trouble for that around here," Marcus said with a sly smirk; trying to play it cool while he still could.

"Oh, you certainly do. Luckily I have a thing for you, so I'll let it go just this once," Hitomi acknowledged; shooting him a wink before licking her pink lips and taking a deep breath.

Before Marcus could come up with some cheeky response, he felt Hitomi's soft lips gently wrap around the head of his member before guiding it past her teeth. Her tongue eagerly traced along the sides before gliding all around the head; coating it with her saliva and teasing him by pressing her tongue right into the hole at his tip. It was easily the most sensitive part of him down there as his toes instantly began to tense and curl in response.

The imagination couldn't even begin to compare to the real deal. The warmth of Hitomi's mouth began to spread further down Marcus' shaft as she attempted to swallow as much of his massive cock as she possibly could. Her eyes began to roll upwards a bit before she needed to pull back for air.

"That's...it? I was only able to handle this much?" she grumbled in disappointment to herself as she practically gasped for air; only able to go barely an inch past the head.

"Maybe you just need a helping hand," Marcus suggested as he stood upright while gently placing a hand against the back of her head.

Lightly grasping the ponytail on the left side of her head, Marcus' hips suddenly thrust forward; making Hitomi feel his thick manhood slide into her mouth with ease. Her eyes widened at first, completely caught off guard by this bold move on his part. However, she quickly began to adjust and with great vigor started to suck on the extra length she was now practically taking into her throat.

Marcus meanwhile bit his own lip; struggling to comprehend how good this felt. He couldn't help but shudder when one of Hitomi's cold hands gently wrapped around his shaft and began eagerly squeezing and stroking however much of his length couldn't fit in her mouth as she began bobbing her head back and forth along his shaft so he could feel her tongue eagerly gliding up and down his length; all while her other hand began playfully massaging his balls.

This was the ultimate escape from reality, a true home away from home; finally allowing Marcus to block out the horrors of the new world as he could now entirely focus his energy onto Hitomi. He could feel all his inhibitions give way to a raw animalistic lust as he recklessly tore his shirt away and tossed it aside; his body going into a burning sweat as he and Hitomi locked eyes while she had her lips tightly wrapped around the head; flicking the tip repeatedly with her tongue while giving it one last hard suck.

Finally pulling back for air again with a juicy-sounding * **pop*** , Hitomi just stared at Marcus in disbelief as her saliva dripped from his burning hot cock. Both her hands began to stroke it with a strong intensity; sending waves of pleasure through his whole body before she stood up and turned her back to him.

Forming an idea of what to do next, Marcus' hands slowly wrapped around her hips and moved along both her sides. A smile of approval formed along her lips as she pressed herself up against him, his all-too eager member prodding and rubbing against her back and perfectly-toned ass.

"Well? Are you gonna just keep grinding on my ass? Or are you gonna be a man and show a girl a real good time?" Hitomi whispered; her words soft and irresistible to his ears. His entire body was now on fire as he simply responded by grasping both her sizable breasts in each hand.

A soft moan instantly escaped her lips; immediately followed bya gentle sigh of excitement when Marcus managed to finally unlock her bra straps after unbuttoning and pulling off her shirt. Her tiny pink nipples were already erect in lustful anticipation as Marcus started to give them some much needed attention. His fingers gently flicked at them at first; teasing Hitomi the best he could before moving on to slightly pinching and twisting them.

Her whole body started to rock back and forth; the pleasure and slight pain only making her crave him more, as well as filling her with a sense of disappointment that they didn't do this much sooner. Luckily for her, he intended to more than make up for lost time now. Her hands now rested over his, both of them squeezing and massaging her relatively small yet perky breasts as his lips suddenly began to kiss at her neck.

"Oh, you know just what I like...one could almost doubt your so-called 'lack of experience'," Hitomi softly swooned as she felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter with intensity now. She was still unable to fully believe how utterly huge Marcus' cock actually was now that she'd seen it with her own two eyes; let alone felt how thick it was with her hands and mouth. As much as she didn't want to say so; a twinge of hesitation in her head feared if her poor tiny womanhood would even be able to take in something so incredible.

"Are you going to keep talking about that…or are you going to take off your pants and really get things started?" Marcus asked as his rock-hard penis now throbbed and bulged between her clearly soaking wet and tightly closed thighs with a subtle thrust of his hips. Poor Hitomi tried so hard to keep him from seeing how red and aroused her face was as she looked down to see the head and several inches of his cock poking out from between her legs.

Hitomi bit her bottom lip and without hesitation bent over to slide off her shorts and sky blue panties; leaving them both completely naked and covered in sweat, right before Marcus immediately squeezed his dick between her slippery wet thighs again. The heat perfectly emanated from his member and into her body as it was perfectly tucked between her thighs. Her opening was already sopping wet and immensely aroused as judged by her visibly swollen and pink labia; her feminine juices dripping and coating Marcus' dick instantly. It was all too clear that Hitomi didn't want to waste another second without him deep inside her.

Marcus' arms wrapped around her waist before practically sweeping her off her feet and into the bed. She let out a soft giggle as she was on her back now; looking up at him with adoration while spreading her legs wide for him. One leg rested along his shoulders as he teased Hitomi by prodding the head against her folds; even going as far as rubbing the tip against her clitoris before finally making the first thrust into her hot, tight, juicy slit.

"Aaahhh...mmmm..." Hitomi groaned through her teeth; not expecting Marcus to put in so much of his length at once. Her distressed cry quickly changed into a relaxed sigh of euphoria as the pleasure instantly took the place of the tension.

"Are you alright?" Marcus suddenly asked concernedly; even starting to pull his shaft out upon asking.

"What? Yes, of course I am. Just go easy on me, big boy," Hitomi answered, surprised he'd actually stop to check and make sure she was okay; finding that sweet charm of his made this experience all the more worth it.

Nodding in understanding, Marcus poised himself again and began to slowly slide and squeeze in several inches; his hips rocking back and forth as Hitomi's body was being pressed down into the sheets. She could only moan louder with every thrust made, feeling him go deeper with each one; stretching her inner walls out like it was nothing. Both her legs adjusted and began to wrap around his lower back, practically demanding that he go in even further.

Taking the hint, Marcus suddenly began to pull himself out only to immediately thrust himself right back in. Hitomi's eyes widened at the risky move and she had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming in ecstasy; closing her eyes as Marcus forcibly pulled her hand aside and kissed her. Their lips and tongues were now doing battle as their hips rocked in rhythm with one another.

"Oh my god, this is so gooood," Hitomi moaned into his ear;breathing heavily as the young teen was making her mind go blank from all the indescribable pleasure she was taking in.

"Here, flip over. I wanna switch positions," Marcus said as he was still inside of her.

"Mmm, make me, Markie-kun," the young police girl challenged with a sly smirk of defiance.

Without hesitation, Marcus pulled back and without as much effort as he anticipated, was able to flip Hitomi around so she was face-first into the pillow with her sexy heart-shaped assperfectly poised in the air in a rather offering stance. One hand grasped around her ass while the other grabbed her ponytail again. Hitomi grinned in anticipation as Marcus wasted no time angling his huge manhood for reentry.

"It's so fucking tight," Marcus moaned as he slid into Hitomi's hot, dripping wet pussy once more; his balls lightly slapping against her thighs as he was able to go even deeper in this position.

"Mmm... considering what you're packing... even experienced women would be tight for you," Hitomi tried to explain, pausing every now and then as it was increasingly hard to focus.

"Point taken," Marcus noted, starting to practically ram into Hitomi now as her nails dug into the pillow her face was resting against.

"I'll say," Hitomi agreed with a wink; feeling her legs trembling helplessly as Marcus clearly wasn't holding back anymore. Within several minutes of this increased tempo, she was finally able to take all his massive length and thickness in; able to practically feel his cock barely kissing her womb.

Just when Marcus thought he had her on the ropes, he felt Hitomi's inner walls slowly squeezing all around his thick cock. Regardless whether this was voluntary or not, this sensation made him grunt in excitement as he continued thrusting; not yet realizing he was closer to his limit than he thought.

Unable to stop, he grabbed her hips with both hands and pressed on his momentum; unable to block out Hitomi's moans and gasps of sheer bliss as he felt that primal urge all humans felt when it came to sex. All problems and concerns beyond this moment were nonexistent; falling on deaf ears as he was practically acting on instinct alone now and enthusiastically spanking Hitomi's perfect ass with every thrust.

"Oh, Marcus; finish it and cum in me right now," Hitomi cried out far more loudly than she meant to; feeling her entire world slow down as she could feel his pulsating member expanding inside her even further for a split second before suddenly coming to her senses and sliding him out; right before feeling his burning hot male essence spurting all over her back.

Both of them had now fallen dead silent after realizing how close they'd just come from a real point of no return. Hitomi then sat up on her knees and glanced over at Marcus; realizing he was looking rather ashamed at how he'd lost control.

"I'm so sorry, Hitomi. I just got so caught up in the moment, and I-" Marcus attempted to explain before she hushed him with a soft kiss; pressing her hot, sticky, wet and petite body up against his.

"Relax, darling; you're still new to all of this. Honestly, I should've slowed you down. I think we were both pretty lucky this time though," Hitomi said with reassurance before her amber eyes shifted down to see his still-towering manhood twitching while covered in his own seed; the sight causing her cheeks to turn a radiant pink as her lips formed into another mischievous smile.

"Look how dirty we let it get; guess we'll have to really work on that. But don't worry. Since it's our first time together, I'll let you off nice and light," she explained flirtatiously; Marcus still in too much of a state of euphoria to really gather what his beloved police girl was saying before she bowed her head down.

Within seconds, Marcus' whole body nearly jolted as Hitomi wasted no time running her hot, wet tongue along the entire length of his dick; meticulously licking up every trickle of his cum from the shaft before polishing the head clean and taking it into her mouth with almost surgical precision. Marcus couldn't even form the words as she immediately got to work vigorously squeezing and stroking his cock while licking and sucking the head with progressively stronger force, as if she was intently trying to suck out whatever of his load might've remained.

Just as quickly as she'd started, Hitomi suddenly stopped as she felt Marcus' whole body stiffen and his manhood swell up in her mouth before feeling a huge burst of his cum shoot out into her mouth. She immediately got to work swallowing every mouthful she could before his orgasm had finally run its course and she let his dick free from her mouth with an almost orgasmic-sounding gasp for air with her tongue hanging from her open mouth like an animal in heat. Once more, the two found themselves in a heavy silence as she struggled to catch her breath and regain her senses and Marcus could only watch her in what could only be called astonishment at how far she'd just proven she was willing to go.

"Sooo...was I good?" the young Brit asked, clearly self-conscious about his performance.

"Good? Are you kidding? I'm still trembling down there because of you! I'll be lucky if I can walk normally after all that. However, I hope you realize I'll want to do it a hell of a lot more with you from now on," Hitomi scoffed at first as if surprised that he even felt the need to ask; quick to reassure him that he went above and beyond.

"Well, always glad to be of service. Although, you make that sound like it's a bad thing," Marcus said with a smile, though curious what she could've meant.

"It won't be easy once we're on the road. We'll have to get...creative," Hitomi explained; Marcus now imagining how they could possibly have sex while traveling on a bus with the others.

"We'll figure it out when we actually get to that point," he said with some assurance in his voice, despite having no plan in mind.

"And you're going to wear protection from now on," she added;a look of disappointment forming on his face.

"Crap," Marcus muttered as he knew the rumors of how condoms took away some of the pleasure from intercourse.

"Oh, it's not that bad…is it?" Hitomi asked, partially forgetting that he'd probably be far more affected than she would by it.

"I guess not when it's with someone you love," Marcus relented with a sigh; earning a loving kiss on the cheek with such a sweet shimmering in Hitomi's eyes.

"I still can't believe we just did that. What time is it?" Hitomi said with no regret before realizing she lost track of time.

"I'm not sure. I wanna say it's been thirty minutes? Maybe more?" the drained teenager attempted to estimate as he scratched the back of his head in thought.

"Mmm, felt like an eternity to me," Hitomi softly swooned as she undid her ponytail and rolled her hair up into a bun to avoid having to actually fix it.

"No kidding. So I guess you should be getting back to whatever it was you were going to be doing before I...distracted you?" Marcus reluctantly asked; knowing that he shouldn't be greedy and keep her here to himself when there was still work to be done.

"Unfortunately, yes. But maybe you can grab some condoms from the pharmacy and put them to good use sometime today?" Hitomi sighed as she realized he was right; while still hoping that they could continue the fun later that day.

"'Maybe'? Is the sky blue?" Marcus asked before making a cheeky retort. Her laughter filled the room before her body rested up against him.

"You always know how to make me smile. I love you, Marcus," Hitomi said with a smile on her face and both eyes closed; holding onto him before his arms naturally pulled her closer.

"I love you too, Hitomi. When we're finally well and truly safe, I promise we'll be able to really start a life together," Marcus said;trying to not shed a tear, knowing he must remain the masculine one among them despite how good it felt to hear her finally say it out loud.

"Hey...on second thought, do think you could maybe stay a bit longer and cuddle with me instead? I really miss that feeling after sex," Hitomi suddenly asked; realizing she needed this more than she thought. Without any hesitation, Marcus stayed with Hitomi for as long as she needed him to; both of them drifting to sleep in each other's arms until the following morning.

 **Z-Day+23**

Later the next morning, the sun just barely peeked over the horizon. The Lawson trio was finally alone at last as they sat perched on the rooftop. Each one wore a hooded jacket due to the air feeling as sharp as it was cold. They simply kept watch;ignoring the occasional band of undead that would wander across the parking lot.

At first it was rather quiet between them; Marcus notably more silent than usual despite his recent intimacy with Hitomi just hours ago; the fond memories still very fresh in his mind as he personally had no trouble staying warm. It took quite a lot of willpower on his part to not brag about what was easily the best experience in his adolescent life thus far. However, he knew more likely than not that if Frasier were to catch wind of this,he'd try to intervene and control the situation as usual.

"Hey, Frasier? Can I ask you something?" Noah asked;effectively breaking the silence as Frasier broke from his momentary trance from staring onward.

"Go ahead," Frasier said; not exactly anxious as to learn what problem he'd have to fix now.

"Are you...feeling alright?" the youngest Lawson asked; a deep and genuine concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine," the eldest Lawson answered distantly. However, that didn't seem like a good enough answer for Noah.

"I only ask because earlier at the morning meeting, you seemed rather passive on what everyone should be doing today for preparation," Noah brought up; Marcus raising an eyebrow when he recalled this out-of-character moment for Frasier.

"Is that considered a bad thing now?" Frasier asked defensively;coming off as if he'd been insulted by such a suggestion.

"Well, no, but you're normally so direct and in control of every little thing. Your lack of bravado was not lost upon us," Noah answered; trying to be careful with his choice of words, as the last thing he needed to do was set Frasier off.

"He probably just needs a cup of coffee or something. We did get up earlier than usual. You know, Rika-san actually makes a pretty damn good brew," Marcus interjected; trying to change the subject and diffuse the tension as best he could.

"I said I feel just fine. Why does every-bloody-thing I do and say need to be put under a microscope with you people?" Frasier groaned; irritation burning in his throat as he couldn't grasp why they were always on his back about his emotional side, or lack thereof at times.

"I'm sorry. I'll shut up now," Noah sighed as it was clear he wasn't getting anywhere with this; looking away as if this conversation never happened. However, an odd sense of guilt rose up in Frasier's chest when seeing the saddened look on his youngest sibling's face.

"No, don't be. I shouldn't be taking my frustrations out on you, Noah. I hate to admit this, but the last few days I've been...questioning my past decisions," Frasier suddenly brought up. His voice could easily be taken for sounding apologetic. Neither Marcus nor Noah had ever expected such a response though.

"You have? Why? Despite all we've lost, our group is still standing. So many have perished, yet we're still here! Surely that must bolster SOME confidence in your ability to lead us," Noah said in surprise; still amazed to hear Frasier going as far as admitting that he wasn't in complete control here.

"It was simple at first. For the most part, I thought this outbreak would only be a couple weeks at best. However, nothing has changed yet; the dead are still in control and we're losing more and more of the living every single day. I feel like I'll only be able to lead so many survivors for so long," Frasier confessed; making it clear that he believed he was meant to follow and not lead. Yet, they still had him do it because despite the rough relations he had at times with them, he was the best at it.

"I've been plotting out several scenarios as to how all this will play out for us. The best one involves us leaving the rest of the group once we reach the Tokyo quarantine zone. Ultimately, my loyalties are bound only to you two, not them. I can't be making all the decisions for those I don't plan to stay with when this is all over," Frasier explained further; his brothers shocked to hear him even suggest that they break off from everyone else after everything they'd gone through together.

"Why would we leave? If this quarantine zone is safe, why not stay and wait out the infection?" Marcus asked, uncertain what he had in mind to justify them leaving what would've also been a safe bet for them.

"Yeah, like it or not, those people are our friends, our family. You can't expect me to believe you think they're merely pawns to you anymore. I've seen how you've been treating them better with each passing day. I know you genuinely enjoy spending time with both Alice and Saeko, like they're family" Noah added on, unable to not bring up how close Frasier was to them even though he'd deny it if anyone asked.

"My growing attachments for them are undeniable, but I can't allow that to hinder the task at hand. If we are to return home,we must go on our own," Frasier acknowledged, but as usual, he went back to his mission as the be-all-end-all.

"'Hinder the task'? They've been nothing but help to us. We've gathered plenty of resources and only grown that much stronger because we've all looked out for each other," Noah argued, unwilling to entertain the idea of abandoning people he'd come to care so much about, especially Miku once he actually thought about it.

"They're too much of a distraction. I feel things I shouldn't when around them, when around Saeko. It confuses me and complicates things to no end," Frasier said with a real sense of struggle; images of her blossoming in his mind as he felt that special warmth for her once more.

"And just what lies at home for us exactly? A father that seeks to control our entire lives, assuming he's even still alive? Martial law, considering the state of things? All that aside, the journey across the ocean would be insanely dangerous as well. Face it, going home is a terrible idea; even for you," Marcus protested, certain that there was nothing his older brother could possibly say to counter his point.

"I know," was all Frasier said in response. A look of surprise formed on their faces; both looking at the other to confirm they simply weren't hearing things.

"What? Then...then why the hell are you pushing so hard to go back?" Marcus demanded, unable to understand what was going through Frasier's head.

"Because it's my duty! It's a path I can't stray from under any circumstance…no matter how much I want to," Frasier explained; his voice starting to rise at first, but gradually calming into a more somber tone as he knew it was ultimately all for nothing.

"Not even a little straying?" Noah asked weakly as Frasier bowed his head as though in defeat.

"No," was all he got in a blunt grunt of a response.

"Not even for me?" Marcus then chimed in; trying to help settle things down to avoid any further emotional breakdowns.

"Especially not," Frasier scoffed; showing not even a little humor to his brothers.

"You're no fun," Marcus grumbled; fuming over how someone could never enjoy even the slightest amount of humor for as long as his big brother had.

"Not being fun is precisely why I'm still alive. It's a cruel, cruel world out there. A sense of humor only gets you so far," Frasier sighed, well aware he was nothing short of intolerable to be around, yet grateful he was at the same time for the end result.

"It's also why you're still single," Marcus said with a nudge, only to get an irked glare from Frasier who wasn't nearly as amused as he was.

"Just saying," the middle Lawson said as Frasier remained silent as if in contemplation.

"Yeah, I'll admit I might be a bit more sociable if I was 'more fun' like yourself; but considering how things have played out, I'm most likely going to live this nightmare out compared to everyone else," Frasier then confessed, a sense of regret being masked when he calmly tried to bring up his chances of lasting.

"Is a lonely life really one worth living, though?" Noah doubted;leaving Frasier absolutely speechless as he knew that was an obvious answer he couldn't even attempt to shrug off.

Before Frasier could even begin to think up a response to that chilling point, they all turned their attention towards a cluster of 'Them' pushing into the parking lot. At first it seemed like 'They' were merely passing on through; however, among one of 'Them', a large cardboard cutout was dangling from the chest.

"Do you see what I see?" Marcus asked as he pointed at the undead man with the sign.

"Oh, yeah. However, I can't make out what it says from here. Damn thing is bobbing too much for me to tell what's on there. Let's take these tossers out before more are drawn in," Frasier acknowledged before giving them the order to take down the small pack before them.

"Too right," Marcus agreed as the flicked the safety off to their rifles.

In a quick succession of suppressed shots, the Lawson trio easily dispatched the several shambling undead with relative ease. The silencers luckily made little noise and wouldn't be attracting any more for kilometers to come. When it seemed like that was the only group of 'Them' in the nearby area, they descended down from the rooftop to inspect the cardboard cutout to see if anything worthwhile was on it.

' _READ ME'_ was all it said in red paint before Frasier saw a piece of paper was nailed just below. Frasier grasped the paper and briefly read it before crushing it in his fist.

"Get inside and bring the others. They'll want to hear this," he said with urgency as it was clear whatever it said put him on high alert.

It wasn't even five minutes after they'd discovered the ominous letter that the entire group had been gathered to sit around one of the restaurant parlors while Noah read the entire message aloud for all to hear.

"We know where you live. Send the person in charge to the following address and not a single soul more. If someone does not show up within 24 hours or you try to run, we'll come for you; and if you know what's best for you, you don't want that. Dearly signed, Koichi Shido," Noah's voice repeated word for word for everyone to hear as his voice grew increasingly worried; speaking as if the twisted man was standing right beside him with a gun to his head. As he finished, nobody could say anything for what felt like the longest time.

"They can't be serious…can they?" Hitomi asked; looking over at Marcus briefly before looking back to Frasier, who remained in utter silence; looking to be deep in thought.

"Do you really want to bet on such a thing?" Rika warned;knowing that this was not to be taken lightly.

"Either way, it's something we can't hope to avoid," Saya brought up; knowing if what Shido said was true, then it was already too late to try and run, let alone hide out in a huge mall literally anyone could stumble upon.

"Then I'll go see what this Shido wants. If he wants the leader, then I'll give him just that," Frasier finally announced;seemingly unaware of the real danger that awaited him.

"It's clearly a trap," Saeko warned; hating the idea of him going into what was essentially a lion's den, by himself no less.

"What could've possibly given that away?" Frasier sneered as it didn't seem to be fazing him nearly as much as it should've been.

"You speak with blatant sarcasm, yet you clearly intend to forgive me for my bluntness, but this is a foolish decision you're making," Saeko retorted; trying to remain calm as she spoke, yet it was all too clear she hated not only this idea, but that once again he was going off to do his own thing without them.

"I can take care of myself just fine. Without any of you to get in my way, I'll be more able to focus," Frasier explained confidently' knowing that he could handle this if only working with himself.

"This isn't a matter of two or four people you're dealing with here, Frasier. Who knows how many survivors that crazy bastard has manipulated by now? Did you just choose to forget how many people we dealt with back at the school?" Johann argued, unable to hide his skepticism. Even with his military training, Frasier was still just one person against an unknown number of survivors that could easily overwhelm him if he wasn't careful.

"They're right. I know you're trained and meant to be a soldier, but you're talking like you're some kind of action hero...or an assassin," Saeko said, desperate to know why he had to act alone when together they could accomplish so much more. However, the eldest Lawson disregarded them and began to walk away.

"Wait. It's not just a physical threat you need to be concerned with, Frasier. I've spoken with Shido before; the man will do whatever he can to get into your head; dig under your skin until he gets whatever he needs. You don't know him like I do. Don't underestimate him for some common lot," Noah warned;recalling the intense mind games he had to work around when he encountered Shido previously; causing an unnerving chill to run down his back.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Frasier said in understanding; knowing that there had to be a catch to all of this. However, he still seemed as determined as ever and was still going to go through with it; stopping as he felt someone grab his wrist to try and slow him down.

"Tell me the truth, Frasier-san. Do you really feel this is the best choice?" Saeko asked one last time; hoping that Frasier would see reason and reconsider his decision.

"No, but our hands are tied on the matter. I'll go to observe what they've got," Frasier admitted, certain that this was truly the only way to handle the situation.

"And what if it is a trap?! What if you don't come back?" Marcus demanded, his voiced rose as it was becoming too hard to idly stand by while his oldest brother was offering to do what could easily be considered a suicide mission.

"Then you must be ready to move on without me and not look back," Frasier snapped back as he watched his young brother recoil. The young leader then looked around to see the others were all visibly afraid; that this situation had them all on edge now just as much as it had him.

"I know those aren't the words any of you want to hear, especially not right now, but what other choice do we have?" Frasier suddenly said in a far more approachable tone; showing that he was all too aware of the uncertainty of this situation and how uneasy it made them truly feel.

"I promise I'll return as soon as I can. But be prepared for the worst if I don't return within twelve hours," he finally said as he headed for the rooftop to take one good look at the parking lot before heading off into the unknown; mentally preparing himself for the worst scenario and hoping that he'd be enough to stop Shido's intentions, whatever they may be.


	18. Chapter 18: Picking Up the Pieces Part 2

**Tokonosu City, Japan**

 **Z-Day+23**

It had only been an hour since Frasier had left to confront Shido as per his written invitation. Distrustful and uncomfortably curious of his true intentions, the headstrong Brit was more than eager to find out, regardless of the massive amount of danger he knew he was putting himself in by going. He could've simply ignored the message, but it seemed far too specific, and the risk was too great to not attend. The very least he could do was buy his group more time to prep the buses, were these to be his final moments.

The rest of his group, however, far from shared his sentiment. While he'd made his way for the designated meeting point, they could only pace about the mall; hoping that Frasier was alright out there on his own. While he was easily one of their best warriors, he was still only human; a single youth against an unpredictable and hostile world, and that was just considering 'Them'.

"I can't accept this. This is so wrong. Are we really going to just act like this is a good idea?" Rei eventually asked aloud, breaking the uncomfortable silence while setting down the taped-up box full of provisions. The others all paused at her sudden proclamation of what they pretty much were all thinking themselves.

"What other choice do we really have here? Ignore it and hope Shido doesn't actually show up when time runs out?" Takashi asked in return; knowing painfully well that they weren't equipped nor trained for a toe-to-toe fight against the kind of numbers their enemy had.

"Frasier-san made the choice to go. It was his decision to make, not ours," Saeko intervened. While still deeply resenting the fact Frasier made such a dangerous choice to leave alone, she knew it was what he wanted and had to respect it, albeit begrudgingly.

"And what if it was the wrong decision? What if he's in trouble and needs our help right now?" Johann brought up; remembering how difficult it was traveling just a few blocks the last time he was on his own outside.

"He might be hotheaded and irrational at times…well, all of the time actually; but don't forget that he's a great tactician when it comes to conflict. I doubt he'd go in without some kind of ace up his sleeve, right?" Marcus attempted to explain as some form of reassurance; confident that there was a plan they just weren't in on yet.

"I don't know...he's treating this more like a physical threat; but Shido operates on a purely psychological level. He'll try to toy with Frasier until he knows how he ticks inside and out," Noah said with a deep, foreboding certainty; instinctively shuddering at the thought back to his and Shido's first and only encounter with one another. That paralyzing stare of Shido's still sent an icy chill down his back.

"He's right. I can tell you all from experience how easily that monster can manipulate people. I know you don't want to hear this, but Frasier doesn't stand a chance," Miku added grimly.

"What could we possibly do to help though? This situation is far beyond our control. It always has been," Khota grumbled; hating the feeling of being utterly powerless.

"So, what, Frasier's going to get himself killed, and we're just going to let it happen? His choice or not, you can't seriously tell me any of you are okay with that," Rei said in disbelief that nobody was offering any alternatives.

"We'll get by, as will he. Now c'mon, we have work to do," Rika instructed, remaining cold and focused on the task at hand as ever. The others begrudgingly acknowledged this and started getting right back to work as Rei just shook her head.

"Hey, I'm worried about him too, but we can't afford to just stop now. We have to be ready to leave as soon as possible. It's what he would want us to do," Saeko said in a hushed whisper, her voice filled with concern as she put a gentle hand on Rei's shoulder to get her attention.

Unable to form an answer though, Rei just turned away in disbelief and picked up the box she was carrying before, unable to help but feel ashamed at how they were so quick to give up on their leader. Nevertheless, she continued on, silently hoping they wouldn't have to come to regret not going after him.

 _Elsewhere in the city…_

Meanwhile, Frasier could feel the air grow thicker as the clouds turned gray. A soft yet ominous fog began to form from the combination of the moisture in the air meeting the warm rays of the early morning sun. The unnerving silence combined with his now limited vision left the eldest Lawson on edge. He kept his breathing calm and rhythmic as his eyes darted to observe as much of his surroundings as he could see. One hand hovered near the holster at his hip while the other was kept free.

When it felt like he was just going to be moving in circles, there was a sudden abundance of low chatter coming from his left. Standing in the middle of the street, he glanced at the address Noah had written down for him before looking up at a nearby street sign to see he had thankfully managed to arrive at the right place.

Carefully moving towards the voices, Frasier quickly realized he was now in a construction site very similar to the one where he and his siblings first stumbled into Takashi's group. Even one of the nearby vans had the exact same logo Sho and his fellow coworkers had sewn into their uniforms. It didn't take a genius to figure this was yet another site that had to have been an absolute nightmare during the first day of the outbreak; as evident by the dried up blood soaked into the dirt and cement all over the place, and one of the bulldozers rammed straight into one of the vans, with the mangled corpse of a driver trapped in the crumpled up husk of a vehicle.

Several crows perched atop the steel girders looming overhead. Their talons occasionally scraped along the steel beams; creating a nerve-wracking sound, like someone was drawing nearer and nearer with each passing second. Occasionally they'd caw and call out to one another before taking off when Frasier stood directly beneath them.

The further he ventured in, the more Frasier realized he was becoming surrounded by the once distant voices. Suddenly, one by one, the voices stopped until it was replaced by chilling and utter silence. Frasier froze where he stood, certain he'd been detected as he just stood in place and tried to look cooperative.

"Alright, I'm here. Show yourself, Shido," he called out as if actually expecting to get a response.

A light chorus of snickering and mocking laughter suddenly filled the air. What was once empty fog now revealed several silhouettes of indiscernible figures circling Frasier; their footsteps seeming to grow louder as more and more revealed themselves. Frasier could practically feel them drawing near until his ears could discern exactly where they were.

"Him? This is the guy they send?" a male's voice suddenly asked the others as they could now see him in greater detail.

"Is this a joke?" another questioned incredulously, as if insulted that someone so obviously young was sent in place of what they expected: a fully-grown man.

"This is their leader? This'll be easier than we thought," a female's voice then taunted. That last statement aroused too much suspicion for the young Brit to let slide as he instinctively grabbed the grip to his pistol.

"I'll ask one more time: show me Shido Koichi, or I start shooting," the eldest Lawson demanded; drawing his sidearm for them to see before switching off the safety.

"Cocky little thing, isn't he?" one of the men sneered; not expecting such boldness considering how outnumbered this kid was.

"Sure is in a hurry to get himself killed. Maybe we should oblige," the woman suggested, Frasier able to physically feel the venom in her words.

"Everyone hold it! You all know damn well what was asked of you. Return to your posts and keep an eye out for any more trouble," a far more firm and authoritative voice commanded as the almost hidden mob of Shido's cult paused.

"Oh, come on. We were just having a little fun here, right guys?" the instigating woman suggested while putting on a tone of innocence. However, unbeknownst to Frasier, this new figure seemed to show no tolerance for their antics as they were only met with that same foreboding silence.

"Fine, fine, we're going. Enjoy your little chat, you stick in the mud," she then sighed before several of them approached Frasier only to pass him by.

The mouthy woman in question directly walked before Frasier. Her eyes were a sharp emerald green, and her hair was nearly pitch black and barely coming past her ears. There was a clear aggression in her personality and military stature in the way she carried herself that reminded him almost far too much of Rika Minami. She even went as far as intentionally bumping shoulders against him before shooting the young man a grim sneer.

It was almost too tempting for the prideful youth to lash back and get into it with the feisty woman. However, he stayed his hand, almost certain that was exactly what she wanted and was expecting of him. She then appeared somewhat surprised that nothing came of it as Frasier's sidearm was slipped back into its holster.

"You there: start walking forward and keep those hands where I can see them," the one apparently in command of Shido's underlings ordered. Without much choice, Frasier began to walk forward with both hands raised over his head, visibly empty.

"Before you enter, I'll have to ask you for any weapons you might be carrying. I'm sure you understand," one of the survivors suddenly instructed as he stepped in Frasier's path; holding a hand out as if actually expecting Frasier to disarm himself while surrounded by who knew how many of these strangers. However, he knew it was too late to back out now as he regretfully handed over his rifle, pistol and knife. Another stranger suddenly came up behind him; patting him down, knowing how easy it could've been for the Brit to hide something before motioning him to take off his boots.

"Thank you. I know this is a leap of faith for you... But I'm confident we'll be able to get past this easily enough," the man searching him then said with an unusual amount of optimism; seeming somehow genuine with his words as he held open the door for the trailer for Frasier while he put his boots back on; slowly closing it behind him after cautiously entering alone.

The room was barely lit up by a single flashing bulb that must've been running on reserved power from a generator. A small desk and two chairs sat in the center for their meeting. Painfully aware he was now unarmed, Frasier had no choice but to play along as he approached a chair and took his seat; waiting patiently for almost an entire minute before the door opened up again.

Frasier didn't say a word as he watched the doorway; resting one hand on the edge of the table as the other hung loose at his side, ready to flip it over if it was a trap and he needed cover. Two men casually strolled in before the door closed again with a gentle click; indicating it was now locked.

The first man was watching the young Brit like a hawk; waiting for even the slightest subtle movement if the sharpness in his gaze was to be believed. He wore a black vest and red undershirt to match. Just the way this man walked made it clear he wasn't at all like the others that followed Shido. The only question now was why such a mysterious person would be here in the first place.

 _'So, this must be that yakuza type Tadashi-san warned me about. Doesn't seem so bad, so long as I can strike first if the need arises,'_ Frasier thought calmly; already forming several strategies to take down this man before shifting his gaze to observe Shido himself.

For all intents and purposes, he was just an average looking man that didn't really warrant any concern at a first glance. Somewhat thin, wearing a gray pinstripe suit and fancy black dress shoes, like he was attending a formal event. Piercing yellow eyes peered down at him through those glasses, which soon reflected off the light bulb swaying about. A confident sneer then formed; leaving Frasier feeling uneasy, trying to scope out the potential danger he was in, save for the obvious threats outside.

"Ah, so the illustrious leader who has caused so much trouble for me in a single night finally reveals himself. I must admit, I was expecting someone...older," was the first thing Shido had to say as he took a seat across from Frasier and adjusted his glasses; acting amazingly casual despite the circumstances. However, Frasier kept silent and waited for him to actually take this seriously.

"Hmm, a man of many words I see. This should be enlightening," Shido then noted, as he seemed somewhat perturbed by the lack of response on the eldest Lawson's part.

"Water?" Shido then offered out of nowhere as Frasier seemed caught off guard by that; staring at the bottled water like it was a weapon more than anything else.

"No," was all he could say as he refused to accept anything from this man. The fact he'd been poisoned the last time a stranger offered him water certainly didn't help neither.

"So tell me something...how are Noah-kun and Marcus-kun doing?" Shido suddenly asked as he watched Frasier's eyes slowly narrow in disgust, making it was quite clear he'd struck a nerve by even mentioning them.

"Doing just fine, no thanks to you and your pack of freaks," Frasier answered in a restrained tone; knowing he couldn't let this cretin of a man get into his head so easily. However, Shido's slight smirk made it quite clear he knew that was a soft spot to exploit.

"I just want to start by saying I'm terribly sorry for all the unpleasantness between them and myself. It was a mistake on my part for thinking they'd understand why I had to keep them against their will. All I wanted was to make sure your group wouldn't attack the moment they left, but alas, my own hubris has done just the opposite," Shido began to express with what couldn't help but sound like genuine regret; albeit a little dramatically, which left Frasier considerably puzzled on how to feel aside from skeptical.

"I just want you to know I don't blame you for the severe retaliation you dealt us. It was more than justified on your end I know, but it was a living hell trying to hold that place together in the aftermath," Shido continued to explain; folding his hands together while locking eye contact with Frasier.

"We lost several good folks to that raid, and even more afterwards when the dead managed to get in through that hole you left in our fence. I was just barely able to rally them together and keep things from falling apart. You know, at one point I was actually certain that I'd lose everything I had worked towards, but we persevered as one," he continued to express with an almost hopeful sounding optimism in his tone.

"I'm gonna save you from wasting any more of your breath: I don't care about what happened or nearly happened to you or your people. It doesn't change the fact you held my family prisoner. As far as I'm concerned, it was the purest example of 'an eye for an eye' or poetic justice or whatever you want to call it. Now I know you didn't just call me all the way out here just to say there's no hard feelings and have that be the end of it. You're clearly smarter than that from what Noah has told me about you. So say what must be said and be on with it," Frasier said coldly; showing zero concern for those he'd killed or crippled the last time. He continued watching as the former teacher began to play with a pencil between his fingertips.

"No nonsense, short, sweet and straight to the point. I like that! Well, what I want shouldn't mean much to you of course. So let me ask you something very important," Shido exclaimed in excitement as he pointed the pencil straight at him before looking back to the man behind him.

"Does a young man by the name of Komuro Takashi happen to be living amongst your people?" Shido then asked as his eyes began to slowly narrow with intrigue, his face turning stone cold as he anticipated Frasier's next response; forming a delighted smile when he only saw a simple nod.

"And perhaps he's been traveling with these people as well?" he then continued before pulling out a vanilla colored folder; leaving the eldest Lawson speechless as several photos of Takashi's group were spread out onto the table before him.

Frasier's eyes slowly widened in shock as from left to right he saw Khota, Rei, Saeko, Saya, and even Shizuka's pictures clear as day; figuring they must've been gathered from one of the school's filing cabinets along with their personal information and medical records. The fact Shido had these on hand did not help ease Frasier's tension one bit, and the realization he possibly had access to records on both himself and his younger brothers as well only made it worse.

"Perhaps…why?" Frasier hesitated to ask once he'd summoned up the strength, as he knew they must've played a role in Shido wanting to speak exclusively to him.

"Well, let's just say there's a very…complicated history between their group and mine. I just feel like it's high time I resolve this with them, personally; a little bit of quality time to help bury the hatchet once and for all," Shido attempted to express without going into any unnecessary detail; remaining as vague as possible while Tatsuya just kept staring intently at Frasier as if meaning to rattle his focus.

"Forgive me if I may seem a bit too forward, but I am personally of the opinion that you and I are very much alike! We both have a very clear understanding of how things really are out there; how the world has always truly functioned even long before the dead stopped staying that way. Strength rules above all else; nothing in life matters more than power. It determines your place in life, like a spot on the food chain. It's simply nature's unbreakable law," Shido continued further as he seemed much more honest about what he was saying this time around.

"I can greatly respect the power you clearly wield. Even your siblings showed an astonishing amount of resilience in the short time I spent with them. A part of me truly regrets the way things have gone between us. Forgive me for making assumptions, but I personally think we could've been powerful allies. My people would've treated the three of you like kings. I doubt the same can be said of those you've chosen instead to associate yourself with," Shido then lamented, as there seemed to be a deep regret in his voice at the missed opportunity between them.

"You're so quick to dismiss them, what they're truly capable of. You carry on like that, and it'll ultimately be your undoing, Shido. I used to think they were weak too, truth be told. Yet, they've proven me wrong…very wrong. When push came shove, I learned very quickly that they were determined not only to survive, but to actually help EACH OTHER survive," Frasier suddenly admitted; recalling how many times the bonds between them all had kept their groups together; unable to help feeling embarrassed that he himself didn't figure it out sooner.

"Such confidence and resolve in your compatriots. It's clearly your strength and convictions that have gotten you this far. But what about your willpower, I wonder? Will you TRULY do whatever it takes to survive?" Shido said in a rather impressed tone; not doubting for a second that Frasier actually was running everything back at the mall if his confident demeanor was to be believed.

"Of course I will. I always have been since the day I was born," Frasier stated as he recalled all the tough decisions he'd made or at least considered making; trying his best to remain unshaken before Shido and his right hand man.

"That's good to know. It must be very nice for you all to be living in that mall. I'm sure you guys are able to sleep quite soundly and forget what it's like to be out on the streets," Shido said with a quick change of subject; his tone never once shifting an octave.

"Is that what this is about? You just want the mall? By all means take it. We don't plan on staying in town anyhow. We're heading south in just a few weeks. I hear it's safer there," Frasier asked doubtfully; puzzled by Shido's sudden choice of topic while hoping to divert the subject as much as possible from going back to Takashi's group. Though making sure to lie which direction they'd be heading invade Shido were to follow their idea.

"Oh, believe me, we're doing just fine! There's no resources or goods you have that I don't already posses, and in much greater numbers," Shido chuckled as he seemed quite amused by the naive assumption that this was just a mere land dispute.

"Then what do you want from me? Why did you even call for this meeting if there's nothing to be gained from it for either of us?" Frasier demanded as he was now uncertain what Shido could truly desire if it wasn't what little their group had left with them.

"Oh, on the contrary! You have EXACTLY what I want," Shido said with an all too eager smile nearly stretching his face as he suddenly snatched up the photo of Rei and held it to Frasier's face; making it clear it wasn't a matter of WHAT he wanted, but WHO he wanted.

"Her? Why? What could you possibly want with Miyamoto-san?" Frasier continued to question as he couldn't help but feel he was missing some vital context here.

"Does it really matter? If the mystery of my reason is so important to you, just know I've had a grudge with this troublesome brat for…quite some time now," Shido said in a rather bored tone.

His focus swiftly shifted from Frasier to the picture of Rei, as if he was actually speaking to the photo instead. This sent chills down Frasier's back as Shido's once inviting demeanor vanished instantaneously and was instead replaced with an indescribable yet cold one. It made him realize this man was even crazier than he'd originally thought.

"It's quite simple: you bring me the girl, then I'll allow you and your siblings to walk away from here without any further conflict. Honestly, why get involved in a matter that shouldn't have even concerned you in the first place?" Shido finally asked as he tossed the photo back onto the table; his tone now serious and straight to the point.

"Well, t-that's a very generous offer and all...but, I just..." Frasier started to admit, yet there was clearly some hesitation to his words. Shido, suddenly looking completely insulted by the lack of certainty, suddenly swiped the photos aside before slamming his palms on the surface of the table; instantly getting Frasier's attention.

"What?! Don't tell me you actually think this wretched girl is WORTH all the trouble you'd be facing if you took her side in this! Make no mistake, my people are calling for blood after what you did to them, and there's no telling what they'll do to you and your brothers, should we take you as our prisoners…IF we take you as prisoners at all," Shido shouted in a momentary loss of patience; now pacing around the lone Brit like a shark that had smelt blood in the water; wasting no time to remind him that there was still plenty of bad blood between them. The sheer intensity in his voice as he spoke, his barely restrained rage visible even through his glasses, was enough to make Frasier's body involuntarily shudder. Even he could tell Shido wasn't just being overly dramatic anymore.

But even with all that, the fact that Shido's expression never changed even as he tossed all pleasantry aside, the mere fact that this man was still able to remain as physically composed in this state injected a sensation of primal fear deep inside Frasier's gut. Any brute could smash and destroy and scream till their face was every shade of blue in an attempt to intimidate others; but the ones that could still exude a demeanor of professional, even formal, calmness when threatening to slaughter one's entire family and more…THOSE were the ones to truly be afraid of.

 _'Something...something is very wrong here! How's he still able to come off so calm and inviting despite the outburst and that glare behind those glasses? That's the sign of a man with an ace up his sleeve,'_ Frasier began to think as an uneasy feeling began to clutch at his throat. Then his gaze briefly shifted over towards Shido's right hand man, who still just stood there like a statue through all of this; neither agreeing nor objecting to anything being said so far.

 _'Then there's him...aside from what looks like a handgun tucked away in his coat, he's clearly dangerous too. The way he carries himself isn't that of a typical thug. This guy's a true, legitimate professional KILLER,'_ Frasier continued before suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his skull while also feeling his heart race with the adrenaline rushing through his body in response to all the sudden tension.

 _'I-I need to focus...I can't lose sight of why I came here,'_ he then said in reminder to himself as he could see they were both taking notice of the look of distress on his face. He immediately knew the dangers surrounding him were only growing higher the longer this went on.

"Since you're clearly not feeling like talking, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret I'm sure you're just going to love," Shido suddenly whispered into his ear as he stood behind Frasier with both hands lightly grasping at his shoulders.

"I could just roll on up to your little mall and destroy it without even needing to send one of my people inside to clear you out. There's far more of us than there are of you, we still have our weapons, and my followers are getting better each day with them thanks to my associate over there," Shido admitted as he seemed almost sickeningly confident in his group's strength.

"If you allow me to take two more people with me…then I'll do it," Frasier finally answered with a heavy exhalation of air as he finally managed to calm himself down.

"Only two? Oh, I can only wonder who you're referring to now...this should be interesting," Shido stated with a sly smirk of anticipation as he let go of Frasier's shoulders and stood towering over him from behind.

"In addition to my brothers, I want to bring a little girl we have with us, and another survivor from my group," Frasier explained as firmly as he could; daring not to look back over his shoulder at Shido's nearly luminescent eyes as the ex-teacher just grinned to himself.

"You mean Busujima Saeko-san…don't you?" Shido suddenly guessed as Frasier instantly glared up at him with shock.

"What, you thought I didn't know? My boy, I've known from the start. We've been watching you and your group, and you aren't nearly as subtle as you like to think you are-" Shido began to taunt the young Brit before he instinctively pounded his fist against the table to try and shut him up.

"Shut up! Leave her out of this," Frasier demanded; not even having to look to know Tatsuya had just tucked his hand into his vest for his gun, but a momentary glance from Shido was what no doubt saved Frasier from getting a bullet to the back of his head.

"What's wrong, Frasier-san? Does it worry you, knowing that someone like me knows of the woman you love, and that I'm not above using someone's loved ones to get what I want?" he began to ask with the same infuriating condescending tone.

"Or perhaps...it's the fact that she loves another, and that you never had a chance with her to begin with? Well, help me get what I want, and perhaps you'll have a chance once Komuro Takashi is out of the picture," Shido continued; his voice falling to a whisper as he leaned in close so Frasier couldn't hope to avoid eye contact with him.

"I must say you fascinate me. Here you are: unarmed, alone, and completely surrounded. Yet, you try to act like you're in any kind of position to negotiate. What makes you think you have any leverage here?" Shido finally asked as he began to pace around the table again and Frasier leaned back into his seat.

"You're right, I don't have a lot of leverage...just the amount I actually need," Frasier corrected as he suddenly looked and sounded completely calm while their eyes locked again.

"Is that so? I hear you were intending to go into the military upon graduation. I wonder what it's like, how tough and superior you must always feel around people such as myself. Regardless, you're still just a man; a man that has physical limits to what he can handle. Your strength and limited munitions will only be able to stop so many of us before we overwhelm you," Shido's voice began to go low once again as he sat back down himself; but this time, Frasier didn't look nearly as shaken at all.

"Idiot," Frasier muttered to himself.

"I beg your pardon?" Shido asked with barely restrained anger at that hardly concealed insult.

"What, are you deaf now too? I said you're an idiot. It's as simple as that if you truly believe a soldier is only deadly because of his muscles and the guns he carries," Frasier stated with an almost insulting amount of confidence and bravado as he sat himself up straight; as if trying to make himself tower over Shido.

"The most powerful thing that, not just a soldier, but any human being can possess is their brain. Our intelligence is why our kind has been on the top of the food chain for a thousands of years," Frasier continued, nearly rising from his seat while Shido couldn't bring himself to move, and his yakuza counterpart kept his hand tucked in his vest; just waiting for the first sign to shoot.

"How philosophical of you. So tell me then, just how do you plan to get out of this with just your brain?" Shido dared to ask, not letting his intimidation be shown.

"I will, but let me say this first. Your people were very quick to check my pockets and the more obvious places I might be able to hide a weapon. However," Frasier began to explain as he leaned back confidently into his chair.

"Not one of them had considered inspecting my boots though," the young Brit pointed out just as he lifted both feet up onto the table to show off the boots on his feet.

"Your boots? Impossible. We searched for any concealed blades or firearms you could've been standing on," Tatsuya argued angrily while Frasier just formed an infuriating cocky smirk.

"Even if you did manage to hide a weapon in there, by the time you draw it, I'll already have filled you up with lead," he then finished as he finally stopped with the subtleties and pulled his .45 out from his vest; already turning off the safety and thumbing the hammer back to emphasize his point.

"You say that, but did you ever wonder why you need to take your shoes off at an airport?" Frasier suddenly asked quizzically as both Shido and Tatsuya looked at each other in concerned confusion before noticing something was very off about one of the laces: a thin black cord replaced what should've been a lace.

"Just one tug of this, and your bodies will be decorating the walls of this room. Even if you do manage to shoot me, what makes you think my arm won't spasm enough for me to pull it and send you both to Kingdom Come?" Frasier explained before making it painfully clear he was in control of the situation now by grabbing the cord with one hand. Tatsuya remained silent with a sullen expression on his face. Shido on the other hand could be seen visibly sweating as he seemed to be legitimately caught off guard. However, that momentary fear soon turned into a burst of laughter.

"Ha, you really had me going for a moment there. I actually was afraid you'd gained the upper hand," Shido began to confess as he calmed down, going as far as to openly admit his surprise while forming a sly grin while rising out of his chair and tucking his hands behind his back.

"However, your plan is quite flawed! Even if my associate doesn't shoot you, if you set that bomb off, you'll die as well," Shido then pointed out; knowing that no sane man would be able to actually go through with it.

"And what makes you think I've got a problem with that?" Frasier questioned with a heavy sigh, as if bored by this now. Tatsuya kept on edge as Shido still looked at him with that confident grin.

"Ah, brave and selfless to the end, I see. But did you ever stop to think what might happen to your group if you died? How long could they really last without a leader? You'd be dooming them along with yourself, and all over two men," Shido commented at first, being quick to then bring up his friends and family; confident that this little reminder would be more than enough to make Frasier think twice about his suicidal ploy.

"I have taken that into great consideration. Hence why I'm confident they'll survive long after my death. But can you say the same about YOUR people though? If I eliminate not only you, but your associate over there, they'll be broken and crumble in a matter of days at the most," the youth began to confess, somewhat mournful that he wasn't nearly as necessary as they thought he was to their chances of survival, before suddenly looking back up to glare at Shido so he could bask in the sight of him realizing his legacy was now in jeopardy.

"Why...you insolent...little..." Shido began to snarl through his teeth. A vain on the side of his head started to throb before finally calming down long enough to think straight again. It was quite obvious to both Frasier and Tatsuya that a vein had been struck here.

"Well played. Though I suppose it's my fault for assuming you were just another stupid brute that had kept them alive through sheer luck alone," Shido then said after taking a moment to calm down; talking as if he couldn't help come but off as if he was actually impressed at how clever and ruthless this young man appeared to be. He then formed a strictly serious look, indicating that he wasn't joking around. And it was then that he suddenly stomped one foot hard against the floor; echoing through the whole trailer.

Before any of them could stop to think, the door to the trailer suddenly burst off its hinges, and Frasier was suddenly being tackled to the floor by nearly a dozen of Shido's people; weighing him down to the floor and wrestling his hand away so he couldn't grab for anything. Once things had quieted down enough, Frasier could feel himself getting forced back onto his feet while Shido stood before him with a victorious grin spread across his lips; his yellow eyes nearly glowing with murderous intent.

"You there, grab his boots. I want to see something," Shido instructed as a young teenager probably no older than Marcus obediently pried off Frasier's boots before holding them up like a prized possession.

"Very good! Now see that lace? Step outside and pull it for me," Shido said in praise only to be dead serous while motioning the boy away from everyone else.

They all watched in anticipation as the teen nodded in response and began jogging over to separate himself from the others while they could still see him through the door frame. Without hesitation he tugged on the lace. Both Shido and his associate turned away with hands over their ears knowing what could come next.

However, nothing happened; aside from the momentary confusion before they realized that Frasier's apparent ace in the hole was fabricated to the last detail. The second in command sighed out of pure relief as Shido couldn't help but burst into laughter before clapping in applause. He then simmered down and adjusted his glasses.

"Yes, I figured as much. All bark and no bite. However, at least you were able to think of it on the spot, so at the very least you're quick-witted. You can all let him go. I doubt our meeting is going to go for much longer," Shido cackled as he folded both arms whilst speaking in a condescending tone. Without hesitation, they all let go of Frasier and forced him back down into his chair before filing out of the trailer; leaving the three men alone once more.

"I should've known sooner it was impossible to gather bomb parts on such short notice, let alone in times like this. You'd best hope you never actually have to fight instead of talking your way out of trouble, kid," Tatsuya seethed to himself aloud before speaking back to Frasier.

All the while, Frasier's former expression of confidence had given away to a complete lack of ideas. He'd been banking on that bluff carrying him the rest of the way out of here. How could he have known Shido would have people on standby like that; and how was he to know they'd actually be so ready to sacrifice themselves for him like that just because he told them to? All at once did Frasier realize just how badly he'd underestimated what Shido was actually capable of. He didn't need to be a ruthless and unstoppable fighting machine to pose by far the biggest threat the young Brit had faced yet.

"It looks like you're all out of ideas now. You know, before you pulled that little stunt, I was actually considering letting you take your two extra guests with you to safe haven, but because you decided to be clever, I'm only going to allow you to take ONE now, so you'd best think long and hard who you really want to save alongside your brothers. Now I'm going to ask you one last time: Do you accept the terms of our deal? Or will you take your chances and try to fight me like your foolish brothers did? I'm going to flip this coin on the count of five, and you're going to get to save only one of them by lady luck's grace. Heads for your mysterious little girl, or tails for Busujima Saeko. If you refuse to answer in a timely manner, or you try to pull something again, I'm going to slaughter you ALL like the dogs you are," Shido demanded to know, making it clear that he was done dancing around the subject and that a final answer was needed right now.

"Five," Shido began to count down, as Frasier remained entirely frozen in place; unable to even hope of hiding his fear as conflict deeply brewed inside of him.

 _'I can't do this...I may not like Rei-san that much, but she doesn't deserve whatever fate this bugger has in store for her,'_ he thought to himself as he knew she was doomed should he actually go through with this.

"Four," Shido continued to announce as his voice showed a growing impatience for the delayed response.

 _'But if you do, then you're free to escape the city with less people to look after. Your mission would be that much easier to accomplish. Do it,'_ Arthur's voice brought up, getting low as it commanded him to accept the deal without question.

"Three," Shido growled as his eyes never blinked once. An intense glare kept the young man paralyzed with uncertainty and intimidation.

 _'How can you even believe in doing such a horrid thing? Fight on, lad, and show this fiend how a true man fights! Show him how the Lawson's respond to such terrorism,'_ Mark's voice then interrupted as there was clear disgust in it for the mere fact Frasier was even considering taking this offer; trying desperately to appeal to his better nature.

"Two," Shido sighed as his bodyguard kept his hand close to the butt of his pistol; ready for things to get ugly as the leader began to narrow his yellow eyes; half expecting Frasier to lunge at him at the last second.

"Which one shall it be I wonder?" Shido said in a taunting manner; leaving Frasier feeling sick to his stomach at the thought that he could only save one. He suddenly slammed his hand down on the table before Shido could peek at the coin.

"I don't care what the outcome was. I'm taking the girl. But just know this Shido: if you harm Busujima-san, I will come back for you, and no amount of your crazy sheep will keep me from reigning utter hellfire upon you," Frasier finally spoke out; bowing his head in shame after making one of the hardest choices of his life.

"How hopelessly romantic. But save your speech for someone who has time. I'm a very busy man with a very tight schedule. If I were you, I'd heavily consider my generous offer," Shido scoffed, standing up and moving for the door whilst motioning his bodyguard and Frasier to follow.

"Just...just let me know the others won't suffer like Miyamoto-san will," Frasier finally requested as sweat began to trickle past his brow; speaking in a softer tone, as it was clear he had a deep concern for everyone else's fate were he to actually go through with this fiendish scheme.

"Please," he then said in a defeated sigh, as he couldn't even look Shido in the eyes anymore; trying to keep calm despite how tense he felt at the thought of someone like Shido getting a hold of the others.

"And ruin the suspense for you? Never," Shido asked in mock surprise before leaning in and whispering with a grin; showing zero sympathy as it was clear between both of them that he was in full control now, and that no matter what Frasier could say at this point, it wouldn't change a thing.

"Hand him the map to where he can drop the girl off and send him on his way," Shido then instructed to his bodyguard before finally stepping outside.

The moment Frasier stepped outside, the fog had cleared up enough for him to see dozens upon dozens of people staring through him and looking directly at Shido like he was some benevolent figure. They had plenty of weapons to spare, and several functioning vehicles to be seen, which explained how they got around so easily. It was hard to remain unmoved by all this, even for Frasier. His group was hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned to take on all these people.

Just when all the odds seemed to be stacked against him enough, a sight that made his blue eyes widen came rolling along. A large, heavily armored vehicle parked up next to where Shido now stood; mounted with a powerful 25mm cannon on the top. While he did all he could to avoid showing fear or shock, his silence simply couldn't hide the clear fact he was afraid of what he saw. Whatever hope he might've had to stand up to such a force had ultimately been crushed for all to bare witness.

"Remember: 24 hours, deliver Miyamoto Rei to me, then you may take your siblings and that little girl as far away from here as possible. Deviate from the plan in the slightest, and I'll ensure that only you will live just long enough to regret it," Shido said with a finger pointing to the sky as he climbed aboard the armored vehicle; ending his menacing speech by pointing a finger gun at Frasier and moving the thumb down to get his point across.

And just like that, the construction site was quickly left completely vacant, save for one teenager who now stood alone with his own thoughts; looking down at his own left hand to see it was now visibly trembling before he tucked it away in his jacket and formed a grim frown. He silently mumbled "bollocks" as he was truly at a loss of how he could possibly break such terrible news to those back at the mall who eagerly awaited his return.

 _An hour later…_

The walk home for the young leader was not an easy one. Each step he took felt ten times heavier for him, like someone weighed his boots down with cement. His breathing had turned rough as his throat burned when the muscles clenched tight from the fear that refused to leave him be. For the last hour, his thoughts always returned to one simple question: Sacrifice Rei, and by extension everyone else to save his siblings and Alice from the rising storm? Or defy Shido and TRY stand against the tide?

Soon enough though he stopped just at the street corner that left him looking out towards the mall. No amount of comfort this place offered him could ease the tension he felt the closer he came to it; knowing that the others would want to know every last detail the moment he returned.

 _'Just be honest with them. Tell them what they need to know,'_ Mark's voice said in an attempt to put him on the right path, Frasier contemplating whether or not he should be upfront with the others.

 _'They'll just panic and fall apart in disarray. Don't forget that they were always expendable to you,'_ Arthur's voice then intervened, quick to remind Frasier where his allegiances were supposed to lie; causing him to pause for a moment in front of the ladder back up to the roof, frozen in contemplation as he knew he had to make a choice before reaching the top.

 _'They'd stand by you if you just told them the truth,'_ 'They'd also sell you out if it meant they could live,' 'Have faith in them,' 'Failure is not an option,' both voices echoed, going back and forth as Frasier pulled himself up the ladder and over the edge.

"You're back," Alice's voice suddenly exclaimed with glee as she immediately sprinted right for him; practically ramming into his leg as she grabbed on tight with a bright smile while looking up at him.

"Hey, poppet. What are you doing all the way up here by yourself?" Frasier said in a calm sigh as he knelt down to her level, quick to notice she was the only person on the rooftop with no supervision whatsoever.

"Nothing," Alice replied, unable to hide an amused grin as she was clearly hiding something.

"Oh? This wouldn't have anything to do with Rika's binoculars, now would it?" Frasier pried further as he spoke in a more playful manner with her.

"Maybe," Alice said almost giggling now that she knew he was onto her.

"Keeping a look out for trouble?" Frasier asked as he played with her hair only to hear her let out soft chuckle before swatting his hand back; trying to fix it back up.

"Kinda, I was really just waiting for you to come back," Alice answered honestly; causing Frasier to smile without even realizing it.

"I appreciate that, Alice-chan, but you really don't have to worry about me," Frasier said warmly as he was clearly touched by the sweet sentiment.

"So why did you leave again? Was it important?" Alice asked, inadvertently reminding him of the dangerous situation they were currently in. His face formed a sullen frown as he recalled the deal, knowing he only had twenty two more hours left to hand over Rei.

"What's wrong? Did something bad happen?" Alice then asked as she could tell by his silence that he was bothered by something.

"I need to go talk to the others about something very important and I don't want you or Kenji-kun listening in. Okay?" Frasier said in an attempt to avoid answering her before trying to get a promise out of the curious child.

"Okay," Alice acknowledged softly, visibly annoyed that she still didn't get to be involved in what sounded like something really important.

"Don't look so disappointed. It's just boring grownup talk anyways. Nothing fun or exciting for you," Frasier said when he could recognize the blatant disappointment on her face.

"Oh...so can we do something fun after you're done talking to them about 'grownup stuff'?" Alice suddenly mumbled in genuine surprise as if she actually believed that.

"We'll see," Frasier replied, not wanting to make her any promises he might not be able to keep. However, he then noticed there seemed to be something else on her mind now.

"Hey...so did you get a chance to...you know?" Alice suddenly asked, sounding somewhat hesitant before trying to speak up, stopping in her tracks as she remained behind.

"To what, love?" Frasier asked in a more concerned than curious tone, knowing whatever she was trying to ask of him wasn't easy for her to speak up about.

"Remember how you said you were going to look for my mommy? Did you maybe get a chance to look yet?" Alice finally confessed as that sudden reminder left Frasier stone cold. He'd almost entirely forgotten what he'd promised her in light of what had been going on lately. An awkward silence filled the hallway down to the rest of the mall as Frasier then averted his gaze as if unable to even look her in the eyes to tell her he hadn't even started looking yet.

"It's okay if you didn't...I was just curious if you found anything out there. I'm glad you're home though," Alice finally spoke up as she seemed quite understanding, hugging him again.

"Don't worry. We'll find her together," the young Brit finally answered as he knew he had to keep her spirits up; feeling warm inside as she seemed to be filled with renewed hope by the look of her smile.

"Now lets go see the others. They'll want to hear my report as soon as possible," he then suggested as he felt enough time had been wasted prolonging the inevitable; knowing he couldn't really expect them to but barrage him with all sorts of questions about his meeting.

The two close companions walked out into the entrance plaza to see nobody was about. However, the moment Zeke began to let out a bark, it wasn't long before they were spotted by a surprised Marcus, standing on a balcony talking to Hitomi. They both clearly had their hair slightly ruffled up from their most recent moment of intimacy. Hitomi however was the only one to quickly straighten hers up whilst Marcus didn't seem nearly so concerned about his looking so scrappy.

"Holy cripes...he's actually back," Marcus announced the moment he realized it really was Frasier and not his eyes playing tricks on him; his voice echoing for all to hear.

"Hey, everyone get over here. Frasier's returned," Hitomi called out, as she couldn't wait to hear what was hopefully pleasant news. Though a part of her expected there to be some sort of catch the moment she noticed the somber expression on his face. Something was clearly wrong here, but she'd just have to wait until the others arrived.

"So? How did it go? What does Shido want?" Saeko was the first to ask, as she was personally glad to see not a new scratch or scuff on him.

"Shido...he…he knows about the mall. He's far more organized than I imagined he would be," Frasier started off as this bitter news clearly left the others in awe, hoping that he of all people would be the last to know of this place.

"So what do we do?" Hitomi eventually asked, as it was clear standing around would accomplish nothing.

"We came to a conclusion. We made a deal," Frasier then continued, giving the others hope that there might not be any further confrontations, should they be lucky enough.

"Really? What does he want then? Please tell us," Saya practically demanded to know.

"He...he wanted..." Frasier began to answer, hesitating to tell them the horrible truth as his gaze focused directly on Rei, who looked at him with great anticipation in those reddish-brown eyes.

"Yes?" Rei asked, trying to ignore the adrenaline pumping through her veins as the suspense was nigh unbearable.

"He wants the mall," Frasier finally confessed, the other's reactions looking a bit mixed between surprise and relief.

"The mall? That's it?" Takashi questioned, as he seemed relatively surprised that it was all that a power hungry dog like Shido would ask for.

"Yes. We give him the mall and he promises to leave us be, for good," Frasier replied with a nod, lying through his teeth as he knew he couldn't let them know the truth.

"That's it?" Noah asked, his face forming a skeptical frown, as something about this did not add up. Yet, he kept silent and walked away while everyone else seemed to be relieved now that they knew they'd finally caught a break.

"Ha! We won't even need the bloody place in a day or two! Nice work, Frasier," Marcus chuckled aloud as he was already heading off with his head held high in relief.

"Oh my God, finally, some GOOD news! I was really worried he'd want us to surrender ourselves to him or something like that," Rei said out of joy before hugging both of her parents, who also couldn't help but express their joy from the excellent turn of events; Frasier quickly turning his focus away from the family.

"So the plan is to continue on with what we've been doing and when we finally leave for Tokyo, that's when Shido's group will move into the mall?" Noah asked; trying to hide his skepticism, but with little success when he noticed Frasier had managed to catch onto the doubt in his voice.

"Yes, what reason would I have to lie?" Frasier replied, as he remained calm so the others wouldn't catch on, both siblings staring each other down.

"A fair point," Noah said as he backed off. The suspicious feeling however did not fade. No matter what Frasier said, Noah knew there was lot more going on with him than he was telling.

 _Hours later…_

Once night had fallen, Frasier had once again retired to the small sparse room he'd claimed for his own; wasting no time gathering what few scattered supplies were left and stuffing them into his backpack. It was only once he'd finally gathered what little else he considered useful that his ears suddenly picked up the sound of his door creaking open, with a very familiar-shaped shadow filling the doorframe.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I want to know why you just lied to everyone out there," Noah said, speaking more firmly and directly with his eldest sibling like never before.

"What are you going on about?" Frasier asked, feigning ignorance while also feeling on edge after hearing such conviction in Noah's voice.

"Oh don't act dumb with me! The Shido you're talking about can't possibly be the same one I encountered who would offer us a deal like that! So please, as your little brother, as your family, spare me the bullshit you told everyone else and tell me what REALLY happened," Noah snapped, having none of his brother's lies. The stakes were too high for him to back down now; his voice progressively became less angered and more concerned than anything.

"H-he did in fact make a deal with me, though it was not the one I told everyone else. I was able to negotiate with him and ensure that you, Marcus, Alice, and I would be allowed to leave this place as well as cease any hostilities between us," Frasier admitted as he knew lying would get him nowhere with Noah; not to mention the guilt that'd been plaguing him ever since he agreed to Shido's offer.

"In exchange for what?" Noah pressed on, as he damn well knew there had to be some price to pay on their end for such an otherwise solid deal. His heart gripped with fear as he felt that perhaps Miku had been dragged into this, considering her past with that monster and Frasier's continuous distaste for her.

"In exchange for Rei-san. I deliver her to him, and then we're free to walk. We can escape this madman's clutches and avoid any further conflict," Frasier finally admitted, watching Noah visibly tremble, as he couldn't believe it had finally come to this.

"And the others? What becomes of them?" Noah then reluctantly asked as he realized Frasier didn't name anybody else that would be spared.

"He wouldn't say, but I'm certain he has plans for them too," Frasier replied in a low sigh; having to live with the fact he had to not only abandon the rest of them, but the first and only love of his life as well, trying so hard to not dwell on what would happen to Saeko once this was all over.

"I...I-I don't know what's worse...the fact he has the advantage...or the fact you accepted this deal and lied to us about it! Especially Rei; for God's sake, Frasier, you looked right at her and lied to her face," Noah growled in disgust, clenching his teeth as he was simply shocked to see this new low from Frasier; the lack of humanity and honesty leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

"Noah, listen to me: this isn't about right or wrong. It's about survival. You need to understand that," Frasier said in a harsh whisper, clasping his hands on Noah's shoulders, only for his youngest brother to roughly pull away.

"Oh, I understand alright. I understand that you're choosing to let your paranoia make your decisions for you. Goddammit, I should've seen this coming. Please don't tell me you're actually thinking of going through with this, Frasier. There's no point in trying to survive if we lose sight of who we really are. Please, you know what those animals will do to Rei-san if they get their hands on her, I know I told you what I saw when I was their prisoner. Are you seriously telling me you'd actually let her go through that and let all the others die just to save me and Marcus?" the youngest Lawson exclaimed in disgust and disbelief; his voice becoming increasingly emotional as he did not want to lose Frasier, nor anyone else, to Shido's treachery.

Frasier however just turned away, desperately trying to hide a look of genuine regret that painted his face.

"Frasier, I know this is hard for you to accept, but these people are our friends…hell, they're our family now. Please look me in the eye and tell me we aren't going to abandon them like this. I know it seems hard, but if you would just tell them the truth, I'm sure they'd be willing to stand with us and we could all get out of this shit no worse for wear," Noah suddenly pleaded, trying his damnedest to bring Frasier back to seeing reason; appealing to his sense of honor as it was the last thing he could possibly come up with now.

At first Frasier remained silent and contemplated Noah's words. Despite the lack of visible expression, Noah was able to tell there was deep conflict surging within Frasier's eyes. Finally, the silence was broken as Frasier hung his head and let out a defeated sigh.

"Very well. Come, let's go say what needs to be said to the others," Frasier finally accepted as he'd finally come to realize Noah wasn't going to give up on him. No matter what, he'd keep fighting and arguing till Frasier could see things his way.

"Wait, really?" Noah said with genuine surprise, amazed that this wasn't going to end with them exchanging fists for once.

"Yes," was all Frasier said before forming half a smile, as if amused by Noah's newfound look of relief; motioning the young genius to walk with him.

"Oh, thank God! I knew you were better than this. I know things will be tough at first, but together we'll all find a way out of this mess," Noah joyously exclaimed, his confidence soaring high.

"Well, I guess I just needed you to spell it out for me this time to help me think clearly again," Frasier admitted as he knew that it must've been important if Noah went to such lengths to stand up to him so readily.

"Well, I guess I should remember that if we ever, god forbid, end up in a situation like this again. I could be something like a personal adviser, if you don't mind that idea of course," Noah suggested, unable to help but blush with embarrassment at such a childish idea.

"Well, you have always been the smartest between the three of us. Might as well use what talents you were given," Frasier said in acknowledgment, slowing his step just enough to get behind Noah without him noticing. His eyes slowly narrowed as he stared at the back of his brother's head.

"Well, if that's the case I guess we should just let Marcus serve as the whole group's comic re-" Noah said with such eagerness, he didn't even notice Frasier clasping his hands together before slamming into him from behind; knocking his unsuspecting little brother out cold before he even touched the ground. Frasier firmly held him up by the back of his collar so Noah wouldn't hit his head against the concrete floor.

"I'm sorry, Noah...but this is just the way things are now. One day you'll understand why I must do this. Then you'll thank me for it," Frasier sighed with reluctance as even he felt a sense of disgust for not only striking his brother down so coldly, continuing his string of lies.

However, what'd been done had been done, with no chance of turning back now. Frasier gently placed Noah's limp body into the nearest supply closest before propping his jacket underneath his brother's head for comfort. It wasn't easy to betray Noah's trust the way he just did, but at least he felt that he'd be content with this once he'd finally secured their safety. No matter the cost being made here, Frasier was inflexibly determined to obey his primary goal by any means possible.

 _Later that night…_

In the dark of the night, Rei was tussling restlessly in her cot; her thirst eventually forcing her awake as she tiredly made for the water cooler in her makeshift room once her eyes adjusted to the pitch black darkness.

Just as she turned around to return to her cot, she came face to face with Frasier. Before she could even react, she felt something being pressed to her mouth and smelled an odd odor all of a sudden. Her body almost instantly went numb as her legs buckled, her soft eyes forcibly closed before everything spiraled into darkness.

 _Later still…_

 **Z-Day+24**

Once feeling returned to the teenage girl, she instantly felt her entire body shivering. Icy chills caused her eyes to open up wide as what felt like wind breezed against her skin. She looked around in an attempt to catch her bearings, noticing right away how dark it was despite clearly being awake. The dim moonlight from a nearby window was all that could help her see.

When she tried to stand up, she instantly felt resistance around her wrists and ankles. She looked down to see them wrapped in crude yet effective bindings that she couldn't pry herself out of. At first she was tempted to scream out for help before realizing she might not even be in the mall anymore. Her heart began to pound intensely once she caught a glimpse of movement before glancing upwards to see Frasier himself sitting above her on a countertop.

"F-Frasier-san? W-What's going on?" Rei muttered softly, showing more concern and fear than what should've been anger and outrage.

"I'm sorry. Truly, I wish it didn't have to come to this. But…I have not been entirely honest with you," Frasier replied, his voice sounding surprisingly somber and regretful.

"Sorry? Sorry for what? Please, just untie me and tell me what's going on. Talk to me," Rei asked, only more confused as she sat up while he looked back down at her as if actually cautious of the tied up girl.

"That deal I made with him...the only way I could secure peace for my brothers was by giving up something Shido wanted more than anything else. I tried my best, but…you all were right. I underestimated how smart he was. He managed to get under my skin, and then some," Frasier vaguely explained, yet Rei was quickly able to piece things together considering how she was bound up and in the middle of god-knew-where.

"Oh my God...you sold me out, didn't you?" Rei growled in disgust, a look of shock and horror all that could be seen in her eyes. A sickening feeling practically turned her stomach upside down as his silence said it all.

"I know we didn't always get along...but I didn't think you hated me enough to do this," Rei lamented, her words filled with confusion and hurt as a part of her thought they were actually starting to become friends after all this time. Even Frasier seemed to be affected by the realization they had been gradually getting along rather well.

"Why? Why did you go to the trouble to reunite my family if you were just going to end up betraying me the moment it became convenient for you?" Rei continued to ask as Frasier's silence was seriously starting to irritate her.

"I'm not doing this out of contempt for you, whether you believe it or not. As you know all too well, I always do what it takes to win, as well as whatever must be done to survive. Just know that nothing about this was at all personal," Frasier attempted to explain, as he truly didn't seem to take any pleasure nor joy in getting rid of Rei. Yet he didn't seem shaken up about it either.

"So that's it then? You're just going to hand me over to that bastard and his goons then? Do you have any idea what they'll do to me?" Rei scoffed in disbelief, suddenly being quick to remind Frasier the various dangers a woman left at the mercy of twisted men could face.

"I try to not think about it," Frasier muttered, as he was too well aware, considering what he encountered with Joe and Buck on top of what Noah had described from Shido himself.

"Yeah? Well that's easy for someone like you to be saying. Those people are monsters, Frasier-san. Noah-kun TOLD you what Shido has them do, and if you hand me over, everything they do to me is going to be on YOUR hands," Rei expressed as she made it clear he wouldn't be able to forget this ever.

"I know," Frasier said without hesitation, leaving Rei speechless at how heartless and uncaring he could really be.

"I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I actually trusted you...I actually thought you weren't so bad underneath that tough guy exterior, that maybe you just needed a few friends or something…but I was wrong. We were all so wrong about you. You like to go around pretending you're some kind of unshakable, indestructible badass, but the truth is you're just a goddamn coward who's so afraid of dying that you would betray one of the only people who ever cared about your well being at all," Rei then said out of regret, genuinely hurt that he'd be so quick to sell her out to suffer so much unimaginable pain; feeling naive and idiotic for thinking that it was possible he wasn't ever going to hurt her.

"Those bastards are far better armed than I could've possibly anticipated! We would hardly stand a chance were they to attack us head on," Frasier attempted to explain, as he seemed certain this was the only solution.

"So your answer is to sacrifice me and simply HOPE Shido sticks to his word? Let me tell you something, and you listen very closely. He's going to give you a stupid little speech the moment you hand me over, make a few exaggerated gestures, then he'll wait for you to let your guard down before shooting you in the back, mark my words. He's a manipulative piece of shit that will use everyone around him till they're no longer useful…in that regard, I guess you two have something in common," Rei stated incredulously to his downright naive plan that relied too heavily on Shido's honesty. Frasier however seemed very well aware of this as he glanced back to actually look her in the eyes.

"I never planned on dropping my guard around him. Even I can see he's the kind of person whose impossible to trust," Frasier admitted, as he wasn't nearly as hopeless and trusting of Shido as Rei figured.

"Then why are you still going through with this?" the terrified girl demanded to know as she was frustratingly only left with more questions.

"You wouldn't understand, I'm just doing what the situation dictates. I don't expect nor deserve your forgiveness; just your understanding that this is ultimately for the best…for everyone," Frasier sighed as now it was abundantly clear that he too had something to hide from Shido.

"'Best for everyone?' Don't lie to me now, Frasier. You're just doing what's best for YOU and you KNOW it," Rei muttered, glaring at him before breaking down into tears again, softly sobbing to herself as she turned away from the traitor. Frasier bowed his head, unable to bear letting her see the shame on his face as this was easily going to be the worst thing he'd ever done yet.

The night just continued on as usual as they both eventually sat down waiting in anticipation of whoever Shido would send. Rei, having run out of tears to shed, just sat there unable to think straight as memories of her parents and even the others in her group flowed through her mind.

"Did you always see yourself going into the military; following orders till death or retirement?" the teenage girl unexpectedly asked as Frasier perked his head back up after the long silence in the room had finally been broken.

"Of course. It's who I was raised up to be, what I always aspired to be, and what I soon will be when I return home. It's all that has been laid out for my entire life," Frasier answered with no hesitation, never more certain about anything than this goal.

"You don't have to be that person anymore though. After the world ended, you could've been anyone you wanted to be. You still can actually," Rei then said, as she felt deep down this wasn't what he truly wanted, at least not at first; certain he was simply doing as he was told.

"What about family and friends? Surely there was a part of you that wanted something beyond what everyone else expected of you?" she continued further, as she couldn't help but find it hard to believe he had such a narrow view of his own life; almost feeling sorry for him when realizing that he'd been so used to taking orders he lost most of his free will.

"Perhaps, but in the world we live in, my skills as a soldier have proven to be quite invaluable. None of us would've made it this far if it weren't for the people that chose my path for me," Frasier finally replied as he couldn't deny such thoughts had crossed his mind before, but was quick to denounce it as he remained resolute and bound to his goals.

"I won't deny that, but what about what YOU want in life? Have you ever had an independent thought and opinion before without needing someone else to decide for you?" Rei suddenly brought up as he just shook his head and turned away, essentially tuning her out at this point.

"Right, of course not. Look who I'm talking to," Rei grumbled to herself as she was naturally irritated when trying to talk to someone only to be shrugged off.

"What I want is irrelevant now. Nothing in this world ever comes freely to one by merely wishing and pleading for it. It's earned, and sadly I'm not worthy enough," the eldest Lawson suddenly admitted, unable to deny that there was a part of him that wanted something more to life than what had been chosen for him.

"You know it's not too late to go back to the mall," Rei commented as he simply shook his head in response.

"That's just not possible. It isn't gonna happen," Frasier said, somewhat surprised she'd not given up and accepted her fate yet.

"Sure it can! We can go back, both of us, together. I promise you that the others won't hear a word of this and we'll pretend it never happened in the first place. We both know if you go through with this, the others will immediately find out. Are you still willing to risk that?" Rei vowed as she seemed quite genuine and forgiving despite the predicament she was in. If she was lying, Frasier had little to no way of telling.

"Just...take me back. Please," Rei painfully begged as she was back on the verge of crying when it seemed like he was about to silently shut her out again. His face however formed an irritated expression.

"I can't...go back. Don't you understand that, Rei-san? I just can't go back. Not after all this," Frasier attempted to explain, unable to say much though, as it became abundantly clear that he was starting to feel the pressure and burdens of his choices now.

"Why? What are you so afraid of?" Rei insisted on knowing, as her curiosity seemed to help her momentarily forget about the impending danger that would most likely be here any minute.

"I've studied warfare and countless battles throughout recorded human history. Believe me, I know a losing battle when I see it, and this one of them. I must even out the odds the best way I can," the confident Brit said, avoiding her question as he himself seemed utterly convinced that this plan now was their only salvation.

Before any more words could be exchanged, the sound of a running engine could be heard drawing near as soon enough, tires could then be heard rolling up along the pavement before coming to a sudden halt. Rei's face practically turned pale, as she knew Frasier wasn't going to change his mind now. Tears began to well up again as it became harder for her to breathe. Her throat muscles were suddenly clenching up tight as she began to tremble with fear when four men and two women entered the post office they were in. Each one wore a ski mask to hide their faces.

"Well I'll be damned...he actually decided to play ball and give Shido-sama what he wanted. Smart move," what must've been the one calling the shots announced as she approached Frasier whilst staring at Rei.

"Spare me your words and just take what you came for. I have nothing to say to any of you," Frasier grumbled as he seemed to be quite on edge, despite the fact he'd officially secured his brother's and Alice's safety.

"Just remember that only you, your brothers, and the kid are allowed to leave the mall. Everyone else belongs to us now," the woman leading the others said dismissively before shifting her attention back to Rei.

"As for you...I can see why the boss was so eager to get his hands on you. Get her into the van. We're out of here," she then said with an all too sly grin behind her mask before pulling out of the post office with Rei in their possession.

Rei didn't even have a hope of fighting back, let alone the energy to put up any form of resistance. All she could do was stare at Frasier as he remained in the doorway to the postal office looking straight back at her; his face giving that signature stone-cold look to hide whatever emotions he actually might be feeling.

"Please...it's still not too late," Rei pleaded in a last ditch effort to change Frasier's mind as she was loaded into the back of the van.

However, he just stood there and remained frozen like a statue. No expression at all. No sign of remorse. Nothing. A sudden spike of incomparable anger and hatred suddenly ignited in the pit of Rei's stomach.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU GODDAMN COWARD! YOU'RE KILLING ME! YOU'RE KILLING ALL OF US! YOU'RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL FOR THIS, FRASIER! DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL," Rei screamed at the top of her lungs as she couldn't restrain herself and go out like this. Trying to run for her life only to be shoved back effortlessly.

 ***Slam***

The backdoors to the van were slammed shut before the engine fired up. Frasier closed his eyes shut before vanishing inside the post office, unable to even watch as they took Rei to god-knew-where.

 _Ten minutes later…_

The drive felt like an eternity for Rei as she sat down with her head between her knees, curled up in a trembling ball. All she could think about now were her parents, how they'd react when they'd eventually learn of whatever fate had in store for her. Memories spanning all the way from her early childhood began to flow through her mind now. But without warning, the van suddenly came to a dead halt.

The young teen's heart practically froze up, as she didn't know or even wanted to think of what to expect now. She began listening in after hearing the van's doors slamming followed by footsteps accompanied by chatter all around. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light when the back doors were opened up, and a thick hand grabbed her wrist and dragged Rei out effortlessly. Her body was soon laid flat and restrained to a table as the people sent to retrieve her stood around their newfound prey.

"That's good. Keep her tied down till the others arrive," the female in charge announced as she pulled the ski mask off to reveal her face. She was young, probably just a few years older than Rei, her emerald green eyes staring down at the restrained teen as she brushed her black, medium length hair back.

"Shido-sama won't be here for some time though, Kim-san. Don't tell me we're going to have to wait it out," one of the men said in a bored groan.

"Oh don't worry about that. We can pass the time while we wait for the others to arrive," Kim said all too eagerly, running a hand down Rei's supple chest before tugging at her nightgown aggressively.

"You sure he'd be fine with that?" the larger man among them asked, all the while never taking his eyes off of Rei's finely toned body; knowing that Shido always did encourage that they indulge in pleasure whenever they so desired it.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind us enjoying ourselves. Besides, he can't get mad over something he doesn't know about, right?" Kim replied, as she didn't seem all too concerned with what Shido actually would have to say despite her willingness to follow him.

"Right," he agreed before forming a wicked smile, grabbing at Rei's legs as his hand began to trace up her inner thighs.

Rei meanwhile was terrified beyond reason, having a horrifying recollection of when that thug at the gas station groped her while using her as a shield against Takashi. Her stomach twisted with disgust as she was deathly certain that nobody would come to save her now. Her tears burned and stung her eyes, wishing it would all just end right now; greatly preferring death to spending even one second being these people's toy.

 _'Someone…anyone…Mom…Dad…Takashi…Johann…please help me…'_ was all she could think to herself; her breathing quickly turning into hyperventilating once the woman Kim finally tore the middle of her nightgown open.

But suddenly, one of the garage doors rolled straight up. The six survivors gathered around Rei spun around to see who it was, only to collectively calm down when they saw it was just Frasier slowly approaching them.

"Oh...it's you. Shouldn't you be leaving town right about now?" Kim sighed out of surprise before questioning his surprise visit, while also wondering how he'd even managed to find them in the first place.

"I figured I should thank Shido-san himself for his generous offer. Where is he?" Frasier answered, the lack of emotion in his tone making it hard to tell if he was being serious or not.

"He won't be here until we send the signal," Kim explained as she held up a flare gun, waving it around for him to see before setting it back down.

"And once you do, it'll be some time before he actually shows up then?" Frasier asked, his eyes shifting between each of them as if memorizing their locations, trying to keep his eyes off of Rei as she was practically naked at this point with her nightgown in shreds. He tried to pent up whatever guilt he felt to keep a straight face among them.

"Yeah. Why do you ask? You want to join in on our fun here? Maybe you should prove your loyalty even further by being the first to indulge," Kim answered nonchalantly, suddenly turning her attention to Rei before forming a wicked smile, planting a hand on his back before motioning him to move in closer to Rei.

A momentary silence left both Frasier and Rei's hearts frozen, as they were equally shocked to see the kind of people that had been spared the Armageddon. The young Brit finally looked at Rei whom looked right back at him with tears in her eyes; looking utterly betrayed and devastated to see what must've been actual contemplation, debating if he should be joining in on the sexual assault. At the same time, Frasier could clearly see the murderous hatred burning in her eyes to see his face again. It was the kind of look a cornered and abused animal would give to their torturer when finally unleashed.

"I see...just had to be sure," Frasier heavily sighed as if utterly disappointed in having to hear that answer before clenching his fingers into a tight fist.

 ***Wham***

With zero warning at all, his elbow quickly slammed into Kim's windpipe; leaving a massive dent in her neck as she gasped for air like it had been sucked right out of her lungs. His arm then coiled around her now caved-in throat, pulling back while his free hand grabbed the pistol holstered to her hip. He quickly fired several shots into two nearby men that had their pants down around their ankles, the bullets tearing through their torsos and faces like wet paper, leaving gaping wide exit wounds and splattering blood and meat chunks all over the floor and walls.

"W-What the fuck!?" the other female screamed in shock, unable to duck in time as a knife was quickly tossed between her eyes, puncturing her brain with deadly pinpoint accuracy before her body crumpled over.

The other two men still standing quickly grabbed whatever they could from a nearby tool bench and charged at Frasier when the pistol stopped firing. The young Brit instantly snapped Kim's neck with a quick jerk, dropping her twitching corpse as he formed a look of anticipation. Rei instinctively turned away from the carnage that unfolded before her, hearing aggressive shouts and grunts from both sides.

The sound of flesh being punctured and cut into, followed by horrid bone cracking echoes only to end with a wet dripping sound filled Rei's ears as she could only imagine what was going on right now. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, all fell silent, save but the faint hint of heavy breathing followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Rei felt her heart skip a beat while holding her breath, both hands clenched tight as she didn't dare look up at whoever towered over her, knowing they now had the choice to do with her as they pleased.

 ***Slice***

The ropes that bound her wrists suddenly felt loose as Rei opened one eye to see Frasier carefully cutting the bindings at her ankles. As he did that, she just looked over at the people from Shido's group, her jaw dropping as each one was a bloody mess that could hardly be distinguished from the next. It was a gruesome sight she would not soon forget, though her newfound rage quickly helped her shift her attention back towards Frasier when she swiftly managed to deck him across the jaw. The eldest Lawson was visibly surprised to see the force behind it was enough to cause him to noticeably stagger back a few steps. Unlike the last time she'd been driven into punching him, this one had the anger-induced strength behind it to legitimately hurt.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO ME?! I'LL KILL YOU, I SWEAR TO GOD! I-I..."Rei finally exploded as she began to wildly swing her fists into Frasier's chest, trying to pull away when he naturally grabbed both her wrists in an attempt to restrain the understandably furious teen. Her head even began slamming into his chest as she could only sob and bellow out in pain and emotional devastation.

"Rei-san, listen to me," Frasier attempted to say as she was still finding the energy to put up a hell of a fight.

"Fuck you! Just why the hell should I? You son of a bitch, just you wait till I can hit you again," Rei shouted as the scorn in her voice was more than enough reason for Frasier to keep his guard up, holding Rei in place to keep her from getting free.

However, despite the seemingly endless rage and sorrow that was fueling Rei right now, it eventually burned her out and she began to feel weak all over, dropping to her knees as she felt ready to vomit when she looked back at the mutilated corpses across the room. She was eventually unable to hold back as she felt her entire lunch and dinner come right back up her esophagus as all the fear and trauma came rushing back to her all at once. Frasier meanwhile just stared at her and shook his head before looking around to determine what might be of use around here.

Whilst wiping her mouth, Rei then noticed Frasier kneeling at her side, before offering to clean off her lips with a handkerchief. She begrudgingly took it from his hand, glaring with intense hatred and contempt in her eyes, yet finding herself confused at what the hell he was doing now. It didn't take long for her to realize that he did come back for her despite earlier claiming to be running off with his siblings and Alice while leaving everyone else in their group to die.

"I didn't intend for it to play out the way it did," Frasier finally confessed, a hint of conflict hanging in his words.

"I was hoping that Shido himself would've shown up so I could eliminate him. Had that been the case, and if I were successful, then his group would pose no real threat to us. Without his leadership, they would've crumbled and dispersed," the young man continued to explain as Rei sat on her knees, continuing to unstintingly glare at him as she had a plethora of questions to ask him now.

"Then why didn't you just wait? That woman said he was going to be here eventually," Rei struggled to ask, knowing that had he truly meant that, he could've indeed killed Shido when he eventually would've shown up.

"True, but that would've been long after these…animals had their way with you. Despite what I'm willing to do in order to win…deep down, I couldn't allow THAT to happen…especially not to a friend," Frasier admitted, certain that he would've eagerly waited had the people here not been trying to force themselves onto Rei beforehand. His words seemed surprisingly genuine as Rei was stunned to hear him calling her his friend despite the contrary.

"If you think calling me friend is just going to make me forgive you just like that, you're sorely mistaken, but I'm sure even you must realize that. So…you didn't really mean to sell me out to Shido? This was just some big scheme of yours then?" the visibly shaking teen stated grimly before finally bringing herself to ask, staring between her knees, as she didn't know what to believe anymore.

"At first I felt it was the only option I really considered viable. However, after talking to Noah and recalling what Shido said about how his group only managed to stay together due to his leadership, I decided to instead assassinate him when he turned his attention to you. They would've been too broken and unorganized to pose further threat towards us had I done it," Frasier said, confidence and certainty burned into the words that left his lips. However, his voice was now full of regret and somber remorse as he could see now how he'd gone too far, considering what was about to happen to Rei.

"So the plan was to kidnap me, make it seem like you betrayed our group, and then kill him when he got here?" Rei suddenly brought up, as she wanted to be absolutely certain that she understood his plan.

"Precisely," he replied, keeping it short and simple yet earning a look of annoyance from Rei now.

"So how would we get out of that once you did the deed? I doubt his group would let us go without a fight," she asked, certain that even he would be no match for Shido's entire group had they surrounded and overwhelmed him.

"I wasn't planning on going back. This was meant to be a one way trip," Frasier confessed, surprising Rei once more to learn he'd actually had no expectation on surviving this crazy last minute plan of his.

"What?! You're telling me you expected to actually die here tonight?" Rei gasped, as she still couldn't fathom what made him think this was a good idea.

"I told you guys I'm willing to do what I must…even if it means dying in order to do so," the young Brit said with absolute conviction in that stone cold voice, death clearly being the least of his concerns. Rei then just leaned back against the table, trying to comprehend the situation at hand as well as trying to resist the urge to punch him again.

"I admit it's admirable of you to go to such lengths...but did you honestly have to risk my life too? You could've at least asked me if I wanted to be a part of your little suicide mission," Rei then brought up, somewhat amazed he'd be so quick to die for them, yet understandably pissed off that he'd be so willing to sacrifice others as well.

"I needed a distraction, and quite frankly, you did a marvelous job, Miyamoto-san. Had Shido been here, he wouldn't have even seen it coming," he said whilst shrugging his shoulders, actually paying her a compliment yet earning a disgusted shake of the head from Rei as it didn't seem nearly so flattering to her.

"And you couldn't have at least let me in on the plan? I swear, I'm going to have nightmares forever because of you," Rei then grimaced as she threw another, though somewhat playful, punch at him, deflecting off of his shoulder as he was still anticipating hostility from her within reason.

"I needed your emotions and reactions to be nothing short of genuine. Your fear perfectly lowered their guard: the ultimate cover, as you saw for yourself in how unprepared these people were once I showed up. It's a shame we couldn't get the scrawny bastard himself though," Frasier continued to explain as he'd clearly put some thought into every last detail here, despite only coming up with this reckless assassination attempt just a few hours ago.

"I still can't believe you did this...what if you'd failed? What if they killed you and did what they were gonna do with me? Then what would that mean for the others?" Rei sighed, starting to feel the tears coming back to her eyes as she was utterly at a loss for what to feel right now. The thought of being taken away from those she cared about most truly broke her heart.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but it was a calculated risk worth taking. I apologize for the deception and lies, but ask yourself one thing: would you be willing to die if it meant saving everyone else? Your parents, Alice-chan, Johann, even Isao-san and Kenji-kun? Are they not worth your life?" Frasier said with complete and total justification to what he'd done today, leaving Rei with a question that had her at a total loss for words when she paused to genuinely contemplate the lengths she'd truly go to in order to save those most dear to her. She turned her head away as she couldn't look at him anymore, her mind still too fresh with the horrors that almost took place just moments ago.

"Just...just take me home. I just want this goddamn night to be over already," Rei demanded as she crossed both arms, still coming to terms with what had just occurred.

"Of course. First thing's first however..." Frasier acknowledged before grabbing the flare gun from the table and walking outside to presumably fire it.

"What? You're still going to try and pull this off? It's suicide though," Rei asked in disbelief, standing straight back up before running over and pulling his arm back down before he could fire, earning a puzzled look from him as he didn't understand the concern in her naturally caring voice.

"I can't ask you to stay here and play bait, especially when the people he sent to do this are noticeably missing. All I can do now is lure him over and take a shot from a nearby rooftop. This is the only way to avoid war with their group now," Frasier began to explain, convinced Shido had to be eliminated before learning of his backstabbing attempt.

"But...you truly aren't afraid of dying? What about your brothers? Just...think of what you're doing here," Rei questioned as she couldn't allow him to throw away his life so recklessly even in spite of what he'd done to her.

"I already have. They're in truly good company, Miyamoto-san. You people may not be the strongest and certainly not the most battle hardened…but what you lack in experience, you make up for in courage and determination and loyalty to each other. Please, take good care of them for me," Frasier earnestly expressed as he could no longer deny that a part of him ultimately did greatly respect the group he'd fought so long to distance himself from, certain that if tonight was his final night, his brothers would live on regardless.

"There has to be another way! Let's just tell the others the truth and we'll manage to survive this somehow," Rei suggested.

"You don't even have a plan! What good will it do, telling them of the impending doom? Besides, what I've done is irreversible now! If Shido survives tonight, then he'll come straight for us with nothing held back. It has to be this way," Frasier snapped, losing his patience with Rei while unable to think of a better solution than the one he kept proposing now.

"Would you be so willing to die tonight if you knew how SHE really felt about you?" the brown-haired girl suddenly brought up as Frasier formed a scowl upon hearing those words.

"Don't bring her into this," he growled, as it was clear that a nerve had been struck.

"Why not? You should know what it would do to her if you never came back. Please, don't make me tell her that you didn't care enough to even consider another solution," Rei practically threatened as she was intent on pushing him to his limit.

"Rei...stop it," Frasier suddenly requested, no anger to be detected in his tone, just a merciful plea to be left alone to finish what he'd set out to do.

"Make me," Rei firmly defied as she wasn't going anywhere without him. Both were at their wits end with one another, trying to outlast the other in silence.

"Damn you..." Frasier eventually muttered before handing her the flare gun, knowing she'd gotten to him and plagued his mind with doubt about his plan.

"Don't worry...there's still time to make things right. Let's go back," Rei said with a genuine smile on her face, actually convinced that they'd be able to overcome what was on the horizon.

"Okay. After we loot this outpost, we'll try it your way," Frasier responded before motioning towards the munitions and supplies left up for grabs back inside the small warehouse.

"Promise?" Rei pressed further as she didn't want any more deception from him.

"Yes," Frasier answered, turning his back before she grabbed at his shoulder and motioned him to look back at her.

"Pinky promise?" Rei innocently said as she of course had a single pinky finger held out to him, not letting him go without making an official vow to her.

"I swear you're just like Alice-chan sometimes...yes, pinky promise," Frasier retorted in a somewhat grouchy grumbling before reluctantly giving in and wrapping their pinky fingers together.

Several minutes later, the two survivors had gathered all the weapons and munitions they could carry between them. They both knew what was soon to come and did not want to be any more unprepared than they already were. After a quick observation of the former warehouse, they noticed it had been stocked so well, it left the impression that Shido's group must've been using several outposts like this one, rather than have his entire group settled in one area. Rei then paused as she was in the middle of loading up a rucksack she'd found, a question on her mind that simply couldn't be shaken from her mind.

"Hey...D-do you mind if I ask you something?" Rei softly spoke, her voice calm yet clearly weighed with concern.

"Hmm? Go ahead, Rei-san," Frasier hummed at first, somewhat curious what could possibly be on her mind now.

"What was it like when you first killed someone? Not one of 'Them', but a breathing, living human being," the young teenager bluntly dropped on him as she wasn't sure how else she could ask him about such a thing.

"Didn't you ask me this once before when Johann had disappeared? Why would you ask me the same question?" Frasier pointed out, not understanding the point.

"Could you please just indulge me, I'm really serious about this. What was it like when you first killed a human?" Rei momentarily lost her patience with the third degree as Frasier just let out another heavy sigh.

"Don't tell me you've never done it before," Frasier practically scoffed as he had a hard time believing she'd never actually done it up to this point in time.

"What in the world makes you think I've ever done something like that?!" Rei responded in an irritated tone, somewhat offended that he would actually expect someone like her to have gone through with such a life-changing ordeal.

"It's just something I've expected all of you to have gone through by now since the world's turned over," Frasier clarified, almost as if forgetting that it wasn't exactly a common occurrence prior to the day the dead took over.

"I've never killed any of the living before. What, are you going to judge me for it now?" Rei said in a somewhat confrontational manner as she was clearly irked by his rather mocking tone.

"No, though by looking, it's rather obvious the more I think about it. I can see it in your eyes now, you lack both the resolve and regret that comes with taking another's life," Frasier suddenly brought up while glancing back at her, sounding so certain of this, it caused Rei to momentarily pout before looking away in annoyance.

"You simply cannot afford to hesitate, Rei-san, lest you wish to risk being a potential victim for the rest of your life," he then warned as she loosened up and looked down, more afraid than anything now.

"But how do you do it? Don't you ever think about them? How they once had a family and people that cared about them?" Rei asked as she shuddered at the thought of such a burden she'd be forced to carry.

"Do you really think these people who almost raped you would've remembered you? Do you honestly believe they'd be as quick to regret what they were about to do to you? You'd be dust in the wind, another number to the list of their victims, another lamb to the wolves. Stop being such a naive child and grow up already. This world is a constant battleground, full of all kinds of horrors, and the sooner you can adapt, the sooner you'll be free of that hesitation," Frasier said out of pure scorn, quick to dismiss any sense of regret and concern for those he'd slain in battle.

At first Rei remained silent at his sudden outburst, trying to remain strong despite how easy it would've been to start crying. She then had a memory pop back into her head from not too long ago.

"I had a chance to kill Shido once. Just a few days after the outbreak, our group was taking refuge at Takagi-san's estate. It was raining hard, and their bus had just pulled in. Long story short, I had my rifle pointing right at his face with the bayonet pressed against his cheek. I remember at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to kill him, to drive that bayonet through his throat, to put a bullet in his grinning face, to watch him bleed out and be done with him once and for all," Rei began to explain, remembering it all so vividly as Frasier looked at her with some intrigue.

"But obviously you didn't, because he's still standing. Change of heart I take it?" he deduced as Rei nodded silently, unable to even answer as to why. The regret painted on her face was enough to tell the young Brit what he needed to know.

"I see...well, should he ever be in your sights again, I hope you'll remember this moment. Just know that should mercy cross your mind again, don't expect him, nor anyone else for that matter, to return the favor," Frasier lectured before he passed her by, tossing a now empty jerry can aside as the smooth concrete floor now reeked of gasoline.

"Want to do the honors?" he then asked with a lit match in hand, figuring she'd feel somewhat better being the one to burn this outpost to the ground. He watched as she carefully took the match and gently tossed it over towards the long trail he'd made leading back into the outfitted warehouse.

The moment the match touched the trail; the small twitch of light exponentially grew into raging flames and followed its predetermined path. The heat hit both survivors like a strong gust of wind, the darkness around them expelled by the bright flames. Embers started to float about the scene as they took their leave, well aware that this was going to attract a lot of attention.

On one hand there was now a deep sense of personal victory for them, knowing that this loss was going to be a major thorn in Shido's side. On the other hand however, they were well aware they'd just kicked a major hornet nest with this open display of defiance. War was coming to the mall, and it would be in their best interest to be long gone before it arrived.

On the way back, there wasn't much else left to say after what nearly happened to Rei. Frasier's betrayal was still so fresh in her mind, that even if it was a part of his plan, those people got way too close and personal for her to just let it go. Left in a torn up nightgown with just her frilly bra and panties underneath, the chilled air finally caused her to start shivering and trembling.

She glanced over to the side to see a nearby clothing outlet that seemed to be completely untouched, save for a few cracks in the display windows and knocked over racks of try-out clothes. The front door was propped wide open, as if inviting any who passed by to cone in.

"Why are you stopping? We have to keep moving before they find out what we just did," Frasier said in reminder as he slowed down to glance back at Rei.

"Can I just quickly grab something to put on?" she asked softly, bowing her head while trying to keep from crying, a sickening feeling clenching her stomach as she instinctively brought her hands over her undergarments in a feeble attempt to hide her shame.

"What? Now? We're almost home, can't you just-" he began to lecture, stopping himself when he could see the pain in her eyes; realizing that she had to be feeling degraded and quite vulnerable in the state she was in.

"Never mind. Take your time," the eldest Lawson said, almost apologetically even before checking to make sure the small clothing shop wasn't harboring any surprises for them.

"Looks clear. I'll keep an eye outside while you change," Frasier announced, motioning her to move in as he tried to avoid making eye contact.

Rei didn't bother wasting any time trying to find something that suited her tastes, all she cared about was not looking so exposed anymore. As she moved further into the shadows, all at once did the still silence finally seem to register to her; causing her body to involuntarily freeze as though she felt she was being watched, and not by Frasier. As she slowly began to move forward, her feet suddenly ran into some unseen obstruction.

Certain something caught at her foot; Rei suddenly felt her body tip over as something came down not too far behind her. She braced herself just in time to avoid knocking the wind out of her lungs, but she now came face to face with a dark figure obscured by the lack of light. Certain she was under attack, she let out a terrified yelp with both hands pushing back in a frantic attempt to free herself.

"Stop squirming," Frasier suddenly ordered as he grabbed whatever or whoever was on top of Rei, moving it with relative ease while remaining completely calm despite the surprise attack.

 ***Clunk***

A low thudding sound like plastic echoed out as what was thought to be another person was now revealed to be simply a mannequin Rei had managed to knock over along with herself. She just hung her head, her heart still racing and her body still trembling all over as she began gently sobbing to herself as she crossed both arms over her chest.

"W-What? Why are you crying now? It was just a display model," Frasier mumbled aloud, genuinely confused as to why she was sobbing despite nothing having come of the brief scare.

"It's not about the goddamn mannequin," Rei snapped sharply as she looked up at him with deep resentment in her red-brown eyes.

"I don't expect you to ever understand how it feels to be like the rest of us, to feel vulnerable and weak most of the time," Rei continued on as she eventually sat up and brushed herself off, ignoring how a part of her was embarrassed to mistake that dummy for another attacker.

"What almost happened back at that warehouse...that was way too close! I know you had your reasons, but who knows how long it will be before I can sleep without my back to the wall? But even aside from all that…I-I'm so tired…I'm so tired of feeling like this all the time, like I can't even protect myself, like I need everyone else to protect me instead! I hate feeling like this so much," Rei then exclaimed as she looked up, still feeling afraid and uncertain if she'd even make it back to the mall while also feeling a simmering anger twisting her stomach in knots.

"Are you angry?" Frasier finally asked bluntly, unmoved by everything she just said. A look of annoyance just took over her face, as she was almost insulted he even felt the need to ask.

"What? Of course I'm mad! What kind of question is that?" Rei answered, scowling at him.

"Good. Take this feeling of helplessness and rage, and harness it. Use it on Shido's group when they come looking for us," the eldest Lawson said with an unexpected smile while offering her a light blue jacket; speaking like she could control these feelings as simply as she would turning on a switch.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Rei grumbled, reluctantly taking the warm jacket he offered and wrapping it around herself before signaling him to look away as she put on a pair of denim blue jeans to cover her legs; also haphazardly grabbing a pair of shoes that weren't even her size.

"Before you pass judgment onto me, simply know this. I'm well aware what it means to be weak and powerless…all too well, really. It's why I did what had to be done tonight, to make sure that we could save the others from what was sure to come…regardless of my actions," he suddenly announced with his back to her still, looking up at the half full moon while sounding like a part of him wished he didn't have to get her involved.

However, Rei remained silent and walked out without even dignifying him with a response. Even if a part of her could truly see the validity in his point of view, it certainly didn't make this night any less of a nightmare for her.

The walk back luckily didn't take so long, despite the increased undead activity during the night. The two survivors' knowledge of the local area helped them avoid running into any significantly sized packs or hordes, just the occasional straggler that didn't even notice them until they were too far away to pursue. The night was still young; they had hours until the sun would rise again. The group was probably still sound asleep if luck were to be on their side.

"So what do we tell them?" Rei suddenly brought up as they entered the vacant parking lot to the mall.

"What?" Frasier mumbled as if he'd been in his own little world this whole time only to be pulled back.

"Surely they'll want to know where we've been, right?" Rei explained as she folded her arms, the look on her face showing that she had been thinking about this for quite a bit now.

"The truth. That's what you wanted me to tell from now on," the young man reminded her, certain that that was what she expected of him from this point on.

"Well of course I do, but..." Rei agreed before showing hesitation to finish what she was going to say.

"But?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow to this as he had a feeling he knew where she was going with this.

"If we tell them what you just did...my parents, especially my dad, won't see any of your logic or reason behind it. You'll just be the guy who almost got their daughter killed, and no joke, they will be out for your head," she expressed with great woe, knowing such an outcome would be unavoidable.

"I know. That's why YOU will tell them while I take my leave," Frasier said in anticipation before he set down the ammo canisters, turning his back on her with a rifle slung over his shoulder.

"What? I thought you gave up on that plan," Rei replied, naturally confused at what he was thinking now.

"That's what you were meant to believe. I only came back to ensure you made it back in one piece. If I go back and tell them the truth, either they'll kill me, or I'll kill them in self-defense; but if I go back to kill Shido alone and with no bait, I most likely won't survive. At least there's some redemption in the latter scenario. Goodbye, Miyamoto-san. Please try to understand that none of this was ever personal," Frasier announced in a grim tone, sounding rather accepting of what was no doubt certain death. A sense of deep respect could be felt at the end before he started to take his leave.

Despite what he tried to do just an hour ago, and not to mention how bitter and rude he was most of the time, something about this moment made it impossible for Rei to accept this once again. He was by no stretch of the word a close friend or companion, but there was some good deep inside him she'd never noticed up until now.

"Stop," she suddenly demanded in a sharp tone that normally wouldn't have caught his attention otherwise. One eye peered back over his shoulder as she glared at him.

"Once…and just this once, we'll lie to them. After that, everything else will be nothing but the hard, honest truth; no matter how bad it might be. Deal?" Rei offered; trying to swallow her pride, as she hated the fact she was about to lie to her parents about this night.

"Deal," Frasier sighed, somewhat unsure of this plan. Though it certainly beat recklessly throwing himself into the unknown without a real plan at hand.

Without a moment to spare, they could tell the undead in the area would converge on them if they stood around any longer. Taking the looted supplies through the side maintenance entrance Frasier had access to; they were able to get inside without much noise at all. It felt all too good to be inside where it was warm, but more importantly, secure.

A quick observation showed that thankfully nobody was up yet. No lights or candles could be seen, just the glow of the moon itself that peered through the skylights. After adding their score of munitions and weapons to the group's stockpile, they headed for the broom closet Frasier had dumped Noah's unconscious body in. Upon entering, Rei let out a shocked gasp at the sight of Noah just laying they, completely frozen yet still breathing.

"Why was he in here? How did you know he was here? What did you do to him?" Rei began to ask in a flurry of questions as Frasier knelt beside his youngest sibling.

"He was always the smartest one in our family, but he was too clever for his own good this time. He saw right through my charade earlier. Before I came for you, he confronted me and pleaded I told everyone the truth. Knowing I couldn't lie to him and get away with it, I pretended to listen long enough for him to drop his guard," Frasier explained, speaking rather admirably of Noah before watching his unconscious form.

"Unbelievable. Is there anything you wouldn't do to complete a mission?" Rei said in disgust, feeling somewhat sad that Noah had to get caught up in all this.

"After tonight, are you sure you really want the answer to that question?" Frasier asked, and the look of nervousness in Rei's eyes instantly answered him.

"Look…I know this was a hard decision for you to make tonight, but you've made the right choice by not giving in and coming back to tell the others…well, some version the truth," Rei said in an attempt to help him reconcile with everything that had happened tonight; hoping he'd at the very least learn from this mistake.

"Perhaps. All we can do now is hope the destruction of that outpost has set Shido back long enough to buy us some time to skip town," Frasier replied in a hopeful manner; pleading deep down that they weren't nearly as organized as they appeared to be when he last saw them.

"So just how hard did you hit Noah-kun? He's still out cold after all this time?" Rei suddenly asked as she guessed they had to have been gone a good couple hours, and Noah obviously would've had to have been out cold before they even left.

"I may have used an excessive amount of force than what was needed. I really couldn't risk him getting back up in the middle of it all," Frasier answered, looking down at his youngest brother before running the back of his hand along Noah's forehead.

"Just how much is excessive with you? Was it even necessary, considering this is Noah-kun we're talking about here?" Rei pressed on, uncertain as to why he'd strike down his fourteen-year-old sibling with so much power.

"He's a lot stronger than most people give him credit for. At first glance, he's just some kid that's way too eager to make a difference in the world. People underestimating him is one of his greatest advantages, always handing him an opportunity to give them far more than they bargained for," Frasier explained, well aware of how the youngest of the Lawson trio operated, and just how dangerous and capable he could be if underestimated.

"Although, that doesn't change what I've done. I'll wait here until he wakes up. Perhaps it's best you return to your quarters before anyone catches wind of what happened," Frasier then said with woe, truly sorry it had to come to this.

Without anything left needing to be said, the teenage girl nodded and took her leave.

However, just as Rei closed the door behind her, she didn't even reach the end of the hallway before she could hear what sounded like a scuffle erupting behind her. Suddenly, the door burst wide open. Spinning around, she looked just in time to see Noah up and about, running right in her direction before stopping dead in his tracks.

"Wait, you're still here?! Does that mean...I'm not too late?" Noah said in a huff, breathing heavily as he seemed absolutely relieved to see Rei.

"What just happened? Is that blood?" Rei said in confusion, quick to notice that one of his knuckles had a streak of fresh blood trickling down it.

"Possibly," Noah said in a rather flustered voice before hiding it behind his back.

Without any further exchange of words, Rei headed back to the janitors' closet, only to reel back a bit when Frasier practically bolted forward in an attempt to catch up to Noah, blood trickling down from his nose and across his lips. His pursuit was cut short the moment he could see Noah walking back with a baffled look on his face.

"W-Wait…you didn't actually go through with it after all?" Noah tried to confirm, feeling absolutely horrible that he'd just struck his older brother off of a hunch.

"It's...complicated," Frasier answered, trying to clean the blood off of himself with the handkerchief from earlier.

"I see…well, regardless of what happened after I 'mysteriously' fell unconscious and ended up in a broom closest, at least you're both still here and not out there," Noah said in a less guilty manner as it was quite obvious something had occurred in the time he was unconscious.

"Noah-kun, just how much do you know about the situation with Shido's group?" Rei suddenly asked, drawing their attention back towards her.

"I know that there's not really a peace agreement, and that you're to be traded to ensure only a few of us are spared," Noah answered without even trying to sugar coat how bad it was.

"We need to tell everyone the truth, but we can't let them know anything else, alright?" Rei explained, hoping that he'd be able to play along so this whole incident of what actually occurred never could be brought up to everyone else.

"I think I get what you're saying. Should we wake them up now? The sun will be up soon anyway," Noah acknowledged, only slightly hesitant at first before realizing it was for the best they keep things calm.

"Yes. We have to move out as soon as possible. Time is not on our side anymore," Frasier agreed before they headed off to gather the group and let them in on the situation at hand.

It was roughly fifteen minutes later that everyone had been woken up and given time to adjust to the abrupt interruption in their sleep. A chorus of grunts and groans could be heard amongst the survivors as they sat in the rather extensive lounge of the would-be Starbucks. The coffee machine was already bubbling as Rei prepared a brew to help pull them all away from the urge to go back to sleep.

"Alright, you three have effectively ruined a good dream I was having, so this had better be damn good. What's all this about?" Rika finally announced in order to break the momentary silence as she began to tap her nails impatiently against the countertop.

"It's about that deal I made with Shido," Frasier began to explain, trying to find the right words to explain this to them without inciting a panic.

"Why? Did something go wrong?" Saya asked out of sheer skepticism; forming an irked frown, as she didn't like how vague and mysterious he was being about all this.

"You can tell us anything, Frasier-kun," Saeko suddenly said in reinforcement, hoping she could get him to come forth with the news he clearly was having trouble announcing.

"Don't hold back if it's important," Marcus added, the others beginning to look concerned as Frasier kept quite before eventually taking a deep breath.

"Last night I had a strong hunch over the deal I secured. It didn't feel right and my instincts began to take over my judgment. So while I was on watch, I couldn't help but temporarily abandon my post to investigate what they were up to. Not even a mile out, I found an outpost armed to the teeth. I got close enough to listen in, and I overheard them saying that they plan to attack the mall at dawn," the eldest Lawson fabricated, trying to make it somewhat believable without too much warrant for suspicion.

"My God..." Kiriko muttered, looking over at Tadashi as he glanced back to her worriedly before they both looked back to Frasier.

"Goddammit, I KNEW this was too good to be true," Saya grumbled in angry disbelief; trying to hide the fact she was terrified of Shido's cult.

"So what did you do next?" Noah then urged on, trying to keep things going as Frasier was really just reciting a story he'd actually come up with just before they gathered the others.

"I neutralized the outpost, took as many resources as I could possibly carry, then burnt it to the ground. With any luck, it was their forward position, and it'll stall them for a bit while we escape and leave this damn city behind forever," Frasier finished, motioning towards the weapons and extra munitions propped on one of the tables to back up his claims.

"You attacked them? You're absolutely certain they were going to attack?" Takashi said, wanting to confirm that this wasn't all done on just a hunch.

"How can you even question Frasier-san? We know Shido is a snake in the grass. We're just lucky our friend here did what had to be done," Hitomi suddenly said in his defense. A momentarily visible look of shock could be seen on his face.

"Friend?" Frasier muttered out of genuine surprise, not quite sure how to interpret that sentimentality coming from the one person he'd butted heads with the most.

"That's right. I know we didn't always see eye to eye at first, but after this, I think it's quite clear whose side you're on," Hitomi confirmed with an almost glowing smile of compassion.

"She's right. You are a truly honorable person, and my family is in your debt once more. When this is all over, I insist we pay you back somehow," Tadashi said in agreement with Hitomi before vowing that they'd never forget his deeds.

"I knew you had it in you, Frasier," Marcus said with a proud nod of acceptance.

"Yes...well, we're not out of the woods just yet. All I've done is merely delay the inevitable. We need to head out as soon as possible," Frasier reaffirmed, knowing that now wasn't the time to celebrate.

"You've got it, kid. Just give us a bit more time and we'll be out within the next few hours," Sho said with reassurance, almost as if momentarily forgetting about that personal grudge of his in regard to Frasier.

"Alright! Its officially time to get a move on, you maggots! Grab your crap and let's get ready to head out," Rika ordered, as they were all quick to respond to her command.

Without a moment to spare, everyone was off to gather what they needed with a renewed zeal. While it did hamper their spirits that the sense of peace was now gone, it did help to know they still had a fighting chance now. Frasier watched them go one by one as his group, his friends, his family, left the room to gather what they could; watching how they looked at him, how he could see something on their faces he didn't see up until now: a look of absolute trust in him which made his heart sink, knowing it was all based on a lie to cover up his deception. Guilt began to grasp his neck until he firmly cleared his throat, looking out at the sunrise as he could see the smoke from the outpost fire ominously trail up into the morning sky.


	19. Chapter 19: Rise and Fall

**Several days previously…**

 **Z-Day+17**

The inside of the makeshift torture chamber was as silent as the grave as Koichi Shido squatted down to look upon the carnage that had been wrought. Two of his people, the people he'd relied on to help keep his happy little family running; utterly brutalized and dead on the floor. One had nearly had his face smashed in, with a clear footprint upon his crushed throat to top it all off; and the other was missing one of his hands, which was currently sitting in the corner of the room with a scalpel still in its grip; and a grotesque blade wound upon his face, as though someone had rammed a machete right into it.

But what was worst of all wasn't the fact that two of his people, his followers, his soldiers, were now dead; but rather it was the fact that his prisoner, the one person he knew would've been able to grant him some leverage against those that had dared to stand against him, was nowhere to be seen. And better yet, nobody under his command, in their seemingly infinite uselessness, had any idea where he could've gone, or where the strangers that had decided to shoot up his stronghold in the dead of the night, could've fled to.

As he continued to gaze upon the carnage that even still had left this room painted in blood, all Shido could think to himself was how dearly he would savor every moment when he'd finally get his hands on the ones responsible for doing this to him, and taking all the time in the world to make every last one of them suffer in the most unimaginable and…in his case, enjoyable ways, until their last dying breath. The one thing that quelled the silent yet seething rage inside him was that he didn't even have to guess as to who was really responsible.

The timing was too close, too perfect. There was no doubt in his mind it was the eldest brother of those damned Lawson's; come back to reap vengeance on him and his school for holding his family prisoner, just as that upstart little shit Noah had vowed. Just the very thought that these…CHILDREN, had the sheer gall to do this to him where he slept, had removed all traces of any remaining fear in his heart and replaced it only with anger, hatred, and a disturbing sense of clarity; a certainty in just what he had to do to make everything right again.

"Shido-san, are you in there?" Tatsuya's unmistakable voice suddenly called from the other side of the door, momentarily snapping Shido out of his mental reverie.

"Yes, Tatsuya-san, what is it now?" he replied without even trying to hide the impatience he had for anything remotely trivial like he usually did.

"Well could you please come out here? I don't feel like yelling this through a door, plus it's pretty damn serious," Tatsuya asked; spurring the former teacher to practically throw the door open while his yakuza compatriot stood his ground; unperturbed by the deathly angry look on Shido's face.

"We've got a serious goddamn problem with the people right now. Take a look," the former gangster said while jerking his thumb towards the nearest window. With an aggravated grunt, Shido looked out, and what he saw struck multiple chords in him at once: shock, desperation, betrayal and rage.

Out in the front entrance of the school, over half of his people were crowding at the gates; each carrying a rifle on their back and as many bags of food or jugs of water as they could carry. And from the looks of it, those of his people that weren't trying to bum rush the gate were barely able to keep the rest back as it was.

"Looks like our uninvited guests stirred up a dormant hornet's nest, huh?" Tatsuya asked, obviously rhetorically, while Shido clutched the window frame to the point his knuckles were turning white. How dare these people think to take what he had helped them provide themselves with and leave him behind? How dare they turn their back on him and try to flee for themselves? He wasn't going to be left behind, not by worthless insects like these. He wasn't going to have gone through all the effort he did to rally them under his cause just to have them run at the first sign of trouble.

Looking upon the panicked mob now, Shido instantly knew he was going to get them all back under his control and more obedient and devout than ever, no matter how many of them he'd have to make permanent examples out of to do it.

But all at once did the people's panicked cries and Shido's maelstrom of thought get silenced by the piercing scream of a single woman, echoing out from somewhere else on the school grounds, quickly followed by a similar scream of horror from a man in the same direction.

As if a switch had been simultaneously flipped in everyone's heads; the crowd began to move as one around the main school building and to the athletic field; everyone coming to a stop when they were met with the sight of several of their fellow survivors either fleeing from or being ganged upon by a frighteningly large gathering of 'Them' scattered all across the field. And all the while, Shido and Tatsuya observed it all from the windows as they too had rushed to the other side to follow the screams.

"How the fuck did this happen? I thought those assholes only blew one hole through the wall out front? How could the dead have gotten here without everyone else noticing?" Tatsuya asked mostly to himself while Shido had to hold onto the window frame to keep from collapsing to his knees as he watched his people run for their lives from the massacre on the athletic field.

"Look. All that gunfire drew every last one of those things for kilometers all around. Those ones tore through the fences on the other side," the teacher barely managed to mutter before pointing out that indeed, the iron fence lining the other side of the athletic field had been torn down as though by a stampede.

Before Tatsuya could reply, the sound of panicked footsteps echoing down the halls drew both men's attention to a pale and terrified-looking Tsunoda collapsing to his knees; gasping for breath; his eyes wide and his face dotted in a frigid sweat of unparalleled fear.

"Shido-sensei, those monsters are all over the field, and there are more pouring in through the torn down fences! Nearly everybody who'd been setting up the tents out there's been eaten. Everyone's in a panic, and who knows how long before more start pouring in through the hole in the front?! What do we do, sensei?!" the teenage boy spoke in a rush, as if struggling to maintain enough composure to form words before Tatsuya yanked him back to his feet by his collar and gave him a single hard backhand to the face.

"What do you mean 'what do you do'?! You've all got guns! I've been training you all how to use them! What the fuck are you all running for?! You should be blasting those rotten sacks of pus to kingdom come right now!" the former gangster growled before roughly turning Tsunoda around by his shoulders and shoving him forward before quickly taking off himself down the hall.

"T-Tatsuya-san, where do you think-?" Shido began to speak out before Tatsuya stopped in his tracks and swiftly stepped up to the former teacher he clearly towered over in both height and muscular girth.

"Come with me, Shido-san. We're going to the armory, getting ourselves geared up, and you're going to show those people why they joined you in the first place. Why I joined you and agreed to train you and all those civilians out there in the first place. Make no mistake, the only reason I decided to stick with you is because you've got the organization and the ability necessary to truly make this place a godsend for your people. Now prove to me that my helping you up to this point wasn't a waste of my time."

 _Nearly two hours later…_

The battle to clear out the quickly growing numbers of the dead that had poured into Fujimi Academy through both holes in the walls had not been easy. In fact, it had to instantly stand out as the single hardest period for every single person sheltered here since the day of the outbreak. Not only had nearly two dozen of their people been eaten by 'Them' before they'd even thought to fight back, but even after Tatsuya, Shido, and the rest of their security forces had come barreling out of the school with guns; fighting back with the ferocity and skill needed to finally inspire everyone else to do the same; the battle was still nearly overwhelming.

It seemed that with each one of 'Them' they'd managed to kill, twenty more would take its place, and just as everyone among them who had even a passing knowledge of guns had feared, it seemed like no time at all until their ammo count had become dangerously low; forcing the better fighters among them to take up the nearest blade or blunt object they could find to fight back the seeming waves of the dead.

What had only been a couple hours felt like an entire day once the stench of rotted flesh, gore and suffocating smoke from the fires that had by then consumed the athletic field had subsided. At long last, the virtual flood of 'Them' had been wiped out; littering nearly the entire school grounds with headless or dismembered corpses, not counting those once among the survivors unlucky enough to have gotten piled upon and torn to pieces.

There were no cheers, no cries of victory or relief of any sort. All that was to be heard was the collective gasping for breath of all the now battle-worn survivors as they could only gaze upon the carnage that had befallen what they felt was their one safe haven in this world ruled by death. As if getting raided by a group of marauding strangers wasn't bad enough, they had to go and leave a door wide open for those undead monsters to come in to boot, and the price these people all had come to pay was nearly astronomical. There were no cheers, no cries of relief or disbelief. Only the few and far removed sobs of those that had finally found the time to realize their loved ones and friends had been lost among all the madness.

No orders had to be given for all the bodies, undead and survivor alike, to be moved into a single pile far away from the school for burning. It had come to be routine on the few occasions the dead had piled up against the walls in considerable numbers; and in a way the people had come to realize this was no different.

All the while, as everybody else did what they could to clear away all the body parts and wash away the blood, Shido could only wander around what he had considered his domain; a psychological limp evident in his step, as though he were still in the reels of shellshock as he could only look upon all the carnage and destruction that had been wreaked upon what he had fought so hard to reclaim and rebuild. And every step of the way, Tatsuya was loyally at his side, keeping a watchful eye over the deathly silent teacher.

For the duration of the struggle, Tatsuya had to be the one to step out onto the frontlines, get everyone else's heads into the game, and give them the drive to fight back; which he knew was only helped by the fact that he'd been the one to train everyone here how to shoot and had come out decked in the hardware to back it up. All the while, despite Shido having come out alongside him, the teacher had been nowhere to be seen in the midst of all the chaos. Whether Tatsuya had simply lost track of him or the teacher had slipped back into the school like a coward, neither of the men knew that it really mattered. Even if the momentary glints of dissatisfaction in Tatsuya's eyes directed toward Shido when his back was turned said otherwise.

Tatsuya had really been hoping that seeing his own people getting attacked would've been enough to spur Shido into taking some real action, instead of treating everything like some kind of psychological strategy game like he had been before. But alas, for all intents and purposes, given the fact Shido looked to have no burns on his clothes, or tears or blood on him to be seen, it seemed like it simply wasn't meant to be.

But did the intimidating yakuza regret stepping up to secure this place as he had, even though the man called their leader seemed to have proven himself a coward? He couldn't rightfully say he did. Gangster or not, Tatsuya still lived by his own unbreakable code, even in spite of the society that code would've thrived under no longer existing. Sure, he had more than a few bones to pick with the cops as a whole, hence why he had no objections when Shido had ordered for that detective Miyamoto to be tortured. But personal grudges and criminal pastime aside, Tatsuya didn't consider himself to be heartless. He knew this whole situation with people coming back from the dead demanded the human race come together and cooperate for once in their miserable lives if they were to survive. And as such, he didn't regret still being here despite being under the leadership of a man who clearly lacked a serious backbone.

But despite his willingness to stick around to make sure these civilians could survive, he knew he didn't have the natural charisma or knack for organization and leadership that others did. The people that had that talent, he could just feel it in them when first meeting them. It was what drew him into his yakuza family in the first place, and it was what had convinced him into joining Shido's group, despite not a single one of them having a combat-effective bone in their bodies among them. But now, walking through the wreckage of Fujimi Academy, the former gangster found himself torn between his need for a real leader, and his unwillingness to just leave these people to die.

And as for Koichi Shido, whatever emotions he may have been feeling or whatever thoughts were going through his head as he looked upon the aftermath were a mystery to all but himself. The sensations of guilt, remorse and sadness for allowing so many of the people under his command to die never once had occurred to him. All he could see was that the place he called his home had been broken into, and his personal protectors and servants had been killed in the process, leaving him with lesser manpower to see his abstract visions for the future through.

And once more, it all came back down to those he knew were responsible. There couldn't have been that many people left in this goddamn city who would've had the equipment and sheer brass to pull something like this off. It had to be those Lawson's, and that forsaken group that Takashi Komuro was leading, just like Noah had told him.

The sheer disrespect he'd received from that little Miyamoto brat the last time they'd met was bad enough, but now they would go so far as to attack him outright, and kill his followers and spit in his face by leaving him with the wreckage? No…no, he wouldn't just go on his way this time. His pulse nearly skyrocketed as adrenaline sparked by utter rage filled his entire body. All he could see was red; red and the gleeful images of all those little vermin dead and bloody at his feet. One way or another, he was going to see them suffer for this if it was the last thing he'd ever do.

But before any more thoughts of caved in British skulls, bullet-riddled schoolboy corpses or choking the life out of disrespectful little bitch throats with his bare hands could cross his mind; the nearly deathlike silence was broken by yet another series of piercing screams.

"Oh, Goddammit, what now?" Tatsuya groaned to himself, before Shido suddenly took off in a dash toward it; spurring the visibly surprised former gangster to follow after him.

Even Shido himself was surprised by the sheer willingness his body was showing to the idea of approaching potential danger, but with every step he took, a different kind of clarity was forming in his head, as though he'd just come to realize the solution to all his problems, and the key to obtaining his new desire for blood.

Once he stepped out onto the smoldering remains of the athletic field, he swiftly weaved his way through the numerous gatherings of his startled followers as they collectively backed away through the choking white smoke that nearly filled the whole field. Once he was able to see even a foot in front of him, he could make out the sight of a handful of his female followers worriedly hovering over several other women and a couple men, all of whom were visibly bleeding from bite wounds on their arms, legs and shoulders. In spite of just how valiantly these same people had just fought to drive back the legions of the dead, no matter how much experience they had with fighting, it amounted to nothing once it came down to their friends, loved ones and even family being bitten. Shido could easily tell from the despairing looks in their eyes as they all looked to and fro for some kind of miraculous sign or offering of help.

The teacher's bespectacled gaze scanned over the entire scene, never paying heed to Tatsuya and the rest of his former students and followers watching the scene from behind him; most of them visibly surprised to finally see their once so dependable leader actually step out into the open.

But in a way, Shido knew their eyes were all on him, and he couldn't help but feel immense satisfaction from that fact. It's exactly what he wanted; exactly what he needed for what was about to happen next. This was the moment he knew was going to change everything back into his favor, at least in terms of the long run.

"Please, somebody! My brother, he needs a medic!" "Don't worry, dear, everything's going to be fine, we can help you!" "Satoshi, please, stop squirming, I need to get the belt tight enough to stop the bleeding!" "I know it'll hurt, but you're strong, Chizuru. Once we cut it off, you'll be fine, I promise," were only a handful of the desperate pleas Shido could hear all around him as he slowly approached the pitiful, and in his eyes pathetic, scene of so many of his should-be ruthless followers weeping over their clearly dying loved ones. If he hadn't been trying to keep up the unreadable façade, the sight of such weak-minded mentality would've made him want to puke. He didn't need people being weighed down by something as crippling as sentimentality; and now was the time to show it.

Only a couple of those in desperation and mourning finally noticed the shadow of the former teacher hovering over them by the time he'd brought his hand behind his back and smoothly pulled out the M1911 that Tatsuya had forced into the waistline of his pants when they'd left the armory to fight. The looks of speechless confusion, like that of a deer in headlights, that all his followers watching had didn't register to him. Koichi Shido's mind was one track, playing repeatedly over and over like a sacred mantra: arise, destroy, survive. Arise, destroy, survive. Arise, destroy, survive.

 **BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!**

The first shot had elicited a collective of shocked and even horrified gasps, but the rest were met with nothing; not even the hysterical screams he would've otherwise expected from those hovering over the bitten followers he wasted no time in putting down. The way his body seemed to move on his own, the way his aim never faltered, his hand never trembled, his gaze never left the faces of those he put a bullet into. It was like that of a soulless, well-oiled machine carrying out its ultimate purpose; one that would begin the new chapter of his nearly broken community.

The almost suffocating smell of burnt gunpowder emanating from the barrel of his pistol once all was said and done was nearly intoxicating as he silently breathed it in; gazing out over all the newly made dead bodies around his feet. The ones once trying to save them had now collapsed into inconsolable tears while he simply slipped his gun back into its place while he took a deep, almost refreshing breath to steel his nearly fried nerves, and come back to the role he'd come to perfect since the day this nightmare had all begun: the down-to-earth and compassionate leader who offered shelter and aid to all, so long as they would follow his word. Now was the time to don that mask once more, and reinvent it into something new, something glorious, something he knew would bring these dogs to his side once and for all.

And it all started with the shedding of a couple crocodile tears glistening in the rays of the now rising sun while his stunned onlookers didn't budge an inch, as if all silently demanding he say anything.

"I don't know what to say. I…I-I know you all thought I had all the answers, but…words fail me. I…I thought we would have everything settled and secure once we'd cleared and fortified this place. I never…I never thought things would turn out like THIS. I thought the dead were the only thing we would have to worry about besides maintaining food and water and supplies. I didn't think we would ever be attacked by…by OTHER PEOPLE like this.

"I'm so sorry, everyone…for everything. If I had known we would be in just as much danger here as we would be out on the streets, I would've tried harder to find us somewhere better. I'm sorry for deceiving everyone, including myself; into thinking we would have no more problems within these walls. And I'm sorry…I'm…I'm sorry that my naivety has cost us so much," Shido confessed as his voice began to crack and his knees began to shake, the show of emotional vulnerability drawing several of his onlookers to approach him.

"You all came to me seeking safety, protection, a chance to rebuild the lives we once thought we'd lost. We've all suffered in unimaginable ways to get this far, some of us even more than others; and it was only because I thought I could bring us all together to work towards a bright and glorious new future, that you all came with me through this nightmare in the first place. But I failed you all…and the price for my failure is more than I could ever ask you all to forgive.

"I believed we could all band together against this threat. I believed that for the first time in generations, we as a species could put aside our petty differences, and unite towards a greater common goal, one that has driven humanity since the dawn of time: SURVIVAL. I thought we would all be able to join hands, reclaim our home from those abominations, and create a world reborn more prosperous and unified than ever before. But I was wrong.

"No…in a way, I was both right and wrong. The living have all come to agree that our survival against the dead is the only thing left worth fighting for…but some have forgotten that it is only through peaceful unification that we can hope to survive long enough to see this plague through. Some have forgotten what it is to be a civilization. They have come to be as though we were in the Dark Ages once more: brother against brother for everything we have, innocent blood be damned," Shido's voice began to rise; his gestures more and more impassioned. By now, he had the rapt attention of all, even those over whom he'd just towered to put down their loved ones.

"And it is because of this fact that I have come to a most painful realization. What happened here was no random attack by raiders who just happened to find our home. This was deliberate, something planned and carried out by people…whom I regret to admit I know and allowed into our walls," Shido announced; mentally grinning as the nervous whispering among his onlookers could already be heard stirring.

"Some of you may remember those two foreign boys our dear Miku-chan brought with her three days ago; the ones I had you all restrain. I only did so because I needed to ensure their intentions, make sure they and their group were of no threat to us. I gave every effort I could to try and make them see how we do things, so I could convince them to tell their group to join our ranks and better our chances of reclaiming our city from the dead. But sadly, it was not to be. These boys, these…children, have already hopelessly lost their way. They've given in to their animalistic nature, discarded all semblance of civility and seek nothing more than to take what they want without hesitation! The younger warned me of the rest of their partners, that they would not take our holding those two boys kindly. I…I was a fool not to take his words to heart. I felt so sure he was only bluffing. It is yet another failure I must make up for.

"It is that very same group that is responsible for what has happened here today! They took Miku-chan hostage to ensure we couldn't pursue them, yet our brave Teru-kun and a few others took that risk to save our comrade…yet I fear the worst has happened to them in the process. It wasn't enough for them to kidnap that poor girl and do what I can only dread to imagine to her along the way, but they had to come in the dead of the night like a band of sneak-thieves, kill our friends and families where we sleep, and leave our walls wide open for the very monsters that forced us here in the first place!

"My failure of knowing when to speak softly and when to strike back against any form of aggression cost us all dearly, and that is a mistake I can only beseech you all to allow me to rectify! I had hoped we wouldn't ever have to come to this course of action, but those people have left us no choice. If we are to survive, we must show any that would wish us harm that we will not simply lay down and die for their benefit! We have sacrificed too much to get here, and we must learn to fight tooth and nail to protect what we have left! It no longer matters who it is we may have to fight, whether they be simple teenagers or not, those rules no longer have a place in this world. We are a community—no, we are a family, and we must be willing to take lethal action against all thieves and aggressors outside these walls, living and dead alike! Look and think of those dearest to you that have been lost because of those people…think of how swiftly and cruelly their lives, their hopes for survival were cut down by these monsters in human guise! Use that memory, that sorrow, that anger, and let it fuel your every action from this day forward; for that is what I intend to do. I will no longer sit at the sidelines and let whatever may come, do as it will. I will not rest until we have exacted our rightful vengeance on these soulless murderers…and if you desire so, I would gladly allow you all to help me down that path."

And all at once, the once dreadful chorus of sobs, whimpers and mournful lamentations was replaced with almost fanatical cheers and howls of mad devotion as Shido gazed upon the entranced looks in his followers' eyes; looking upon him as if he were the archangel Gabriel descended with flaming sword in hand. He had finally done it: Koichi Shido had brought these miserable husks back from the sorrowful brink and turned them into his ever loyal army with a single speech, ready and willing to kill, destroy, torture and die at his command without a second thought. He could just feel it on his skin, the sheer emotion hanging thick in the air, as the cheers never seemed to die down. The teacher could no longer resist the urge to let the most satisfying smile he could ever recall spread across his face.

"Let us start by repairing and reinforcing the fences and plugging the hole in the front wall. I will not allow a single one of us to fall victim to any prowling monsters in the night again. Then, come dawn…we'll begin our preparations to rain retribution on these murderous bastards."

 **Z-Day+21**

The last two days had been a blur for Koichi Shido. Ever since his grand speech, everything around Fujimi Academy had changed. His once docile followers were now working around the clock to secure and re-fortify the walls. Tatsuya had taken it upon himself to double down on firearm training for each and every single person that lived there; forcing them to disassemble, deep clean and reassemble their guns for hours, and then practice shooting any nearby congregations of the dead until they were able to nail headshots from at least 15 meters.

After Teru's corpse and those of his party had been found, Tsunoda had been promoted to organizing and sending out scavenging teams all across Tokonosu to secure anything and everything considered useful, whether it was meds, food, water, guns, machine parts and even vehicles their mechanics could try to get running again. But in all honesty, the scavenging was nothing but an afterthought. Shido had made it abundantly clear to all that every moment they were outside the walls, they were to keep their eyes open for any sign of their uninvited guests and where they might have been hanging their hats. It was more than enough motivation to get them chomping at the bit to head out and scour the entire city, but so far no progress had been made.

As for Shido himself, once everyone else had started taking the initiative, sweet drawn-out vengeance was all he could think about, and it drove his every action: scrubbing the walls and floor of their makeshift holding cell in the basement until it was spotless, removing the cage and mounting hooks on the wall to attach a pair of chains and shackles. At least twice a day, Shido tested how strong the mounted hooks were; testing to see how much strain the chains could take, as though to see if they could hold someone trying to get out of them. And every time, the hooks never even budged.

Shido could just imagine it now: any one of the disrespectful little whores following Komuro and those infuriating Lawson's, chained up like livestock and helpless before the whims of he and his entire army. Any one of them would do, they were all equally guilty and deserving of his brand of justice. But one in particular carried a greater sense of satisfaction above all else. The one he would personally dedicate all his time to breaking if fate would smile on him.

 **Creak**

The sound of the door above opening snapped Shido out of his reverie as the familiar suited form of Tatsuya soon stepped in from the stairwell; his eyes looking on in disinterest over the by-now familiar setup of the teacher's new torture chamber.

"Everything still prepared and functioning as you wanted, I hope?" the ex-gangster asked as Shido brushed some hanging bangs of hair from his face; shrugging his shoulders as though in feigned ignorance.

"Only ensuring everything's secure enough, just in case any troublemakers we'd have to hold down here won't be able to make another escape," he attempted to explain while Tatsuya just rolled his eyes.

"You don't have to lie to me, you know. Frankly, I could give two shits what you want to do down here. It's your plan, do whatever you want. Just, uh…depending who exactly you have in mind to use this on, don't expect me to be participating," Tatsuya retorted; not shaken by the visible look of disapproval behind Shido's glasses.

"I see; the idea of exercising your will on the fairer sex not pleasing to you? It's not exactly a fortuitous time for you to suddenly have morals, Tatsuya-san. Though I must admit I'm surprised someone like you was capable of having morals to begin with," Shido hissed while Tatsuya just stared back down at the scrawny excuse of a man. While his little speech and visible passion two days ago had definitely impressed the former yakuza, his little tendency to be on his own and making his little torture/pleasure chamber all hours of the day while everyone else was pulling real weight set Tatsuya right back on that same personal line again; teetering between his desire for a real leader and his unwillingness to abandon the others. The teacher's little attitude right now certainly wasn't helping either.

"Let's not go below the belt here, Shido-san. You wanted me to beat the hell out of that cop, Miyamoto? Fine, no problem. He got friends of mine put in prison, so that little bone to pick made it all the easier. But don't think I don't see what you're really up to down here. I remember what you said to him to get under his skin, how you'd let all the men take turns on his little girl. Don't go thinking I'm too stupid to put the pieces together."

"Well, good for you, you have a conscience somewhere in there. Nobody said you had to stay here anymore, Tatsuya-san. If my making sure everything's in place to make sure those brats get the comeuppance they deserve bothers you so much, then you can just head out that gate and be back on your merry way just like you were when my people found you," Shido didn't even bother pretending to sound sad at the prospect of his strongest cohort leaving; which only irked Tatsuya even further.

"You should just count yourself lucky I don't want to leave the others hanging. They've made considerable progress in their training, but it's still not enough for me to feel comfortable leaving them to their own devices with that kind of hardware," Tatsuya relented with a heavy sigh, while Shido smirked to himself while his back was turned.

"Very well, then. I'm glad to see we could get that little dilemma settled. Now, is there anything else of considerable importance you came down here to share? Any news from Tsunoda's scavenging teams on that smoke we saw two days ago?" the teacher asked, clearly bored with their talk while Tatsuya straightened himself out, ready to get back to business.

"Well, now that the flames died down, they were able to actually get close. Looks like it originated in what I could only guess was a hotel of some kind. Some of the neighboring buildings got pretty badly burned, but at least they're still standing. This place however got razed to the ground. We can't tell if it was maybe a result of a malfunction with the basement boiler or something like that," Tatsuya went down the mental checklist of everything Tsunoda had described.

"There was one thing that definitely got those boys excited, though. Outside the ruins, there were quite a lot of slain dead scattered around, with bullets and bladed weapons specifically. There weren't any remotely fresh bodies at the scene, either. All the corpses had been…well, relatively dead for quite a while. The only other clue we noticed was several differing pairs of shoe prints in the soot. They tried to follow them, but the trail faded before they could really cover any distance."

Tatsuya wasn't able to see it, but while his back was turned, Shido's eyes showed nothing but glee. He couldn't have asked for a better hint on where to find his prey. It took all his willpower to keep from laughing hysterically, but he fortunately swallowed it all down before he turned to address his bodyguard.

"That's good to know. Tell Tsunoda-kun I want him and his whole scavenging party to conduct patrols all around that general area, perhaps enough to cover a couple blocks in every direction. I also want you to put some of our best lookouts or sharpshooters, whoever we may have that can keep themselves out of sight, on the rooftops so they can keep an eye out. If any one of those brats comes crawling back to that spot, I want our people to try and track them, see where they're calling home now."

"Understood, Shido-san. Are you sure you don't want me to go out there with them, just to provide some extra muscle?" Tatsuya asked rhetorically. He'd come to recognize Shido wasn't the kind of person to take any kind of insubordination or anything he could misconstrue as disobedience well. If their minor disagreement minutes ago were any indication, he wouldn't have been surprised if the bespectacled man would've taken the first possible chance to get the ex-yakuza out of his hair.

"I don't think that's entirely necessary. Your guidance has proven more than satisfactory in that our people are far more capable of defending themselves and this place should the need to do so ever arise again. But it would still do my heart some good to know you're always by my side in case things should ever turn ugly. Besides, if the time may ever come I'm not certain of the benefits of my decisions, I would much appreciate your…carefully considered input."

Tatsuya didn't even bother to verbally state the irritation he felt at Shido's badly veiled little threat and his condescending attitude. He knew the man would never take input from anyone else. He just knew Tatsuya was exactly the kind of muscle he needed to keep his ass from getting blown or bitten off. And while the former gangster was definitely not one for being talked down to, he knew a hair trigger temper benefited no one in the long run, so he'd just swallow his pride and let that be the end of it.

Before another word could be said, the silence was broken by the familiar electric feedback of the walkie-talkie strapped to Tatsuya's belt. It's been a measure he himself had insisted upon once the new scavenging teams had been organized, in order to keep communication between parties going, and just in case anyone ever ran into trouble and needed backup.

By now realizing Shido had moved on to going over the assortment of surgical tools and other 'little toys' he had organized along the walls, Tatsuya moved back to the stairwell to address whoever had picked now to call him.

Shido meanwhile slowly ran his fingers along the assortment of scalpels, dentistry equipment, ropes, whips, needles and other little treasures he was only growing more and more eager to use. He impulsively licked his lips in delight at the idea of finally getting to drive one of these sewing needles into that infuriating little bitch daughter of Detective Miyamoto's in particular; the very thought of hearing her whimpers of pain as he screwed each one into any soft part of her body he wanted and getting to watch her bleed as a result producing an intense stirring in his loins. If he'd be so lucky as to bring her here alive, he swore to himself he'd make every day and night for her a living hell of unimaginable pain and personal shame; which for him couldn't have been a more pleasant thought.

The familiar strong grip of Tatsuya's hand on his shoulder shook Shido out of his fantasies of perverse bloodshed, and where he was expecting that same stoic disapproving grimace, he instead found a man who looked genuinely impressed, with what he couldn't guess.

"That was another of the salvage crews, the one we sent to the north edge of the city. They found what was left of a JGSDF checkpoint, looked like it either got overrun, or the soldiers abandoned it in a hurry. But they didn't leave everything behind. They found an APC with a mounted turret, and according to one of our mechanics that went with, it's still able to run. They're driving it back here as we speak."

"Didn't one of the arrivals that showed up with you say he was once an SDF instructor? Do you think he could be able to train any of our people how to operate that turret?" Shido didn't hesitate to ask; sounding like he was on the verge of flat out cheering.

"Yeah, I remember hearing someone here talking about that. Once the crew returns, I can smoke them out and see if they're up to it," Tatsuya accepted; deciding to head back up the stairwell and leaving Shido to his devices once more. Once the door up above shut, the teacher began chuckling to himself almost giddily, like a child on Christmas morning.

"Mobile, fully armored firepower…" Shido muttered to himself in astonishment, no longer able to keep from laughing hysterically. This was just too perfect. As if having a trained army under his heels wasn't good enough, now he had not only a vehicle capable of mowing down all that would ever stand in his way, but the perfect tool of intimidation he didn't even realize he'd always desired.

 **Z-Day+22**

"You're absolutely certain about this thing being able to stop a bullet close range?" Shido asked the gruff-looking older man watching over him as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He almost couldn't recognize himself with a tactical Kevlar vest underneath his open suit jacket.

"I wouldn't exactly have had much of a career training SDF recruits if I wasn't sure, would I? Take my word for it, Shido-san, if some asshole tries to pull a .357 on you, that vest is your biggest lifeline; so long as you don't advertise you're wearing it, otherwise they'll probably just shoot you in the head. Granted, you're still gonna feel that impact, and it's gonna hurt like a son of a bitch, but some major bruising and a few cracked ribs or a broken shoulder blade is better than bleeding to death like a stuck pig, right?"

While he didn't particularly care for the old man's blunt nature in answering his questions, Shido couldn't disagree. This vest would be his last resort for defense if push came to shove, and he would make sure he wouldn't set foot outside his walls without it.

He still couldn't quite believe it. When Tatsuya had said the abandoned SDF checkpoint still had some hardware left, even he didn't think the salvage crew would have come back with as much as it did. The APC he'd been informed of was practically a goldmine; perfect for the confrontation he knew was bound to come, especially since he took every opportunity he could get to get his people fired up for when the time would come for payback.

But the APC was just the tip of the iceberg. They'd come back with two crates full of frag grenades, even heavier caliber assault rifles, shotguns and pistols. Unfortunately there hadn't been any explosives or sniper rifles or any other long-distance equipment left they could've used, but he wasn't about to turn his nose up at the idea of backup firepower.

"And you're sure there weren't any more of these vests with what they brought back?" Shido asked as he finally nodded at his reflection in satisfaction and began buttoning up his jacket to cover up his vest.

"I looked it all over, top to bottom. Looks like you really lucked out, Shido-san. Everybody insisted you be the one to wear it," the old SDF trainer admitted; somehow not noticing the barely visible smirk on Shido's face.

'Excellent. Those mongrels are just as loyal as I could ever want them to be. Who cares how many of them have to get cut down when we take those little shits out? So help me, I'll be the one to see the end of all this, one way or another,' he thought boastfully to himself.

"Has anyone been able to pick up on your lessons on how to operate that turret, Watanabe-san?" he continued with his questions as he began making his way back out to the halls; the windows lining the length looking out over the entrance courtyard, where everyone was once again busy hauling away crates of guns, ammunition and everything else they could've possibly needed. By now, his once ragtag band of survivors looked like a legitimate army, and the courtyard now resembled more of a boot camp.

"A few of them have been getting the hang of it. Thankfully those things aren't too tough to handle, and we still have a healthy supply of ammo for it, so long as nobody goes crazy with it," the old man called Watanabe explained while Shido was now practically beaming. He couldn't have asked for a better turnout. All he needed now was a place, and he could have his entire army roll over anything and everything that would stand in their way once and for all.

However, just as Shido had reached the bottom of the stairs to the first floor entrance hall, he was greeted by one of the followers he remembered volunteering for city lookout duty; he vaguely recalled her name being Kim, or something along those lines, he didn't really care either way. What got his attention was the surprisingly excited look in her eyes.

"Shido-sama, I'm sorry to bother you, but I've got some…well, bad news, and some VERY good news, too," Kim didn't waste any more time; to which Shido only raised an eyebrow to show she had his interest.

"Unfortunately…I regret to inform you, Tsunoda-kun and his search party are…" she began; and just the way she was wording it drove Shido to sigh in aggravation; lifting his glasses so he could rub his eyes.

"How did it happen? Do you have any idea?" he asked while remembering to put on as much of an emotional front as he could without going too over the top. Of course, neither Kim nor Watanabe were any the wiser. Truth be told, Shido couldn't have cared less about that loudmouthed, hair-triggered little punk, Tsunoda. He was a shit student in the days before, and he was far too volatile, unpredictable, and prone to letting his own insecurities and emotions get the better of him to be of any legitimate use these days. He was just a good lapdog when Shido needed him to be. But now that he had an entire army at his command? What good was one sniveling little brat next to nearly 50 trained and willing killers?

"Earlier this morning, I was patrolling the rooftops down near the center of the city, around the Onbetsu River; when I got a call on the radio from one of Tsunoda's crew. I don't know if they were calling me specifically or if I was just on the same frequency, but that doesn't matter. I heard them say they'd found that kid from before, Noah, with Miku-chan, and they were searching through the ruins of that hotel before heading for a nearby hospital. That was the last I heard from them, so I booked it as fast as I could.

"By the time I finally got there, Noah and Miku-chan were coming out of the hospital holding hands. I could hear all the dead inside even from where I was, so I didn't dare get closer, but I know those two didn't see me. So I decided to follow them, and they went all the way to some shopping mall in the northwest part of town," Kim explained while Shido took everything in and kept repeating it in his head, as if to make sure he had all the facts.

"And you're absolutely certain that's where they went? You don't suppose they tried to lose you through there and come out the other side?" he pressed the woman further, to which she didn't back down and instead crossed her arms with a confident smirk on her face. "I looked the place over myself, Shido-sama. There were hardly any corpses all across the parking lot, which alone would tell me somebody's got a pretty nice sniper setup on that rooftop, not to mention the manpower to clean out the corpses when it's all clear. Plus I checked all around the perimeter, and the front doors were not only chained and padlocked, but they had a whole elaborate barricade of furniture piled up against it from the inside. Plus, the underground entrance for the buses still had its doors bolted shut."

"And this town's too small for a complex underground railway system, so that eliminates those means for anyone or anything to get inside through a station entrance. It really is the perfect setup. That has to be where they're hiding, no other place in the city would be that well secured," Shido whispered to himself as he began pacing in circles; running through a thousand options in his head at once while Kim, Watanabe, and soon enough Tatsuya watched him intently.

"So now you've got everything you wanted. You got an intimidating ride, you got the firepower and the numbers that know how to use them, and you know where those little brats are staying. You want me to round everyone up so we can move out?" Tatsuya asked before Shido suddenly stopped in his tracks; a razor sharp glint in his eye indicating he'd just struck a golden idea.

"Not just yet. If Miku-chan was with Noah-kun, and didn't try to make an escape when Tsunoda-kun's team followed after them, then I'm afraid that means she must be cooperating with them. But for now let's stick with what we do know for sure. If Noah-kun was able to get out of that hospital alive, and Tsunoda-kun and his team are all dead, there's no doubt he's going to tell everyone else in his group about that attack. Which means if we were to mobilize now, they'd be expecting it, and after the stunt they pulled on us here, I don't want to take any chances with what they could have in store for us."

"But how many of them could there possibly be? And what kind of firepower could they really have on them? Not to mention they're a bunch of kids, I seriously doubt they have the know-how to operate heavy-duty vehicles or heavy artillery. We could just form an offensive line, roll up with the APC and send them all into a panic," Tatsuya suggested, before Shido snapped his fingers and looked his bodyguard in the eye.

"What if, instead of confronting them all at once and taking them all out in the open; we instead bring one of them, their leader, to us?" he asked; earning looks of realization in any of his onlookers who were listening.

"You mean we lure him out and take him as a hostage to draw the others out?" Kim asked; a wide smile on her face at the teachers' strategic brilliance.

"Even better: we use their leader to tear them apart from the inside out. We arrange a one-on-one meeting at a location of my choice, I give him my terms, and if he doesn't go through with them, we kill him and every single person in his group. And if he does…well, the rest will become so disorganized by the time we arrive, it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel."

"Do you really think they'd even be willing to meet up with you like that, Shido-san? How do you know they won't just throw your invitation back in your face? These kids seem pretty ballsy from what they left behind last time," Tatsuya said with reasonable doubt, but Shido looked undeterred.

"If they have any real will to live, they'll listen to what I have to say. It'll get me the results I want much faster, anyway." Shido brushed off Tatsuya's concerns as he walked off confidently, no doubt to instruct someone else to get a message sent out. As he watched the teacher disappear from sight, Tatsuya had no idea what to expect anymore. Anyone else would've just taken the guns and the APC and recognized it for the perfect show of force to talk anyone out of attacking them. But Shido…he could just hear it in his voice, see it written all over his face: he wasn't going to back down from his original promise to the others. He was going to massacre this group of 'kids' as he kept insisting they were, no matter what.

 **Z-Day+24**

"What makes you so certain Lawson's going to go for it, anyway? If he was gutsy enough to try that bullshit ruse with the bootlace, what makes you think he wasn't just agreeing to what you wanted to get you to lower your guard?" Tatsuya questioned while Shido remained seated behind his old classroom podium, gazing out the window at the light of the full moon above.

"I understand your being cautious, Tatsuya-san. I would be as well if things had gone any other way. But as I told you before, I have a gift for being able to read people, and that talent has never let me down before. Yes, Frasier-kun was cocky in trying to bluff us, but I think seeing firsthand how ready those people out there are willing to die for this cause knocked him down a few pegs. And if that didn't do it, the APC certainly did. I saw it in his eyes, all that bravado was gone. He knows this is the only real chance he has at getting out of this with his little brothers intact. But more importantly, he knows that if he even thinks of pulling anything else, he'll never get out of this city alive."

"Not that you ever planned on letting those kids live to begin with, right?" Tatsuya muttered under his breath, although fully aware Shido could still hear him as he focused his piercing gaze on the ex-gangster.

"Do unto your enemies as they do unto you. It's one of the oldest foundations of a system of justice. Those 'kids' snuck into our home, murdered several of the people we called our friends and brothers and sisters, and left our walls wide open for the dead to pick off even more of us. If we simply backed down and didn't seek a fitting retribution, not only would it make us look weak to any other strangers that would seek to take what we have for themselves, but it would make me look weak in front of my own people all over again. And I for one have worked far too hard bringing them all around from the verge of panic to simply let it all go to waste. Those people still want blood for their families and friends, and I intend to deliver," Shido hissed; his face almost turning red with barely restrained anger at Tatsuya's dissent.

"I get that, but we're still talking about a bunch of kids here. Yeah, that Lawson boy clearly has more of a backbone and willingness to kill than most people in general; even I could recognize that. If I have to take him out to keep myself alive, I'll do it. But the rest of his people, his brothers, they're just a bunch of dumb kids that are scared and desperate to survive like the rest of us. I'm not saying to forgive them, not in the slightest. When somebody does me wrong, I intend to make them pay in full for it. But are you seriously telling me you're willing to throw away all that fancy talk you made about bringing about a new, prosperous future for the sake of a vendetta against a handful of children?"

Even Tatsuya himself couldn't fathom where all this pent up energy and desire for reason within himself had come from. Perhaps it was the fact he could feel the tension in the air settling amongst everyone in the school, and it left him with a terrible feeling of foreboding, as if he could just tell what was soon to come. Or perhaps it was that pesky soft spot he'd always kept hidden deep down for those he knew were only trying to defend themselves against a power bigger than themselves. Or maybe it was just plain old selfishness and he didn't want to see the one place that could keep him sheltered in the middle of the apocalypse collapse. Whatever it was, he didn't have any more time to dwell on it as Shido turned his back on him, as if he felt the former yakuza wasn't even worth the effort of looking in the eye.

"I would tell you 'no'…if there were any children left. They don't get to be children anymore, not after what they've done to us…to ME. They've made it clear they wish to handle this deadly new world like adults, just like the rest of us. Well, now they're going to learn to face the same consequences as the rest of us. And if you want to continue living safely here for however much longer this undead problem persists, I'd suggest you swallow that bleeding heart of yours and do as you're told," the teacher replied coldly, to which Tatsuya just grunted in disgust. Yes, it was true, he had a bad habit of letting sentimentality or compassion cloud his otherwise perfect judgment at not the most opportune times, but what Shido was proving to be more than willing to do: murder a bunch of teenagers in cold blood, was something no instinct of self-preservation of his could convince him to just ignore.

"And how exactly does setting up a torture chamber for mutilating and raping someone's daughter fit into this little 'eye-for-an-eye' philosophy of yours? I don't exactly recall those people forcing themselves on one of our women when they came here," Tatsuya asked boldly, unable to help but smirk when he saw just how enraged Shido looked behind his glasses.

 **BKOOM!**

But the distant sound and subsequent rumbling of an explosion stopped the two from sharing further verbal barbs as they rushed to the windows. Both men could instantly see the distant plume of black smoke rising from the glow of flames near the foot of the hill their school rested on.

"Holy shit…that's not the drop off spot we were supposed to meet the crew at, is it?" Tatsuya asked rhetorically. Shido had made such a point of gloating about every detail of his plan to his bodyguard, so of course he knew where they had to go. And he didn't even have to look to know Shido had realized it too, as his eyes were nearly bulging with rage. He looked to be on the verge of exploding as he began grinding his teeth; his hands clutching the windowsill to the point his knuckles turned white.

"Oh…oh, he didn't…!" Shido grumbled to himself in disbelief before he turned on his heels and bolted out the door; spurring Tatsuya to follow after him. Within a minute they were bursting out the front doors to the entrance courtyard, where everyone else had already gathered at the gate to try and see the fire.

"That stupid, cocky little shit, he wouldn't DARE!" Shido continued talking to himself as he shoved aside anyone in his path until he could get the clearest view from the gate. Everyone else was deathly silent, watching their leader anxiously as he looked positively gob smacked.

"You don't think Kim-san and the others ran into trouble with the dead on their way back, do you?" "Do you think this means that boy changed his mind about the deal?" "Do you think anyone might've survived? Maybe we should go down there and check," were only a few of the mumblings stirring among the worried crowd of onlookers while Shido hung his head, speechless. Was Tatsuya right? Did Frasier lie the whole time just to get Shido to let his guard down? Was he actually stupid enough to renege on their deal at the last second?

What did any of it matter? The writing was almost literally on the wall, now. And Shido, through the blinding flames of his rage and hatred, couldn't have been happier. Now he didn't need any excuses or reasons to wait. If Frasier wanted war, then by god, Koichi Shido swore then and there he was going to give him one and then some.

"I guess your little deal fell through after all, eh, Shido-san? What's the plan now?" Tatsuya asked; trying desperately hard not to smirk at the sight of Shido's infuriating confidence take a blow. Without wasting a second, Shido stood up tall and turned to address his onlookers; his bespectacled eyes practically glowing with the flames of righteous anger.

"This was their last chance, their last chance for any semblance of peace…and they have made their intentions crystal clear to me, to ALL OF US! If they want to fight, then we'll give them a fight they'll never be able to win! These people can't be reasoned with, or bargained with, or negotiated with! They are nothing but bloodthirsty animals that will destroy everything we've built. And what else can one do with savage animals than PUT THEM DOWN?! Everyone, gather your guns, make sure they're loaded, gather the foldable fences, and stack up in the trucks. At the first rays of dawn, we're going to that mall, and we are going to KILL THEM ALL!"

 **Z-Day+25**

It had only been a few hours since Frasier had come clean about Shido's real intentions, and since then everyone had been going nonstop to pack up and horde as many supplies and food stockpiles as they could. All the while, Sho and his entire crew were working tirelessly on the final tune-ups for the buses.

Amid the constant hustle and bustle of everyone's panic, Johann eventually became so tired from the constant back and forth; collapsing against a pillar to collect himself. Having to wake up right before the crack of dawn and not getting any more sleep on top of everything else only made it worse. "Hey; are you alright, Johann-kun?" Tadashi's voice suddenly asked, noticing the young man on the floor before kneeling beside him.

"I'll be fine. Just need to catch my breath is all. I didn't think this was how the day was going to start," Johann reassured the detective, who could only nod in understanding. "I know what you mean; all this heavy lifting hasn't been that easy on my injuries either. I guess I really can't claim to be in my prime anymore," Tadashi acknowledged, his masculine pride making him hesitant to admit his new physical limitations.

"Here, drink this. You need to keep hydrated if you plan on keeping up," the former detective offered him a bottle of water. Johann smiled in gratitude before accepting it. "Are you two seriously stopping now? We need to keep a move on if we want any chance of getting out of here," Rika's voice suddenly chastised the two as she gave them that intense glare of hers that caused most in the group to shudder in fear.

"At ease. They'll be of no use if they can't even stand up," Frasier suddenly interjected, walking over with a canister of gasoline in each hand. "This is no time for-" she began to argue, only to be silenced when he held up a hand signaling her to stop after setting one of the canisters down.

"Enough. I like your enthusiasm, but now isn't the time for this. Take position on the second floor and keep a lookout for any signs of them," Frasier instructed, somewhat approving of her approach despite what he said. Rika didn't seem to have the patience to argue though, so she instead gave him a quick nod in acknowledgment before taking off, glaring at Tadashi and Johann as she made her way up the escalator to spot for any sign of trouble.

"Thank you, for a second I thought she was going to give us an earful," Tadashi said with a slight smirk, only to look up to see Frasier wasn't smiling either. "Five minutes, then I want you two back to work," he instructed bluntly, grabbing both canisters and heading up the escalator.

"I heard you fought alongside him around the beginning," Johann suddenly spoke up, as Tadashi seemed to become reminiscent. "As a matter of fact, I did. He even took command of me and over a dozen other cops, if you can believe that," the detective recalled, thinking back on that ferocious battle. It nearly felt like a lifetime ago now.

"You let him? Or he put himself up for the role?" Johann pressed on curiously. "Both," Tadashi retorted as he could still remember that look of confidence on the eldest Lawson's face.

"Do you think he can get us through this too?" the young German finally asked the one question on everyone's mind, hoping that Tadashi could give him a reassuring answer. "It's hard to say. We were fighting a bunch of the dead that time. Those things aren't capable of shooting back, and on top of that we had last second air support. I doubt we'll get that luxury again," Tadashi honestly answered, weighing out how much of it was leadership and how much of it was just dumb luck.

"So we're screwed then?" Johann struggled to ask the most painful question of all. "If there's one thing I know about him...it's that he's not just a grunt. That boy has the makings of an officer in him," Tadashi stated with surprising confidence, if not even a bit of admiration.

"I can see that too, but...he's still just one man. Hell, he's barely even an adult, like me," Johann noted, remembering that in spite of everything they'd gone through, they were still technically kids. "I know. God, it kills me knowing I'm having to rely on a teenager of all people to protect my own family," Tadashi muttered with a low sigh, sounding ashamed it had come to this.

"If it means anything, Miyamoto-san, even if Frasier may not be some kind of superhuman, we can still pull through this thing if we look out for each other," Johann tried to reassure the former detective. Tadashi couldn't help but crack a slight grin and let out a wry chuckle to himself. "I know it's only been only a short amount of time since I've come to join this group, but I'm very grateful my daughter has surrounded herself with good people like you, Johann-kun," Tadashi admitted with unexpected sincerity; Johann smiling to himself as if genuinely touched by such sentiment.

"Alright, back to work," Tadashi then said with a grunt as he got back to his feet; taking off to help his wife move one of the heavier crates. Just as Johann got back up as well, he was suddenly face to face with Rei herself. Even if he was momentarily startled she'd managed to sneak up on him, he still smiled as always to see her, which made him all the more worried when she did not return it.

"Are you alright, Rei?" was all he could ask before he suddenly felt her entire body press up against his as she wrapped her arms around him. The boy was silent the entire time as he likewise held her close. "No, I'm definitely not alright…I-I'm scared, Johann. I don't want this...I'm so tired of all of this, I just want to go home. I just want to go back to being afraid that I'm going to be late for class; not worrying if I'm going to be eaten or shot…or worse, taken prisoner by a bunch of psychopaths," Rei lamented into his shoulder, such fear in her trembling voice causing Johann to remain silent. How could he possibly give a reassuring answer to that?

"I don't want to lose my family. I don't want to lose any more of my friends. And…and I especially don't want to lose you," Rei began to sob, trying to keep it together despite tears already trickling down her cheeks. "Hey, hey, stop. Rei, look at me," Johann suddenly protested softly before he pulled back a bit for her to look him in the eyes; both hands now gently holding her shoulders.

"I know there isn't a whole lot I'm able to do, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your family or anyone else here. We're all going to get through this. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to make sure we all get out of here in one piece, okay? I know it seems hopelessly bleak right now. The odds obviously aren't looking good for us, I get that...but if we give up now, then they've already won. I've already lost enough too many good people: my aunt, my uncle...Toshimi...I'm so sick and tired of watching the people I care about die. That's why I'm going to keep fighting for all of us. As long as there's anything I can do about it, I'll give it everything I have," Johann vowed, his voice slowly growing in determination and newly realized confidence.

Rei couldn't bring herself to say anything after that. She instead simply pulled him back up against her soft body and put her ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She let out a somber yet calm sigh as she could feel all the apprehension and tension in her body magically fade away. In fact, she could still feel the indescribably pleasant warmth that seemed to emanate from her heart and fill her whole body to hear Johann reassure her with such gentleness and sincerity. Whatever it was about the young German in her arms, he somehow always knew exactly what to say to get her through her darkest periods of doubt. To just be able to bask in the pleasant, calming feeling of his physical presence couldn't help but make her entire body tremble with a strange delight.

"I believe you, Johann. Just...please be careful, alright?" Rei said in full acceptance; pulling away from him before either he could respond or she would do something they'd both regret. She instead kept mentally reminding herself there was still much work to be done. "I will…for you," Johann muttered to himself before looking over at the barricades. All at once, the confidence he felt at his desire to fight for the rest of the group multiplied a hundredfold.

 _Second Floor_

Takashi hesitantly approached Rika from behind. There was an anxious look on his face as he was hoping her silence on her lookout meant only good news.

"Any signs of them yet?" he asked, only to be met with a momentary silence; as though the sniper had chosen to flat-out ignore him. "No, not yet. It would be easier to tell from the rooftop, but then I know I'd be the first one they'd shoot at," Rika then finally answered, pulling her binoculars back before looking at them with confusion.

"Say...did one of you guys mess with these? It looks like someone's been using them," she suddenly asked accusingly before adjusting them once more. "Wasn't me; I've been resting up. Nurse's orders," Takashi said defensively, audibly nervous as he could see Rika was clearly irked by the fact someone had been touching her stuff.

"Hmm, I hope you kids realize when this is all over, I want all my stuff back; including all the ammunition you've been using up," she then announced in a deathly serious tone, not a trace of humor in her words as Takashi's jaw dropped. "What?! Are you for real?! We must've used up hundreds of bullets and shells by now! In case you haven't noticed, I didn't exactly have a job before all this," Takashi couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief that she'd been keeping track this whole time. Rika then unexpectedly began to laugh before lightly slugging a loose fist into the teenage boy's shoulder.

"Relax kid, I'm just fucking with you. Geez, you couldn't even try to act tough, could you?" she said in a more laid back manner, realizing she wasn't going to get the reaction she wanted out of him. "I'm just going to go help load up the truck now," Takashi mumbled out of embarrassment; trying to preserve what little of his dignity he had left.

"Yeah, you do that," Rika dismissively remarked before lighting up a cigarette, taking one deep inhale before letting it all out. In spite of her poor attempts at lightening the mood for herself, she always found her mind going back to silently hoping their escape plan would work out. She then took a moment to walk over to the railing and peer down to see what the others were up to. Kohta, Noah and Kiriko could be seen trying to drill in broken off hunks of boards from the benches to the windows.

She then heard a sudden barking, her eyes shifting over to see that small dog of theirs running over to Frasier as he approached the slightly improved barricades himself. The young Brit peered between his feet to see Zeke looking up at him for some attention.

"Feels like I haven't seen you in a while, pup. I take it you've been keeping a low profile?" Frasier said softly while he affectionately rubbed behind Zeke's ears; watching one of his hind legs tap against the floor in both approval and excitement. "He's got the right idea if that's the case," Johann's voice suddenly answered; calling Frasier to attention as he could just tell something was on the German's mind.

"So, Frasier, I know you've got a contingency for this kind of thing, but..." Johann eventually began before trailing off, almost as if he wasn't sure how to finish his own sentence. "But you're concerned that something could go wrong? Something I might not have accounted for?" Frasier deduced; certain that was where this conversation was going.

"Well...yeah," Johann answered, hoping he wouldn't somehow take offense at the notion. "I'll adapt depending on the situation, like I always have. Although I have a feeling you have something else on your mind," the eldest Lawson said with confidence, but still no patience for unspoken worries.

"I do. See, I'm worried about Rei. I…I don't think she should be on the frontline with us," Johann admitted; earning a curious raised eyebrow from the Brit. "What? Why? She's become a half-decent shot with that rifle of hers, not to mention her natural hand-to-hand skills," Frasier explained, his expression clearly disliking the idea of lessening their fighting strength.

"It's not that I think she's incapable of defending the mall. Believe me, I've seen her use that thing, and I know she's more than capable of fighting," Johann agreed, unable to deny she was clearly one of their better fighters. "So what's the bloody problem here then? I don't exactly have a very large roster to pick from as it is. I need anyone and everyone who can even remotely operate a firearm to cover our retreat," Frasier asked, his patience running thinner by the second.

"Weil ich sie liebe (Because I love her)," Johann suddenly blurted out, instantly looking this way and that to make sure no one else overheard him, nevermind understood. Frasier was visibly surprised. After a moment, Johann bowed his head with a weary sigh, realizing there was no going back anymore. "Ich liebe Rei Miyamoto, Frasier. Zumindest ... ich möchte glauben, das ist, was ich um sie fühle Ich weiß, dass es klingt, als würde ich zu Schlussfolgerungen springen, aber wann immer ich bei ihr bin, fühle ich mich genau wie bei Toshimi. Ich weiß nicht, wie nützlich ich sein könnte, wenn ich weiß, dass sie an der Front und in Gefahr mit dem Rest von uns ist (I love Rei Miyamoto, Frasier. At least…I want to believe that's what I feel around her. I know it sounds like I'm jumping to conclusions, but whenever I'm with her, I feel just like I used to with Toshimi. I don't know how useful I could be if I know she's on the frontline and in danger with the rest of us)," Johann continued, his defeated posture soon giving way to one of relief, as if he'd just lost an unbearable weight on his shoulders. Frasier meanwhile still looked unmoved.

" Glauben Sie mir, wenn ich das sage: Ich würde mich lieber nicht auf eine Frau verlassen müssen, um an meiner Seite zu kämpfen, aber Situationen wie diese geben mir nicht Raum, um wählerisch zu sein (Believe me when I say this: I'd really rather not have to rely on a woman to fight at my side, but situations like this don't grant me room to be picky)," Frasier said sternly, leaving Johann silent. " Johann, ich weiß, das tut weh und weiß, dass sie in unseren Schlachten kämpfen muss ... aber vergiss nicht, was mit Toshimi passiert ist. Wenn irgendetwas mit Rei passiert, bete, dass es ein schneller Tod ist (Johann, I know this hurts, knowing she has to fight in our battles... but don't forget what happened to Toshimi. If anything happens to Rei, pray that it's a quick death)," Frasier then went on to say grimly. Johann was initially speechless, those horrific images and memories once again flashing before his eyes, as vivid as ever. But in the end, he knew Frasier was right again.

"Why…why does this keep happening to us? Is this really what we've been reduced to?" Johann lamented to himself, desperately trying to hold it together as best he could. "Get a grip, man! Don't focus on what's going to go wrong! Focus on how many of those animals you're going to kill to save this group. Fight for what you love. Let her inspire you to win if nothing else," Frasier hissed, quick to remind Johann that asking questions wasn't going to solve anything.

After several deep sighs and a moment to collect his thoughts, Johann nodded in acceptance that it was up to them to ensure everyone else got out in one piece. "You're right. Thank you, Frasier... for everything," the young German quietly expressed what gratitude he could. With that, he began to take his leave once again.

"Hey," Frasier suddenly called out; watching as Johann turned over his shoulder to listen. "Before you go…I just want you to know that…I'm truly sorry about what happened to Toshimi. I know it must be hard to believe coming from me, but not a day goes by where I don't wonder what could've happened had we found her sooner…if I could've done something different. Just…always remember that she loved you and wanted you to live on," Frasier said in sincere sympathy, even regret.

"You don't have to apologize for that anymore, Frasier. I get it now. You did all you could because I'd been so insistent on finding her, and you and your brothers nearly died because of it. Just...do whatever you have to do from now on. I don't know about everyone else, but I'll stay fighting at your side," Johann said with a faint yet understanding smile. Frasier simply nodded in acknowledgment; relieved to see Johann wasn't going to let the past hold him back anymore.

"Oh, just remembered something important: whatever happens, don't let them take you prisoner," Frasier suddenly gave one final reminder before handing over a frag grenade to Johann, who looked at it with surprise. It was more than unpleasant to even consider, but he also realized that if he was to die, the least he could do was go out on his own terms. Unable to conjure the words, Johann simply took it and walked away while Frasier returned his attention to the status of the barricade. He kept silently hoping deep down that his defensive plans would hold up to what he knew was coming their way.

 _Meanwhile…_

"Noah-kun, do you have a moment?" Miku's soft voice called out from a nearby store as the youngest Lawson was marching past, coming to her side without question. "Are you alright?" Noah asked softly, quick to notice that she was visibly more shaken up than her previous tone had led on to believe.

"I'm…*sigh* I'm really worried about this whole plan," Miku admitted bluntly with both arms crossed, unable to even give him a proper answer. "Hey, we're going to be long gone before Shido's group can get anywhere near us. I swear I won't let them have you again," Noah reassured her; feeling 100% certain Shido and his fanatic following was what had her so on edge.

"Or are you worried about the Tokyo quarantine zone no longer being secured?" he then brought up after taking a moment to remember she'd brought up such concerns before as well. "It's neither of those things. It's when we're on the road I'm worried about. Your group is full of good, honest and genuine people. But I know if something were to go wrong out there, should we have to draw straws, I'm going to be the one to suffer for it. No matter how much you may try to talk to them, I'm still ultimately expendable to your group," Miku finally expressed, the worst part being just how convinced she sounded of it.

"Don't talk like that, Miku! They will do what it takes to survive, sure; but they're not going to abandon you on the road or leave you for the dead. They're not monsters," Noah said in their defense, shocked she'd even assume such terrible possibilities from their new family. "I wouldn't put it past Frasier-san, though. Would you?" Miku then asked the most complicated question. Noah was at a standstill, once again recalling how he had to fight his own brother to keep him from gunning her down on the doorstep when first meeting her. Ever since Frasier had executed that convict without even blinking, Noah could never completely stop thinking of how truly cold-blooded his eldest brother had proven himself to be.

"Well, I guess that's true…no, not even him, he wouldn't now that..." the young teen tried to say in his brother's defense, but unable to even finish his sentence when he knew there was no use in it. His lack of confidence showed, leaving the young woman silent. Miku bowed her head in defeat, knowing she was right to be afraid. There was no reason for the rest of the group to show her any mercy outside these walls. It was only a matter of time before her past finally caught up with her.

"Listen, I don't know what happens from here on out. I can't predict the future, I'm not strong and tough like the rest of the men in my family; but whatever does happen out there, just know I'll always be on your side. Let's say the unthinkable does happen and they want to leave you behind? Then they lose me too, no questions asked," Noah vowed with unbelievable confidence. He didn't care how insane he must've sounded; he was genuinely ready to lay down his own life for Miku. The youngest Lawson's sheer conviction left her bewildered, not expecting such boldness from someone she kept forgetting was only fourteen years old.

"You'd…really sacrifice your own well-being for me? You'd really leave your own family…just for me? Noah-kun, you're…y-you're crazy," she asked in disbelief, but still touched all the same by his heartfelt promise to protect her. "Of course I'm acting crazy. I'm in love, remember?" Noah said with a sly smirk; watching any trace of doubt and fear, if even just for this moment, vanish from her face. He instantly felt her soft lips on his cheek before she brought her arms around his sides affectionately.

"They also wouldn't get very far without this section of the map," he then added, pulling up a large and seemingly important section of their road map; earning a playful slap on the shoulder as Miku couldn't help but admire his intelligent planning, as well as the sheer guts it no doubt would've taken to steal that from under Frasier's nose. "Father always did say to plan two steps ahead. I just figured having some leverage could help too," Noah said with a smile, happy to see his woman wasn't so down anymore after what could very likely be their final moments together. Right now, he could only hope that they'd be able to get to the quarantine zone without any incidents.

From across the way, neither of them noticed Frasier could see them. He was stoically watching them lovingly embrace one another. He wasn't sure whether to feel angered by them halting their work, or to feel jealous at what they shared. He knew his little brother was in love, it must've been why he was acting so reckless by trusting a former enemy so blindly. But every single time Frasier tried to subtly separate them, it only served to make their bond even stronger. It felt so strange for Frasier to know he was for once absolutely powerless to stop what those two had.

'I just want to help you, Noah. I'm only trying to keep you safe and shield you from all harm; direct or otherwise,' Frasier thought to himself, trying not to blatantly stare at them.

"Let them be, lad. Can't you see how happy they are?" Mark's voice suddenly spoke up as Frasier bowed his head, not wanting to think about him of all people; his zombified figure still fresh in his mind. "You remember how hard it was for him to connect with anyone back home. He needs this," the voice continued in his mind.

"I have enough problems on my plate. Having to worry about whom he associates with should not be one of them. Hell, I don't even have the energy to constantly be on top of Marcus to top it off," Frasier argued with himself, looking across the plaza to see Marcus and Hitomi laughing together by the entrance. "So don't. Let them both live their lives and learn for themselves," Mark then suggested as Frasier could only shake his head in disapproval.

"I'm not going to shirk my duties as an older brother just because it's hard for me. They need my guidance and discipline, especially in times such as this," he muttered to himself, trying to drown out the sound of his uncle's voice. He then looked back one more time at Noah, only to notice for the first time how the youngest Lawson never stopped smiling whenever Miku was around. While it killed him to even consider admitting it, there was no denying that Miku was a good influence for Noah. Considering all he'd been forced to endure, it certainly was relieving to see the young teen still smiling.

"Maybe...maybe she isn't so bad," Frasier sighed in defeat before returning to the tasks at hand.

 _Later…_

Twenty minutes of the group going back and forth had finally come to a halt when anything worth hauling with them had finally been loaded onto the two buses. Without any commotion or warning signs, it left the group in a rather optimistic state of mind.

"Hey, bookworm, give us a quick headcount, will you?" Marcus requested, earning a pissed-off look from Saya as she frowned at the choice of nickname. "Just about everyone has been accounted for...I just can't seem to find Kenji-kun or Isao-san. I haven't seen either of them all day, actually," Saya reluctantly answered before recalling their host's absence.

"I haven't heard from my guy, Osamu-san, either," Sho piped in concernedly as the rest of his crew exchanged worried looks. "Dammit! I don't have time to be playing babysitter today. Go find them and prepare to go over the maps one more time so we all know where to meet up if any of us are separated," Frasier cursed as he knew that not one detail could be overlooked if they wanted to get to the quarantine zone in one piece.

"Wait...do you guys hear that?" Hitomi suddenly asked, immediately leaving the entire group silent. Everyone listened carefully for anything potentially out of the ordinary. At first they figured she was being paranoid or simply hearing things, but after a few moments of dead silence, they were all able to distinguish a low humming sound. "That sounds like a bunch of engines running...doesn't it?" Saeko suggested; that conclusion causing all of them to sprint towards the front barricade.

One by one their hearts instantly sank once they could see outside. Several trucks and jeeps were lined up side by side in the parking lot, along with a single JGSDF APC. What looked like groups of nearly a dozen people, accompanied each vehicle. To make matters worse, they all seemed to be very well equipped; all carrying either shotguns, automatic rifles or carbines.

"Holy...shit. How did they get so close without us noticing?" Marcus whispered, as if concerned they'd be able to hear them. "The better question is: why aren't they already opening fire?" Saya practically hissed, far more concerned with their behavior.

"Maybe they don't actually know if we're here or not?" Kohta suggested out of hopeful optimism, which clearly wasn't as appreciated by the others as much as he'd hoped it would be. "Oh, they know alright. They're just taking precautions by the looks of it," Saeko sighed while keeping one hand instinctively close to her sword. As anxious as she felt, there was also fear deep in her gut. Now more than ever did she regret not taking advantage of firearm practice like everyone else had.

"That, or they have a plan we don't know about," Kiriko added before instinctively checking to see where Rei and Tadashi were in their defensive line. "Shit, where the hell is Rika? I put her on lookout, why didn't she say anything?" Frasier grumbled, backing up a few paces before looking up at the second floor to see if he could spot her; fortunately finding her descending the escalator to rejoin them.

"Why the hell didn't you warn us?" the young Brit hissed angrily as she came to their line. "Shh, I'm trying to scope out any marksmen of their own in the neighboring buildings," Rika hushed, waving him off as she required absolute concentration scanning the visible buildings outside through her scope.

"Did you catch how many there are?" Frasier then asked, his eyes jumping from vehicle to vehicle to try and get a headcount. "Hmm, I'd say they've got about fifty plus gathered in the front parking lot. They might have others gathered on our sides though. The entrance hall windows are my only viewpoint from here. I would've been able to get you a better answer from the roof," Rika answered as she began to shift her position further down the line for a better angle on the scene.

"But why? With numbers like that, they should be able to surround this place on all sides," Saeko asked, as it seemed odd that a group this large would only come in from a single direction. "It could be that whoever's calling the shots is simply overconfident how this will play out," Tadashi suspected, years of experience dealing with criminal psychopaths giving him an idea of how such men would think.

"It's a possibility. There's also a good chance they didn't have much time to prepare for this," Rei somewhat agreed, knowing it could've also been due to Frasier's sabotage from last night. "Well, whatever's going on...all of you just hold your fire unless they start shooting," Frasier instructed, knowing they were at a severe disadvantage and should hold off fighting for as long as possible.

"Do you think its Shido and his lot?" Noah asked, pretty much voicing what everyone already figured. "Who else could it possibly be at this point? Take positions along the gaps in the barricade. Find a target and line up those shots," Frasier said with a grim sigh.

"What about you? What are you going to do?" Takashi asked as they all crouched down and crept up to find a good position to cover. Before Frasier could even think to answer, the sound of a megaphone began to whine and echo across the parking lot.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything in there. I'm sure you're all quite busy, scurrying about like rats trying to abandon a sinking ship," Shido's voice suddenly announced for all to hear. Everyone was now trying to look and see where he was standing amongst all those people and their trucks. "Well, that's just not going to happen I'm afraid," he then called out, that fake friendly facade he typically played entirely absent, instead replaced with intense scorn.

"Shizuka, take Alice to the buses down in the garage and stay there. We'll handle this," Frasier quickly instructed once he noticed the little girl was actually up with the rest of them, peering through the cracks to see what all the commotion was about. "But I want to see what's happening," Alice practically whined, hating how she was being forced to leave to go sit on the sidelines once again when something important was clearly happening. But she made no further peeps the moment Frasier shot her a disapproving glare. "Do not argue with me this time, Alice. Now go," he practically snapped in a whisper. The little girl looked down to the floor, as if ashamed for speaking out of turn and taking Shizuka's hand.

"What about Kenji-kun and Isao-san?" Shizuka quickly noticed as she kept Alice close to her side. "I don't know where they went. I'll send them as soon as I find them. Now go," Frasier answered, feeling more than distressed that he didn't know where two of the most vulnerable people in the group were now of all times.

"Here, found this while I was packing up," Hitomi suddenly spoke up while offering a bullhorn. "Thanks. Let's just hope Shido is in a talking mood," Frasier replied, taking it in one hand before jogging up to the second floor to get a better vantage point of the situation. 'I highly doubt it, but it couldn't hurt to try and keep him distracted,' Rei thought to herself, knowing Shido was far too prideful to allow himself to come so far only to be denied. Still, a little optimism never hurt during times as critical as this.

"I know you're out there Shido. Show yourself, you coward," Frasier called out with one finger pressing down on the bullhorn's trigger, carrying his voice out loud enough for anyone in the parking lot to hear him. "I would NOT talk like that if I were you, Frasier," the crazed teacher suggested, keeping his temper in check behind an all too satisfied smirk. He then finally stepped out from behind the armored vehicle to reveal himself, only to start motioning for them to look over to their left, revealing Kenji, Isao and Osamu being marched out as well. Once Shido motioned for them to stop, three of his soldiers forced the three hostages to their knees at gunpoint.

"Friends of yours, I take it? Surely, I must have your attention now," Shido called out with sickening confidence. With one of his hostages being a small child, Shido felt practically untouchable. "Shido...if you kill them, you know there's no going back. You, and everyone who accompanies you, will be dead before this day is through. Let. Them. Go," Frasier said in an attempt to keep up an unbreakable front, while internally he was practically screaming at the sight of Kenji being used as a meat shield.

"YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO BE MAKING DEMANDS, BOY! I am DONE playing around! No more tricks, no more games! Give me what I want, and I might consider making your death a quick one," Shido momentarily exploded with his long-repressed rage, beyond fed up with trying to keep up that fake, friendly facade of his. "If you'd simply done as I'd told you, then you wouldn't need to go through all this. But no! You just had to do the foolish thing, and try to be a hero! Well, mark my words, I'm going to make an example of you to all who even think defying me from now on," the furious teacher continued, sounding like he was one involuntary muscle spasm from ordering his entire army to unleash hell.

"You don't scare me, Shido! You're just a sad little man playing God; an insignificant teacher who sees himself as an Emperor. This is a warning to all of you out there: if you don't back down now, all of you who stand by him will be killed with extreme prejudice," Frasier shouted back, trying his best to intimidate the soldiers standing at Shido's sides.

"If me and my army don't scare you, then what's stopping you from just blowing us all away right here, Frasier, huh? What, are you afraid now that you see you've been outsmarted AND outgunned? Does it scare you, knowing that we could all easily just run in, kill you all and take what's rightfully ours? Or are you scared because you actually expected to double cross me and get away with it? Did you really think you'd get to ride off into the sunset after what you've done? This isn't a movie; you stupid, stupid kid," the former teacher began to taunt before he went right back to business; venom dripping from every spiteful word.

The worst part was that Frasier's silence had only confirmed it all. He set down the bullhorn, knowing he had nothing left that could be said. Now he began to wonder if he'd made the right decision by not staying behind last night to kill that bespectacled freak. "You have nothing left, Frasier. You're all like animals backed up against the wall-" Shido taunted, ready to relay yet another insult before stopping the moment he realized that Frasier had lifted his rifle and quickly took aim.

 **KRAK!**

Without warning, a brief flash burst from Frasier's rifle as everyone flinched from the unexpected crack of his rifle. Shido had already ducked down, patting himself all over to see if he'd been struck. But it was Osamu who reeled back as blood pooled from his head. Kenji and Isao both looked at him in horror, considering they were close enough to hear the bullet whiz past them. Both sides had been unable to anticipate such a sudden strike, and neither party responded until Frasier got back on the bullhorn.

"Don't overestimate your hand! They ultimately mean nothing to me, Shido. No sacrifice is too great for me. That's your final warning," Frasier said in a brutally chilling tone through his bullhorn. Both sides were visibly paralyzed at the fact he'd just killed one of his own so callously.

"You fucking piece of shit-" Sho growled out of furious anger, lining up a shot on Frasier himself before Rika grabbed the rifle and pinned him to the floor. "Hold on. That didn't look like a clean shot to me," the markswoman noted before holding up a pair of binoculars to confirm.

"So fucking what if it wasn't clean? That monster's already killed my best friend, and he just did it again to another. He needs to be put down before he kills any more of us," Sho snapped, knowing he couldn't just stand by and let Frasier keep killing people on a whim. "If he wanted to kill your friend, a caliber that size would've left your friend's head nothing but pulp. It looks like he grazed him just enough to make it look like he killed him," Rika explained, knowing better than anyone just how devastating a calculated shot from the rifle he had could really be.

"For real? Why the fuck would he do such a thing? What if he missed?" Sho asked, understandably skeptical and truly unable to believe how someone so young was so quick to risk another's life without any forethought or regard. "As opposed to letting them be shot point blank by someone actually trying to kill him? It was a bluff. There's not much else we can do for them at this point," Rika suggested, hating how useless she felt in this moment. No matter how jaded she liked to make herself seem, seeing innocent people used like meat shields or bargaining chips was never something she could get used to seeing.

"They'd be dead anyway if a fight broke out. Hopefully this will make them reconsider," Tadashi noted, keeping a hand on his revolver out of sheer instinct. "Or at least give Frasier enough time to come up with a plan," Kohta whispered, trying to keep his aim steady while scoping out potential targets that stood out amongst the onlookers.

"Alright, Frasier, you've made your point loud and clear. It would be quite risky to attack someone so cold and unforgiving…" Shido suddenly announced, hiding another devious grin. "…So you can go ahead and finish off these other two so we can continue," he then suggested as he nodded to his followers to force Kenji and Isao to march forward into the open. The small boy and old man walked out, eyes forward, their bodies both visibly trembling as Shido's soldiers kept their guns trained on their backs. They eventually stopped perfectly between the mall and the army. The two just stood there trembling, frantically sweating, Kenji shedding tears out of sheer terror as Isao simply bowed his head. He knew if he hadn't been so insistent on trying to help Sho's crew, they wouldn't be here. Whatever would happen next was going to be his fault, and he knew it.

"Well? What are you waiting for? You don't care for them, right? You said so yourself. So what's the hold up?" Shido asked impatiently, tapping his foot in anticipation.

"Where's that lack of concern now? Is your shot not clear enough perhaps? Here, let me help you," Shido went on before putting a boot on Kenji's back and shoving him face first into the asphalt.

However, nothing changed. Despite Frasier holding up his rifle, there was no second shot. Whatever leverage he had with the invaders before was now gone. Everyone felt their stomachs tighten and twist, waiting for that single shot to burst out. Deep down, they were all almost a hundred percent certain he'd cross the line and kill a child to get his point across, yet it never came. Frasier finally just lowered his rifle and looked on to see what Shido would do.

"Hmm, I thought as much. That was a clever bluff indeed, Frasier! But it seems that's all you are: cheap words that go nowhere. I must admit: I'm rather disappointed in you," Shido said with a sigh as he pulled his foot back, allowing Kenji to sit back up; only to pull out a pistol and press it against the back of the boy's head, even switching off the safety and thumbing back the hammer.

"Wait! Just…stop. Take me instead," Frasier suddenly pleaded in desperation, sending a shock through the entire group below. They just knew the situation had gone from bad to cataclysmic if Frasier of all people had been reduced to begging. However, this forced Shido to stop for a moment, looking back up and placing a hand to his ear to better hear. "You heard me. Let them go and you can have me. I'm the one you want anyway," the young Brit repeated, swallowing his pride before gripping both fists when Shido started to chuckle through his megaphone; taunting him.

"I won't lie, that's a VERY tempting offer, Frasier. You're right, you ARE the one I want. However, I made you an even more tempting offer recently, and what did you do? You murdered more of my people and burned down a warehouse full of supplies we needed. Destroying what was mine was bad enough, but all the blood from my ranks that you've spilled? No offer you could ever give me would make up for that," Shido was quick to point out, listing the bare facts the facts as his patience for mind games had long since vanished.

"What you offered me back then wasn't a deal, there was no real choice! It was nothing but a demand at gun point," Frasier spat, disgusted at how he had to plead to such a despicable excuse for a man for mercy. "Be that as it may, you and your brothers got involved in matters that didn't concern you to begin with. This is what justice looks like, Frasier. Your actions have consequences, and now it's time for you to face them," the uncaring teacher warned before pressing the barrel harder against Kenji's head; the small boy now sobbing uncontrollably.

"It doesn't have to play out like this, Shido! We can still all go home and survive this nightmare if you just turn back. I know we both can pull through if you call off your people. There's been too much blood, too much killing, and too much death already. We're the only people left in this entire city now. We can both still make a change for the better. We may not be able to work together, not after everything that's happened. But we can still make the right decision for our people. You can still come out of this as the hero you want your people to see you as. You could be able to make something truly great out of what you still have, and help reclaim this city from the dead, be a god to these people. But that can't happen if we just mow each other down like animals. Just call your people off, return to the school, let us leave this city, and you can have it all for yourself. Let the boy and his grandfather go; and I swear none of us will open fire on you. We'll leave…you'll never see or hear from any of us ever again. It's not too late. We can all just…just walk away from all this violence, and make something greater out of our lives. Just move on…from all of this."

The rest of the group couldn't believe what they were hearing, not from the proposition Frasier was giving, but from the sheer sincerity with which he said it. None of them could have ever conceived of Frasier being able to sound so…vulnerable, so empathetic for the life of another person. It was almost as if he were begging for his own life, the way he pleaded for Shido to spare Kenji and Isao. And what was more, the emotion in his words seemed to resonate with Shido and his followers as well; some of them exchanging troubled and contemplative looks with each other, as if not sure what the right course of action was anymore.

And before them all, Shido looked to be genuinely moved; the twisted hatred, anger and shallow pride that once painted his bespectacled face now wrought with uncertainty and thought. He slowly removed his pistol from the little boy's head, looking upon it with confusion as he switched his gaze from the weapon in his hand to the two hostages knelt before him, and then slowly back to his soldiers, all looking upon him as if in desperate need for his guidance. With the gun hanging limply at his side, Shido slowly returned his gaze to the front of the mall, his yellow eyes focusing on the lone Brit upon the second floor balcony, the two locking gazes, as though silently trying to figure each other out. Finally, Koichi Shido let out a heavy sigh, his mind finally made up.

"It's all worth it."

Nobody could conjure the energy to gasp or even move as Shido swiftly raised his pistol back up and pulled the trigger; a single **BLAM** piercing the silence as a cloud of red mist exploded from the back of Kenji's head, spattering all over Shido's face, his glasses and his pinstripe suit. Frasier felt his heart stop as he watched Kenji's body collapse like a rag doll to the hot asphalt below; his blood already pooling from the exit wound between his eyes. All the while, Isao could only stare at his grandson's body, not even able to scream. And all Koichi Shido could do…was smile triumphantly.

"NOOOOOOO!" Frasier cried out; his once frozen blood now burning like white phosphorous as he raised his rifle to line up with Shido and madly pulled the trigger. The young Brit was too blinded by his despair and rage to even notice Shido easily dash out of the line of fire.

Before the others could respond, the rest of Shido's army began to open fire; instantly forcing them all to hunker down for cover and scramble away from the barricade. The windows all burst violently as the wall of lead easily kept everyone down on the floor. To make matters worse, a .50 caliber atop the one APC began to eat away at the barricade. No one was able to properly fight back with that kind of hellfire raining down on them.

All the while, tears streamed non-stop down Isao's face as he recklessly pulled away from his preoccupied captors; stumbling over to kneel at his grandson's body. Bowing his head in sorrow and shame for not being able to keep the poor boy safe. "Oh…oh, Kenji-kun! I-I'm so…I'm so sorry! Oh god, I'm so sorry! It…it s-should've been me," Isao sobbed hysterically, every last flicker of optimism and hope he once had reduced to nothing but ashes

Amid the merciless barrage of gunfire, only Frasier and Takashi were able to see it, in just another flash no less. As Isao held Kenji's body close, Shido popped out from his hiding place amid the carnage. He came up to Isao, and without even blinking, leveled his pistol to Isao's head and pulled the trigger. It was like another knife of ice had been twisted in their guts to watch the old man's body collapse right beside his grandson's. Before either of them could react, Shido had already retreated behind the APC like the cowardly snake he was. Just then, the massive turret on the APC suddenly started to turn.

"Oh fuck, Rika! Pull everyone back to the lobby. Make them come to us," Frasier quickly announced to her before tossing a smoke canister right at the APC in an attempt to block its line of sight through the entrance.

Rika wasted no time blowing into a whistle to alert the others. The others thankfully took notice whilst staying flat on the floor. "Fall back to the stairs! We can't hold them off from here," Rika called out, motioning them back while providing what little covering fire she could.

Luckily they managed to retreat back up the escalators just in time as the APC began to take concentrate fire on the front of the mall. The barricades of furniture and benches stood zero chance against the heavy munitions blasting them to splinters. Debris flew all over the entrance plaza before the APC started taking wild shots at the windows above, sending shards of glass high up into the air.

"That was way too fucking close," Johann cursed, brushing off bits of glass from his arms as they all huddled behind the makeshift cover on the bridge arching over the entrance plaza. "No kidding. Everyone alright?" Kiriko agreed before checking to see everyone was still in one piece.

"No, we're NOT alright! That fucking monster just killed Kenji," Marcus exclaimed; his voice sounding somewhere between heartbreak and furious anger. The rest of them looked just as devastated now that the middle Lawson had said the words out loud. "And his dogs are going to kill the rest of us if we don't think of something when that armored tank thing comes rolling through," Saya panted, breathing hard as the rush had been more than she could handle.

"Any ideas on how we can stop it?" Saeko asked, hoping someone would have anything they could work with. "No. We don't have any rockets or explosives strong enough to pierce that armor," Frasier answered bluntly; cursing that they had no conventional means of taking it down.

"What about tossing a grenade into the barrel?" Rei suggested, knowing they weren't entirely defenseless, even if the suggestion was still a desperate one. "Nailing a throw like that from up here with all these bullets flying by would be impossible. Your best bet would be to just run up to it and jam one in there, but I doubt they're going to leave that thing unprotected," Noah explained, well aware how organized that whole group had come to be.

"He's right. Those bastards are bunched up and working a lot better than I expected," Frasier added, trying to reevaluate accordingly. None of them could've possibly foreseen fighting what was essentially a full on militia. "Well, we need a plan if we're going to have any chance at surviving this," Rika brought up, scanning back and forth with her scope to see any opportunities for them to exploit.

"There's honestly nothing we can do aside from blinding them with smoke. Looks like they figured that out too, since they're hanging back," Frasier pointed out, making sure to observe how the opposition was acting before planning his next move. It felt like a game of chess at this point. Every move made could be the end for either side. It was hard to imagine how quickly their first line of defense had fallen. Were that APC to move into the mall, they had almost no way of slowing it down, let alone stopping it. The best they could do in that situation was to run and hope for the best.

When it could be heard firing outside, it caused the defenders to pause for a moment. Gunfire began to erupt from the rest of the people outside as well, to make matters even more confusing. Before they could begin to consider looking out a window to see what was happening, several of Shido's soldiers began running in, fingers hot on the triggers as bullets danced all about the place.

"This is it! Don't take a shot unless you know it's going to connect," Frasier warned as they all kept their heads down before they began to return shots of their own. Bullet casings bounced against the floor as barrels became hot and smoke became suffocating. The air was filled with deafening shotgun bursts and machine gun fire, intermittently joined by the snaps of new magazines and clips being loaded. Everyone's ears were ringing, as one would have to practically yell to the person next to them to have a chance of them hearing it.

As the seconds felt like hours, the group all realized this was nothing like the movies. Every time a bullet flew overhead or struck the barricade, it would cause their hearts to skip a beat. While those amongst them that were trained for this weren't as fazed by the reality of combat, it still left them as tense as anyone would be when getting shot at. It especially didn't help; knowing they only had so much ammo to spare and that every shot had to be spent wisely.

Well aware that trying to fight in the open would get them killed, Shido's group had some of the vehicles plow through the entrance doorframes and what remained of the barricade to provide mobile cover. The drivers had to duck down to avoid being picked off and blocking an entry point. Somehow managing to standout among the rest of the heavy gunfire, one of the trucks had another turret stand with an M60 setup on the bed. The rounds immediately began firing hard and fast, quick to catch the group's attention.

"That M60 is going to tear us apart," Marcus called out; knowing their last minute defenses wouldn't be able to withstand something so powerful. "SO LIGHT IT UP," Rika shouted before tossing an empty magazine aside and slapping in a new one. She peeked out of cover for only a split second before she managed to land a clean shot on the gunner. The rear window of the truck was painted with fresh blood as the man tumbled lifelessly out the back.

"Hirano! Forget everyone else down there! You focus your shots on any fool that tries to get back on that M60," Frasier instructed while he patted hard on his shoulder, knowing that was going to be key to their offense. "Right! You can count on me," Kohta acknowledged, keeping his head down until he spotted another follower going for the turret. He ultimately managed to take out seven of them until the rest figured it wasn't worth dying for. It couldn't help but thrill the overweight otaku to know he was actually managing to be useful.

'We've only taken out a few of them. We'll be out of ammo before we've even taken out a quarter of their forces,' Frasier realized before he pulled back and began to start going down the defensive line. "Saya, Rei, Saeko, cease fire! You're not going to hit anything from that distance without exposing yourselves. We're going to fall back soon and we'll need every last bullet," Frasier instructed firmly as he could tell what direction this battle was going.

"You two: take these and throw them at the barricades," Frasier ordered to Takashi and Marcus as he grabbed several bottles of scotch that had been lined up at their feet. Several rags were also set down beside each one for easy assembly. "You think this will do anything?" Johann asked; knowing that while it would certainly be effective if anyone were caught in the flames. His main concern was that the attackers would all see it coming and move out of the way in time.

"Of course I do! Why do you think I told the girls to use the wooden furniture for the barricades?" Frasier explained, and once more did Saeko see his tactical mind at work; unable to refrain from smiling at how calculating he'd proven himself to be. Her warm smile was suddenly cut short when a round punctured their cover and went right through her shoulder.

"AAAAGH," she cried out before instinctively grasping at the wound in response, almost tumbling forward from the unexpected and ungodly pain burning into her shoulder. Frasier's eyes widened as her clean white student shirt was already soaking up blood. "SAEKO," both he and Takashi bellowed out in shock, both rushing to her side.

"It's going to be okay. Just relax and take deep breaths," Takashi tried to comfort her, his heart racing as the sight of his girlfriend in such pain was making him sick to his stomach. "Saeko, stop moving! You have to let me see it," Frasier demanded, not even trying to hide his emotions as she tried to fight the pain best she could; eventually able to stop writhing long enough for him to observe it through the hole in her uniform.

"It's a clean shot I think. It must've went right through," Noah confirmed as he joined them, grabbing a cloth he was going to use for a Molotov and instead putting pressure on the bullet wound. Saeko's teeth clenched hard, a guttural growl of agony emanating from her throat as her hands formed tight fists; to the point her nails even punctured the skin of her palms and drew blood.

"I can still...fight! Don't worry about me," Saeko groaned, far too determined and proud to be giving up in the midst of battle. She tried to reach for her pistol again, only for Frasier to intercept and swipe it up for himself. "Don't you even fucking dare give me that right now! You're not fighting like this; you're done here. Fall back to the bus. That's an order," Frasier barked, not taking any excuse or risk. Not when her life was on the line.

"Get her to the bus! Don't stop for anything," he then ordered Takashi, only getting a simple nod before they both left the scene, Saeko hanging off Takashi's side like a rag doll. She was constantly looking back over her shoulder the entire way; hating a part of herself for allowing this to happen. She despised the fact she couldn't help protect those she cared for most in the world in their greatest hour. But most of all, she felt weak and dishonored to be seen like this by her leader and most trusted compatriot of all people.

"She'll make it, Frasier! Shizuka-sensei can patch that no problem," Marcus said in an attempt to put any fears or concerns Frasier might've had to rest about what was going to happen to her. However, Frasier didn't hear a word of it. His eyes just fixated on the trail of blood she'd left behind. His eyes narrowed before his heart rate instantly skyrocketed. His blood was boiling with such intensity it felt like his skin was going to blister from the inside. Without warning, he grabbed one of the Molotov cocktails, lobbing it clean over the entrance lobby and directly into the front barricades as planned.

While those near its flames managed to move out of the way in time, the fires were already spreading to more sections of their only cover between the mall's breach and the stairs the defenders were holding. "Oh, fuck! Watch those flames!" "Out of my way!" "Don't let it touch you," several of them screamed in warning; each one scrambling away, all of them rushing out of cover to relocate.

In a succession of five shots from the enraged Lawson, all three collapsed; squirming in agonizing pain with their hands grasped around their own throats to keep their blood from spraying out. The others could only look on in horror and disgust as their comrades' desperate cries only came out as sickening bloody gargles.

"Don't worry, Watanabe-san. I'm gonna get you out of here! Just-" a young woman tried to reassure as she desperately tried to drag the older man away from the battle, only to get cut off mid-sentence when the vengeful Frasier nailed her in the throat as well; her body tumbling over the man she'd selflessly tried to save as both her severed carotid arteries sprayed blood everywhere.

"You fucking bastards!" another one of Shido's men cried out before firing a burst at Frasier's last known position; effectively pinning him down.

"Oh God...Oh God! Oh God, just end it already," another pleaded as he was forced to watch all four of his friends choke on their own blood before they finally stopped squirming; lying motionless in an ocean of their own blood, eyes chillingly clouded over, lifeless. His entire body was trembling, as he couldn't even hope to steady a rifle. But there was no mercy to be found. Frasier had intentionally left him there to suffer the entire time to watch the others die, before one pull of the trigger made the back of his head explode with skull fragments and brain matter. This was the price they would all pay for following Shido here…for wounding the one woman Frasier loved.

"Don't stop now! Keep on fighting! Move up those trucks for cover," Shido's voice commanded; accepting no retreats or cowardice, as it was clear they'd be out of cover once the flames entirely consumed the wooden barricades.

"Looks like they're getting ready to push again! What's the plan?" Hitomi pointed out as the vehicles started to roll forward; the soldiers behind them tossing smoke canisters of their own to allow their people to temporarily pull back and reorganize the assault. However, there were no orders from their leader. The momentary silence on both sides caused the defenders to look and realize Frasier had disappeared. They were all both astonished and worried where he could've possibly gone off. Unable to go looking, they just hunkered down and began to reload while checking just how many shots they had left.

"Where the fuck did he go?!" Marcus asked rhetorically in disbelief that Frasier would choose now to run off. The gunfire on Shido's side immediately picked up again as the smoke began to clear up. As the bulk of the assault began pushing forward with the trucks and jeeps for cover, none of them noticed the eldest Lawson dashing through the remaining smoke to the parking lot outside. He was careful to move around their flank and back to where Isao and Kenji's bodies lay.

He quickly ducked behind one of the long-abandoned cars upon noticing the APC was facing away from the mall, but its .50 cal was still firing at random bursts. Frasier's focus then shifted to the portable fence Shido's group had set up along the outside of the parking lot. It was now holding back a massive amount of 'Them'; no doubt attracted by all the consistent gunfire. With the rest of the army preoccupied from inside the mall, the crew within the APC had resorted to using the turret to try and whittle down the undead's numbers. The heavy rounds tore into several of 'Them' at a time. Seeing they were clearly not paying attention, Frasier dashed the rest of the way, just past Isao and Kenji's corpses

Setting his weapon down, Frasier knelt to one knee besides the man from the construction crew he'd incapacitated with his first shot. He checked the side of his head to make sure that it was in fact just a grazed shot as originally intended. While the man's breathing was soft and quite a bit of blood had been lost, he was indeed alive. "At least I can save one of you," Frasier muttered to himself before carefully hoisting the man with one arm slung over his broad shoulders. Before he could do anything else, he suddenly found himself kicked HARD in the stomach. He rolled over on his sides, quick to get back on his feet and prepare to face his attacker; his vision slightly blurred from the immense impact.

"I figured you were up to something by sparing this man's life," Tatsuya's voice announced confidently as he paced back and forth in front of Frasier; feeling significantly pleased he was able to see through the ruse further than Shido ever could've. "Smart thinking, staying back while the rest of Shido's little cult moves up to take the brunt of the damage. Looks like it's just you and me now," Frasier noted as the sharp-dressed yakuza strutted about, seemingly unconcerned, almost pleased at the thought.

"I wanted to save you for myself. It's much more exciting this way," Tatsuya overtly stated, more than eager to really see how good of a fighter this young man truly was. He then reached into his coat, only to pull out two sai. He even pulled them out enough to open his coat to reveal there were no sidearms this time "You're out of your bloody mind, this isn't some movie! I'm going to gut you like a goddamn fish and leave you to 'Them'. Last chance: run now while you still can," Frasier scoffed without a hint of humor; drawing the knife Mark bestowed upon him, as he knew going for his gun would leave him momentarily vulnerable to attack; a risk he couldn't afford now of all times.

"That remains to be seen," Tatsuya said before shifting his stance into one that made it painfully clear he knew some serious martial arts. Frasier was quick to take a stance of his own to show he was no amateur neither. The gunfire erupting behind them hardly even mattered now as the two never once blinked. A constant eye contact was maintained while they began circling each other. All it took was one subtle change in posture, just one step out of line, to set the other off.

"KI-HAP!" Tatsuya suddenly shouted; darting forward only to stop to see if the young Brit would flinch. Fortunately, Frasier kept himself poised, careful not to fall for any faints. Tatsuya, however, seemed pleased by the boy's iron will and realized there was no more need for mind games. "KI-HAP!" The yakuza fiercely shouted again before closing the rest of the gap between them. The first sai moved lighting fast as the tip headed straight between Frasier's blue eyes.

"KAHH!" Frasier exclaimed back, reacting accordingly as he parried the sai with his own blade. While lacking the sai's reach, his knife was made of far stronger material and was easier to control. Tatsuya however, anticipated this; following through with his second sai cutting along Frasier's left leg. The young man let out a grunt of pain before tilting forward from his leg giving out. He looked up to see the first sai was now coming straight towards his right eye, like Tatsuya had planned this all along. That man was truly a skilled warrior compared to what Frasier expected to be a petty thug.

"NO!" Frasier suddenly cried out as he clenched his free hand and sent a solid uppercut into Tatsuya's groin. Both of his eyes shot wide from the dirty blow as the first sai missed its target. "I will not go out so easily," he continued before blocking the second sai that tried to stab at his neck. He then threw up his knee at waist level to block Tatsuya's leg from round-housing him in the kidneys.

As another sai came in to stab at his chest, Frasier spun inwards; getting closer to Tatsuya before grasping at his extended arm. His foot quickly kicked back at the gangster's knees to create an unbalance before swiftly hurling him over his shoulder. The experienced killer however was quick to rebound like it was second nature.

 _Back in the mall..._

"Keep them at bay! Don't take a shot unless you know you're going to hit something," Rika instructed as it was clear they'd run out of ammo before even making a dent at the rate they were going. "Hey, you guys still have those grenades?" Kohta suddenly remembered.

"Yeah, what about them?" Johann shouted as he fumbled around trying to find any spare magazines. "I was hoping we'd be able to save them, but I think we should try to get at least one under a truck. The explosion could cause a chain reaction if we're lucky," Kohta explained as he figured it would just take a good throw to blow their mobile cover to smithereens.

Without any time to delay, one by one they tried to throw a grenade overhand to stall the invaders for as long as possible. After a series of failed attempts, with three of Shido's soldiers getting killed by one lucky throw, the rest were quick to pick up on what the defenders were doing. Bits of shrapnel flew everywhere, the drivers slowing down the push when their vehicles took some metal shards to the hull and windows.

"Hold back for now! Let them waste what little they have left. It will just make this all the easier for us," Shido ordered from the back of the frontline; knowing that it had to be some fleeting attempt out of desperation.

 _Meanwhile outside..._

"You're good...really good for criminal scum. But I know you're still not good enough for what comes next," Frasier admitted; now sporting multiple cuts along his body, one even marking the side of his cheek.

 **[Stardust Crusaders OST - Noble Pope]**

"Oh? I'm always open to new techniques," Tatsuya said with great interest as he had a few cuts of his own, some quite deeper than others. "This is how real S.A.S. boys fight! Are you ready?" Frasier boasted; both arms whirling about in the air as the knife seamlessly twirled between his fingers. Tatsuya glared intently at this most curious technique; never blinking once, as he didn't want to miss a bit. He carefully readied himself to defend against this mystery form.

Without missing a beat, Frasier's foot suddenly kicked up, sending his own boot flying directly at Tatsuya's face. Expecting such trickery though, the yakuza stabbed one sai into the boot before brushing it aside harmlessly. However, what he didn't count on was the handful of sand Frasier suddenly drew from his pocket before hurling the clump directly into his eyes.

"Argh! You...filthy little...fuck," Tatsuya growled, his eyes stinging intensely, rendering him momentarily blind. "Don't tell me you're going to start crying now," Frasier childishly taunted before rushing forward. His one boot stomped hard against the asphalt, dropping the knife as well, which echoed from the metal bouncing against the asphalt.

Still somewhat in control of his senses, Tatsuya managed to predict where Frasier was going to go next given how loud his footsteps were; letting the young man get close before trying to stab him with the first sai. The young Brit ducked down, expecting it as well.

 **CRUNCH!**

The sai was dodged just in time, the blade piercing directly into the frame of a nearby car. It was now wedged in far too deep for Tatsuya to pull out without leaving himself exposed. Knowing that Frasier was sucking in his waistline for a devastating blow, Tatsuya kicked him back before sending his second sai straight out in pursuit.

"Fool," was all Frasier could calmly mutter before his wrist braced hard against the former gangster's; twisting slightly upon impact, which sent Tatsuya's arm to the side.

 **CRUNCH!**

As if on cue, the second sai punctured the second car they were standing between. All it took was a second for Tatsuya to let go of them and defend himself freely. However, one second was all Frasier needed.

'He wanted me to focus on him this whole time! I'd completely forgotten where I was standing,' Tatsuya thought; realizing far too late that he was falling for yet another of the tricks this teen seemed to be full of. Without any restraint, the eldest Lawson's elbow pounded hard into Tatsuya's solar plexus, knocking the wind straight from his lungs, and forcing him to let go of both sai while gasping for breath. He was now unable to throw his hands up in time to defend from what was to come next.

At that moment, Frasier began thinking of Saeko's injury; that look of pain and shock on her face; a look he hoped he'd never have to see in his entire life again. He then clenched both fists as tight as his hands would allow. To see the woman he loved get hurt brought up an infernal pit of burning hatred within him. It was an emotional fire even she wouldn't have been able to put out.

Leading knuckles first, he unleashed a barrage of punches into Tatsuya's midsection; pounding and beating on him like a personal punching bag. He kept hitting with such fury, it felt like he was going to hurt himself as much as his target. While some of the hits were able to be blocked, they were ultimately made up for by the many more that hit their mark.

Had Tatsuya not been wearing his own personal body armor under his dress shirt, there was no doubt all of his ribs would've shattered and his guts left with severe internal bleeding. Quickly noticing this, Frasier reached for the collar of the shirt and vest and hoisted them both up until they blocked Tatsuya's face from view. Frasier instantly redirected his punches at the gangster's now unprotected lower abdominal. Frasier bellowed out from the intensity he'd just put himself through as he cocked one arm back behind his body before putting all his strength into one last punch; sending Tatsuya off his feet and into the ground with a hard thud.

 **[]**

Now was finally his chance; the perfect moment to drive his knife as far as the steel could go into Tatsuya's skull. He didn't even need to outright kill him to win, but the satisfaction of such a victory against the people who'd hurt Saeko would be worth it. Before the final blow was struck, out of the corner of his eye, the young man caught a sudden glimpse of an undead police officer limping towards Kenji's body.

"NO! I will not let you take him," Frasier instinctively burst out before rushing over to the boy; kneeing the former cop in the sides to grab its attention before sending the blade into the side of its skull. Another of 'Them' suddenly grabbed him from behind, teeth a second away from his neck, only to be met with cold steel. The young Brit then hurled the second stiff corpse over his shoulder. Just when he thought he'd managed to regain control, one of Tatsuya's sai cut across his forearm. A sharp sting shot up and down his arm as blood gently seeped out.

Before Frasier could react accordingly, Tatsuya was already one step ahead; sweeping the leg before using the instability he'd caused to knock Frasier down onto his back, putting a foot down on the young man's wrist with just enough force to keep him from reaching his dropped knife. The young Brit breathed hard and ragged, looking up in defeat, as he knew he'd been bested.

 **[Stardust Crusaders OST - Hidden Thoughts]**

"Why? Why did you come out here at a time like this? Surely you're smarter than this if you've lasted this long?" Tatsuya suddenly asked; intrigued by the unconventional behavior he'd come to expect from the militant youth. "What's it to you?" Frasier grumbled as he looked up with a dissenting glare in his eyes.

"Were you trying to escape? Were you abandoning your people when they needed you most, like a coward?" Tatsuya went on, his voice sounding far more intense, as though he was angered just by the thought of it. "Of course not! I came to see if I could save the man I purposely grazed. I had to know I was at least able to save…one of them," Frasier explained, motioning over towards Kenji and Isao's bodies. Tatsuya's face now looked genuinely surprised to hear the young man admit to trying to do something so noble.

"You had the perfect chance to kill me back there. I would've been totally at your mercy, had you followed through with that attack. So why didn't you?" the yakuza finally asked, this time much more softly. He wasn't even as shaken by the fact he would've died, as much as he was by the thought of how narrowly he'd avoided it. "Because I couldn't allow those things to eat the boy. I'd already failed him and his grandfather…I just couldn't allow their bodies to be desecrated like that," Frasier confessed with a deep sense of remorse that gave Tatsuya deep pause.

"Commendable...but very risky. Why did you come out yourself? You're their leader. You could've just as easily sent another to go in your place," Tatsuya then asked again, eager to know why Frasier would do this; almost shocked by what felt like an out of character decision from the brash young man.

"Because I didn't want to risk their lives any more than I already have for my mistakes. It had to be me," the eldest Lawson explained, slowly sitting up after Tatsuya's shoe lifted up from his wrist. The look on the yakuza's face was unreadable, but strangely…deep, as though he was trying to figure out a thousand conflicting emotions at once. When he finally lifted his head, the look in his once fierce eyes had softened, showing…regret.

"You know something? I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to see a TRUE leader in the flesh. I can see now why your people don't flee from such overwhelming force. Tell me…do you really think you can win?" Tatsuya said with great sincerity; looking over to see his group was still held up by the front barricades, but still fighting back regardless. "I really don't know anymore. Honestly, I never asked to be their leader. It should've just been my brothers and I this entire time. Yet, here I am...risking my life for people I've only known for a couple weeks..." Frasier then confessed while getting back to his feet, still weary from the debilitating hit earlier.

"If that was really how you felt, you surely could've grabbed your brothers, abandoned the rest and run for your lives once we showed up. But no…you stuck around till the end. You chose to fight instead of trying to save your own skin," the former yakuza noted; taking this moment to determine what he should do next. An inner turmoil now gripped his conscience. "This isn't my fight…it never was," Tatsuya expressed with a steely resolve as he looked over towards the fighting at the front entrance. He looked upon those who'd already fallen to the survivors defending the mall, and the rest who were fighting on like nothing had been lost.

"I was such a fool to listen to a word that snake said. This isn't what I wanted," he then lamented with a sigh as his gaze shifted down to Kenji's corpse, lost in those lifeless eyes. He couldn't decide whether to blame himself or Shido for this. For all the times his gut instincts had urged him to talk back and silently stand up to Shido, in the end he'd chosen to stick by him, and now this poor child and his grandfather were dead because of it. His mind momentarily slipped into the past for a few seconds, recalling the distant yet grizzly scene that initiated his career as a gangster in the first place.

'I've become the very thing I once detested so long ago,' the former yakuza's conscience echoed as he came to realize he was no better than the fools he once berated for following weak and spineless excuses for bosses, for leaders in life; a revelation that left an utterly sour taste in his mouth. The idea that his own unwillingness to be all alone again had resulted in so much senseless and undeserved death nearly made him want to personally burn away the elaborate dragon tattoo that adorned his back; the signifying mark of his very pride as a loyal yakuza…the one remaining symbol of his pride as a brave and personally just man.

He just stood there subdued, frozen in contemplation amid the raging battle. Had he not trained these people to look out for and defend themselves, they would've all perished a long time ago. On the other hand, him preparing them so well had ultimately fueled this conflict he was now thrown into. Both his knees suddenly bent until he loomed over Kenji and Isao's motionless bodies. In a subtle motion of the wrists, his hands gently brushed both their eyes, closed as if out of respect for the boy and old man. A deep, remorseful grunt could be heard from deep in his throat as he looked up at Shido's people again. They continued to fight and work together, just as he'd taught them. He knew he could easily go in and aid them, help them push onward and crush what little resistance there actually was.

However, his feet began to move in the opposite direction while his eyes remained fixated on the mall. Eventually, he was able to finally turn away and never look back; leaving the chaotic war zone behind him, as he knew that no matter what he did, it wouldn't change anything. However, one thing in his mind was for certain: he wanted no further part in this conflict, neither for better or for worse.

Ignoring the persistent gunfire, Tatsuya continued moving forward, silently burying these past couple weeks behind his already burdened conscious. Where he would go, he didn't know, nor did he really care. But as he continued walking, he couldn't help but wonder to himself how he could make things right with himself, and if he even deserved such a chance.

 **[]**

Meanwhile, Frasier took this opportunity to hijack a nearby truck, pushing out the shot up driver's corpse; no doubt Rika's defensive handiwork. He carefully hauled Osamu's unconscious body into the passenger's seat. He then glanced once more over at Kenji and Isao's bodies, both his hands gripping tight around the steering wheel, nails digging hard into the leather. Not even buckling up, he slammed his foot on the gas pedal and headed straight for the mall entrance. He managed to run over several unsuspecting people in the rear flank before zooming past the main force. Their bodies rolled over the hood like rag dolls as the rest were caught entirely by surprise and scattered to keep from getting run over themselves.

 **CRASH!**

The defenders of the mall were just as equally shocked to see another truck suddenly plow right through several invaders on the way in; screeching to a halt as the driver's door was facing them and opening up.

"Don't fire on that one! It's Frasier-san," Kohta announced, being the first to line up a shot only to realize just who it was. The others were bewildered at what he'd been up to this whole time before watching him drag out the unconscious construction crewmember. "He needs covering fire! Suppress those bastards," Marcus called out, holding his trigger down to lay down a heavy fire all over the cover vehicles lined up below.

Sho's eyes widened once he realized who the young Brit had slumped over his shoulders, dropping his weapon and rushing to help him pull Osamu back up to the second floor.

"Y-You saved him? But why?" Sho asked in disbelief as he was suddenly left holding up his friend alone. "Shut up and pay attention! Are the buses operational yet?" Frasier dismissively announced before demanding an answer; sparing no breath for unnecessary explanations.

"I...the first one is ready to go. I was just putting the final diagnostics on the second bus when those assholes showed up. We were making sure the extra weight doesn't kill the engine," Sho answered while Frasier seemed unsatisfied by the news. "Take your friend and get on it then. We'll hold them off to buy you some time," Frasier instructed before picking up Sho's rifle for himself.

"Hey, kid…" Sho began to call out as he left with Osamu draped over his shoulder, while Frasier glanced back to see what he could possibly need to say now. "…You're still an asshole," he finished with a genuine smile before Frasier nodded in acknowledgment; now somewhat grinning himself while Sho took off to make the finishing touches down below.

"What do we do now? Looks like they're getting ready to push again," Johann shouted, not liking the sight of so many people once again reorganizing despite their best defensive efforts. "Stick to my plan! Bring up those gasoline canisters on the double," Frasier ordered as he waved one arm in a circle and motioned Noah and Marcus to the two escalators; watching them crouch down and pop the caps off. The stench of gasoline instantly became abundant. "Pour it slowly. We don't want it to look obvious," Frasier ordered, knowing this tactic relied solely on the element of surprise.

"Now?" Noah asked as bullets continued to whiz by overhead; some punching through what was left of the glass barrier and wooden pallets. "No! Wait until they make another push," Frasier snapped. The dreaded fact was they only had one chance for this to work. His hands began tensing up, gripping and releasing as he glared intensely at the battle before him. His eyes widened in anticipation when several canisters were suddenly tossed out and a thick cloud of smoke began to bellow out; effectively concealing both sides. The cease of gunfire echoed throughout the mall and left everyone in awe with their ears ringing.

"They're moving in," Marcus pointed out in a whisper. At last, Shido's army had realized their only chance at victory was to push and keep pushing. "Not yet. Let them get comfortable first," Frasier halted, knowing patience was key now more than ever. Both his brothers flicked their lighters on, barely able to wait much longer as shoes and boots could be heard stomping up the escalators.

"Now," Frasier mouthed as he waved his hand down and watched as their lighters instantly ignited the trail of gasoline that led down the escalators. The heat was instantly abundant and nearly overwhelming to both the defenders at the frontline, and those of Shido's people that were caught in burning trail. Nightmarish screams arose from the people burning alive, some of whom vaulted over the sides while others tumbled all the way back down, crashing into one another. Whatever Shido's group did now, it wasn't going to involve heading up the two escalators anymore. Those still alive had now been forced to hang back and regroup until the smoke canisters cleared up.

"Don't waste your ammo on them. Let them burn," Rika suggested coldly. While it was a horrible thought to most of the defenders to allow human beings to suffer such an agonizing fate, they knew they didn't exactly have the ammo to spare. "This won't hold them back forever," Kohta brought up, looking over the ledge to see if he could spot anything noteworthy through the smoke.

"I know. Fall back and split up into your designated teams," Frasier nodded in acknowledgement, trying his best to keep cool and remain calm despite how a single failure or misstep could still wind up killing all of them.

"Are you sure about this? Shouldn't we be sticking together?" Rei asked nervously, almost certain if they split up, they'd be easy pickings. "If we bunch up, their superior firepower will overwhelm ours, no contest. If we split up, so do they; or they'll risk being attacked on a flank," Rika answered, well aware of Frasier's intent to use the cult's greatest strength to their own advantage.

"I get it...I just wish it wasn't so terrifying," Rei said as she could feel her body wanting to break out into frightened trembling, but she had to use every ounce of her willpower to resist it and press on. She couldn't afford to let her fears of what could happen to them all get in her way, not now. Frasier then stopped, all of them subsequently slowing down as he turned to face them. Despite how well things were going, he couldn't hide his doubt of certain victory in sight. He simply sighed, looking at them all with an earnest expression that showed even he didn't know what to expect from this point on.

"Everyone just follow your respective team leader and do your best. No one said this would be easy," he said before watching everyone break off into their pre-assigned groups. He could only hope for the best for every one of them before he went to his own sector to hole up in for an opportunity to outflank Shido's people.

As the attackers realized going up the escalators wasn't going to be an option, they stormed underneath the first arch and were quick to notice nobody was defending that location anymore. Not even acknowledging their burned up comrades, they instead kept moving down the main aisle until reaching the next set of stairs that led up to the second floor in the central plaza. The first ones to move up were considerably hesitant, considering the last team to go first had been incinerated. However, it seemed like they were going to be more fortunate once they reached the top without being set on fire. Noticing that they weren't being fired upon either, their zeal was now wholly renewed. They eagerly called for the others to follow them up.

Entire groups of people hustled up the stairs and jogged on to regroup and strategize. They all couldn't help but exude confidence that they had Frasier and his friends on the run. All the while, they failed to take into consideration that they were moving right past them; each of the defenders situated in several stores circling the plaza's second floor.

"NOW," Johann shouted; he and the others poking out from their hiding spots and laying down a volley of fire. Most of Shido's soldiers were left scrambling for cover while others were torn apart in the hail of gunfire. They had all begun to scatter in a panic, just as Frasier had predicted; pushing in all different directions with no organization.

"This is intense! You sure it's a good idea to let them get so close?" Takashi shouted to Noah as they vaulted over a counter to avoid a retaliatory hail of gunfire. The glass display above their heads burst just as the words left his mouth. "My brother knows what he's doing…I hope," Noah replied semi-confidently. Just as he finished talking, something tossed from outside suddenly flew over the counter and into their cover. To their horror, a frag grenade lay at their feet with no pin. "Grenade! Quick, toss it," Noah warned as Takashi took it in hand, throwing it out the doorway.

 **KABOOM!**

The blast left their ears ringing as bits of shrapnel dug into the entrance walls and the counter. When the noise eventually died down, they could hear someone shouting in agonizing pain. Takashi quickly peeked over the counter to see a young man roughly his age sprawled out with his left leg blown off, trying to keep the stump elevated while feebly trying to crawl away.

"Should I...?" Takashi began to ask Noah as the pitiful sight left his stomach twisting in distaste. "What, put him out of his misery?" the youngest Lawson finished for him as he began to reload his shotgun, cocking it before holding up a nearby fragment of a mirror to check if anyone else outside was already taking aim at them.

"No need for it, it seems," Noah then announced as the horrified screaming from outside their position had suddenly gone deathly quiet. Takashi looked over one more time to see the crippled boy's body laid motionless, blood pooling from the stump of his leg. Even though that teenager would've tried to kill them at the first opportunity, it was still hard to stomach causing such a horrible death. The sight left Takashi silent but visibly shaken, taking in the cruel reality of what they were being forced to do.

 _Elsewhere in the mall…_

Marcus and Kohta meanwhile had pulled back into an electronics department store after spending the remainder of what little ammo they had on the initial ambush.

"Why are you freezing up? I thought you enjoyed this kind of thing," Marcus said to Kohta as they hopped into a checkout stand to keep themselves hidden; recalling how reluctant his chubby partner had been to look out and shoot back. "I have a distinct love for guns and a newfound love for being useful to others…" Kohta explained with confidence as he took several deep breaths; clearly trying not to have an anxiety attack. "…but have I ever mentioned fighting up close or with an enemy that can actually shoot back absolutely terrifies me?" he then mentioned timidly.

"Oh, that's just great. Well today is the day to get over your fears," Marcus grumbled, wishing he'd known sooner before being paired up with him. Before he could finish reloading his assault rifle with some spare rounds he found in his pocket, both looked up to see a muscular-looking man with a shotgun aimed right at them; towering overhead on top of the shattered glass counter. "Time to die, assholes," he exclaimed with great excitement, only for Marcus to react in time by jamming his knife into the man's kneecap; causing his aim to swerve at the last second.

 **BKOOM!**

Before he could fire again, Marcus grabbed the barrel and yanked it straight down from the well-built man's hands, before trying to turn it against him. The man quickly swept his foot in retaliation despite the injury to his leg; sending the shotgun flying across the room. Knowing that he now had to end this the old fashioned way, Marcus jumped for the man on the counter and tackled him to the ground. Both rolled around on the floor with a loud thud, trying to get in a punch or a clawing or two; mostly missing thanks to them moving around so much. Kohta meanwhile just stared at the hole in the carpet, realizing how easily that could've been him. Knowing he had just come inches away from death left him utterly paralyzed with fear.

'That hole could've been my head. Oh, this is bad. This is so very, very bad! I have to be dreaming all of this. No way this is actually happening,' his conscience began to prattle on, trying to justify it all as some kind of insane dream; and that he'd simply wake up in his old bed and his only worry would once again be being late for school.

Marcus meanwhile managed to get a few good hits in, but they seemed ineffectual when the brute just grinned in amusement. He then proceeded to pry the knife from his leg before attempting to stab Marcus with it. Out of instinct, the middle Lawson grabbed at the man's wrists before kicking at the knees in an attempt to disarm and trip him up. The buff man kept his grip firm on the handle though, effectively pulling Marcus down with him before rolling on top. He lifted both arms up before trying to slam the knife down into the teen's chest. Marcus saw this coming and pushed back just in time; putting up whatever resistance he could. Both his arms reached out and stretched as far as they physically could go, hoping that Kohta would be able to jump in.

Unfortunately, the near death experience had left Kohta absolutely frozen. He was still sitting behind the counter, lost in thought at how close to death he truly was. For the first time in what felt like years, he realized this was nothing at all like the video games he played; and that no movie could've prepared him for the terrified adrenaline rush he was going through. His heart raced to the point it felt like it was ready to burst from his chest and take off.

"What's wrong, you Bluto-looking wanker? Not strong enough to beat up a kid, so you have to use a knife?" Marcus suddenly taunted in an attempt to get under the man's skin; hoping that he'd lose his cool and make a mistake. "Shh enough talking, boy. Just relax and let me put you out of your misery," the man hissed sadistically, hatred seeping into his words as sharp eyes widened in anticipation of spilling blood.

Marcus' arms trembled from the incredible strain; having to put all his strength into making sure the muscular man's wrists didn't move. Every god-forsaken second, the blade drew closer and closer to his chest. Had they been upright, Marcus might've had a chance to break free or simply move aside to avoid being stabbed. But with the man pushing his whole body weight down, gravity was working with him, proving too much for the middle Lawson to handle. Icy sweat began to run down onto his face as he tried to squirm and wiggle out from underneath. A sharp pain suddenly flared in his stomach when the strong man placed a knee into his gut; effectively pinning him to the ground while the knife was already pressing into the cloth of his jacket.

"HIRANO! Get your thick head out of your ass and help me with this fucker," Marcus shouted as he could feel the last ounces of his strength quickly begin to fade. Just as the knife was seconds away from piercing his chest, Kohta finally mustered enough courage to move, wildly swinging his empty rifle at Marcus' attacker. The butt of the weapon smashed against the side of his face; thankfully spurring him to pull the knife away and get his knee off the middle Lawson, who was now gasping for air.

"Fucking fatass! I'll split you groin to gullet," the man growled before swinging the sharp blade at Kohta, managing to slice through the otaku's sleeve and cut into his forearm. Kohta let out a painful yelp as he stumbled back into the counter, grasping at his wound. The sharp pain pulsated, leaving him frozen with fear again. However, now having enough room to maneuver his legs back, Marcus reeled his feet back just enough to plant them under the man's chest before using all his might to launch him straight backward.

 **CRASH!**

Tumbling backwards head first, the strong man had his head wedged in a television set. Glass punctured his face, several shards digging into his shoulders and cheeks. Before he could try to pull himself out, Marcus grabbed another TV from the shelf above and pulled it over the edge, slamming it down on his opponent's neck and chest, the freefalling weight breaking his neck. Once he was sure the strong man wasn't getting back up, Marcus spat on his corpse before turning to the shivering gun otaku.

"You alright?" Marcus asked worriedly when he realized how deep the cut actually was. Kohta's face was utterly pale from how shocked he was to be bleeding so much. "Y-yeah...just trying to...hold myself together," Kohta answered, trying to remain conscious and not freak out at how much it really hurt.

"You did great, man. But next time, just shoot the bastard, okay?" Marcus congratulated before motioning towards the shotgun lying just a few feet away from them. Kohta simply chuckled out of embarrassment upon realizing how easily he could've saved himself the pain.

 _The Rear Plaza…_

Meanwhile; Tadashi, Johann, Saya, and Hitomi found themselves under heavy fire. Thankfully their cover remained sturdy, the bullets harmlessly sinking in or ricocheting off the processed stone wall. It didn't help however, that they were effectively pinned down and unable to peek out for even a split second to defend themselves. Amid all the firing, a narrow tube-shaped object had suddenly been thrown into their cover. Their attention was momentarily drawn to it before realization simultaneously hit them.

"Oh no! FLASH BANG," Hitomi announced before trying to grab Saya and Johann and pulling them to the floor. "COVER YOUR-" was all Tadashi could warn before all they saw was white.

 **PING!**

Their ears were now filled with nothing but a constant ring. With their sight and hearing hampered, they were completely disoriented; staying in place in the hopes they'd be able to recover before their position was rushed. However, the invaders had prepared for this, and already the three men had begun to move in to intercept the subdued defenders.

"Get those assholes before they get up. It's payback time," a man wearing a black bandana ordered the others. Just as they were moments from getting their hands on the stunned survivors, Miku suddenly came running out of a nearby maintenance doorway. "What the hell? Miku-chan? You're still alive?" another follower questioned with great shock to see their former comrade in the middle of this madness.

"Yeah, thank god. These assholes kept me as their prisoner this whole time. I only finally managed to break out in the middle of all this fighting," Miku attempted to explain while catching her breath from running all the way here. "Well, Shido-sama will be pleased to know you're still alive. Help us finish these bastards off so we can take down the rest and go home," the third follower said with an earnest sigh of relief and eagerness.

"Take the first shot. Surely you want some payback," the bandana man suddenly piped in as he handed Miku the AK-47 slung over his shoulder. "Yeah... of course. I wouldn't want to have it any other way," Miku acknowledged with a grateful nod before taking it out of his hand. Her posture became rigid and focused as she took aim at Tadashi. Just when she was about to pull the trigger, she suddenly turned around with the barrel pointed right at the bandana man's face.

 **CLICK!**

"Stupid fucking bitch," was all he muttered under his breath, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "You actually think I'm dumb enough to fall for that shit?! I knew you were weak-minded, but to turn on your own?! I'm gonna enjoy ripping that pretty body of yours limb from limb, you backstabbing whore," he growled; with one hand grasping her slender neck tight, while the other gently ran the side of a knife against her cheek. Had even the slightest amount of extra force been applied, the blade would easily cut right into her soft, smooth skin.

 **WRAM!**

Without warning, one of the other soldiers cried out as Tadashi had blindly charged and tackled him to the floor. They rolled across the floor in a struggle, preventing the third soldier from lining up a shot. But thankfully the momentary distraction was all it took for Miku's survival instincts to kick in.

As the bandana man had taken the second to look at the commotion, Miku swiftly shot her knee into his crotch, causing him to fold over in pain. Without even pausing, she grabbed the wrist of the hand wielding the knife and pushed with all her strength; the slack in his body offering no resistance and causing the knife to drive deep into his throat, spraying Miku with his blood.

The unoccupied soldier immediately noticed the scene and quickly lined his rifle with Miku's head, but she noticed just as quickly and dove backwards to the floor, pulling the bandana man's body up over hers. The soldier blindly fired, emptying his rifle's whole clip into the body, which thankfully had been wearing some makeshift armor underneath to absorb the rounds while Miku remained still beneath him, trying to ignore the blood still gushing from his neck and onto her face.

Once the firing had stopped, her hand reached into her meat shield's jacket and felt the familiar grip of a pistol tucked into the waist of his pants. Once she heard the familiar sound of the clip being ejected, she threw the body off herself with all her strength and brought the revolver forward, pulling the trigger with a deafening bang and sending the man flying back against the counter with a dime-sized hole just under his left eye.

By this point, the rest of the defenders still huddled behind their cover had managed to regain their senses as they began to rise up, only now noticing Tadashi still struggling with the last remaining soldier. Just as they began to act once the attacker managed to land a punch and get on top; Miku, still on her back on the floor, swiftly shifted her aim and emptied the last four shots into the man's head and neck, sending him toppling off the detective.

Everyone looked in complete awe at who it was that had come to their rescue as Miku finally thought to get back on her feet, tossing the empty revolver aside as she struggled to reclaim her breath. Once she realized they were all staring at her with unmistakable disbelief, she couldn't help but blush at receiving so much attention; to the point she almost didn't register when Hitomi suddenly raised her own pistol in her direction.

The young girl couldn't even flinch when three deafening bangs echoed out, but she never felt the tearing impact of any bullets. In fact, as if on sheer instinct, she turned around to realize the policewoman had just blasted a fourth soldier outside the doorway who'd been leveling a shotgun at Miku's back.

Her heart rate skyrocketed at what had just happened as the rest of the defenders joined her side, pulling her into a grateful group hug, the first bit of affection she'd ever received from any of the group outside of Noah. The realization of that fact couldn't help but bring joyful tears to her orange eyes as she tried to bring her arms around Tadashi, Hitomi, Saya and Johann the best she could in return.

The quickly approaching sound of footsteps got everyone's attention as they all separated and got ready to jump whoever was about to come round the corner. But all tension faded when Rei and Kiriko were the ones to arrive, looking fairly shaken up themselves, even more so once they saw the bodies.

"What happened? Are you all okay?" Rei asked worriedly as she pulled Johann and Tadashi in for a hug before looking them both over for even a scratch. "We're fine, thankfully. These assholes got the jump on us at first…before SHE showed up," Hitomi explained while gathering the fallen soldiers' guns and handing them to whoever needed one, all before nudging her head towards Miku, who was still trying to keep her distance.

"They'd gotten us with a flashbang, and maybe I misheard some of what was said cause of the ringing, but I think she tried to convince them we'd been holding her prisoner so they'd give her a gun. I'll be the first to admit, I thought she was being serious, but she actually turned the gun on them and pulled the trigger. That would've been it if they hadn't given her an empty gun," Tadashi continued while Kiriko was already tending to the new bruise on his face. "Miyamoto-san actually rushed to help her. I still couldn't quite see, but I know what I heard: he was fighting one of these guys while Miku-san managed to kill another. Then there was a bunch of gunshots and a thud against the counter. That was the point at least I could see again, and Miku-san actually saved him by blowing the last guy away," Johann finished for the both of them, all while Rei and Kiriko looked simultaneously awed and horrified at just how close they'd all come.

When Rei looked to the unusually silent Saya, the pink-haired genius just shrugged her shoulders. "Why are you looking at me? If they'd been lying, don't you think I would've said something by now? It's true; Yuuki…er, Miku-san…she saved our lives. I would've sworn she'd double cross us and fight with these animals, but…as much as I hate to admit it…Noah-kun was right. We…I misjudged her," she admitted, and to hear her speak so humbly and admit being wrong was nothing short of a landmark moment. And all the while, Miku still stood away, as though trying to blend into the background. She'd become so used to just being accepted by Noah, that to suddenly have so much of the group speaking in her favor felt…strange.

She'd been so caught up in her own confused emotions in this moment that she failed to notice Rei and Kiriko until they were almost right in her face, causing her to nearly jump back in surprise. Poor Miku couldn't even think of words to say before mother and daughter alike suddenly pulled her into yet another hug; they being the ones to shed joyful tears this time.

"Thank you…thank you so much," was all Kiriko could say over and over, almost trembling from the thought of losing her husband again. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Yuuki-san. I don't care if you were with Shido before…Noah-kun was right about you all along. You belong with us just as much as anyone here. You're one of us," Rei confided through her barely stifled sobs while Miku herself looked absolutely overjoyed to hear them all say so; barely managing to wipe away the tears brimming in her own eyes as she smiled gratefully.

"Well, if you really mean that, then please just call me Miku from now on. Yuuki-san just doesn't sound right these days," she tried to lighten the mood as she knew Marcus no doubt would've, but the remaining emotion between them all still being too heavy for anyone to really give a laugh. "Hey, I really hate to spoil the moment, but we are still in the middle of a firefight here," Hitomi piped in as everyone simultaneously noticed the echoing gunshots from all across the mall again.

At that moment, several more footsteps began to grow louder until the familiar faces of Frasier, Takashi, Noah, Marcus and Kohta came running from across the plaza; nearly collapsing to a stop upon reuniting with the others.

"Is everyone still in one piece? We had to fight our way through a few more of them before Frasier showed up. How are things over here?" Takashi hastily explained while Noah and Marcus eagerly reunited with Miku and Hitomi, still struggling to catch their breath from the non-stop fighting. "We've been doing excellent so far, especially thanks to Miku-san saving our lives just a few minutes ago. If we can keep this up, they'll probably exhaust themselves in a couple more waves at most," Johann expressed with some much needed optimism; no one noticing the dumbfounded look in Frasier's eyes as he stared at Miku. He didn't know how to react knowing she actively chose to fight on their side and saved so much of the group's lives, especially when every instinct in his body screamed she would've chosen this situation to turn on them and rejoin the invading army. Even amid the maelstrom of conflicting emotions in his head, Frasier knew if they survived this, he would have a lot to apologize to Miku for.

"So what do we do now?" Rei suddenly asked; knowing they couldn't hold this section of the mall anymore now that those left in Shido's army would be expecting another ambush. "We fall back," Frasier bluntly stated as they all rallied around him with admirable loyalty.

"What? Shouldn't we be taking the initiative?" Takashi asked confusedly, feeling positive they should make use of their advantage while it was still there. "Yeah, taking the fight to them while they retreat sounds like the best course of action," Hitomi agreed, ready to finish this fight once and for all.

"We've been playing defense up to this point; they wouldn't expect us to suddenly go on the offense. You do the unexpected in times of war, don't you?" Saya added as she glanced over to Kohta to confirm her suspicions. "It's tempting, but they could also be setting a trap for us," Tadashi brought up, making it clear they still needed to be wary of their persistent enemies.

"He's right. We need to head to the buses now, and hold them off at all costs until Sho finishes the final tune up," Frasier confirmed, his rigid posture showing his mind was made up. They'd been pushing their luck enough as it was, they didn't need to take any more insane risks for this place. "They'll fall back and try to make a push from elsewhere. Once they realize we're not here, we can hopefully catch our breath back at the garage," Noah suggested before gunfire started going off again. Everyone instinctively ducked down, only to soon realize the shots weren't meant for them. In fact, the once calculated and conservative bursts of gunfire had turned sporadic, chaotic, as though the ones firing were doing so out of panic.

The group carefully moved to the edge of the walkway to see Shido's soldiers scattered below, firing at possibly the largest concentrated horde of 'Them' they had come across yet. 'They' had easily overtaken the vehicle barricade and sent the soldiers running every which way for escape, while more and more of the dead poured in through the gaping hole that was the front entrance. Even the APC had rolled into the mall, speeding in reverse while the crew desperately tried to keep the undead numbers quelled, running over as many as they could. Despite all the training they'd received, the people down below were no match for a horde numbering well in the thousands. Their screams echoed as they were being picked off one after another. The group could all tell it wouldn't be long until only the APC was left.

"Oh my God," Hitomi muttered as they watched the undead steadily push back Shido's followers closer towards them. "I completely forgot about 'Them.' I guess whatever barrier they set up didn't hold up as well as they'd hoped," Kohta noted as they saw more and more pour into the mall, like an undead flood. If the mall had been even semi-savable before, it was long gone now.

"It was only a matter of time with all that gunfire. I don't think we can rely on any set military strategy from here on," Hitomi realized, knowing the involvement of 'Them' would be unstoppable at this point. "This changes nothing. Everyone fall back to the garage. C'mon, move it," Johann advised in an attempt to remain calm, knowing it was time for them to get out of here while there was still a chance.

"Rika, you take point. I'm going to hang back and try to slow Shido's people down. Hopefully the dead can take care of the rest," Frasier suddenly ordered, remaining glued to his spot while the others followed after Johann. "Understood. You owe me for this when it's all over," Rika acknowledged before running with the others back to the garage.

 **[Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata]**

The young leader simply stood at the railing with a distant look in his eyes, as if caught in a deep trance he couldn't break away from. He observed the ongoing carnage down below while his fingertips gently tapped at the metal railing. He hummed gently to himself while those fighting for their lives below tried to do whatever it took to stop the seemingly endless horde.

It would've been one thing to fire off a few shots in the city. Sure, it would echo for maybe a kilometer all around and attract any of 'Them' that heard it. When this did happen, 'They' wouldn't get very far before another, closer source of noise managed to get 'Their' attention. However, the constant shooting was able to draw in and hold the undivided attention of entire mobs. It had been a constant signal that ultimately resulted in drawing nearly ten thousand of 'Them.'

"Keep firing! Don't let those things push us back any further," one of the men shouted to the others, their weapons constantly firing into the sea of flesh that kept advancing with every limp and step; every one they were lucky enough to hit in the head, replaced by ten more. Terrified screams could be heard whenever one or two survivors would be pulled into the horde. Nightmarish sights of teeth and hands tearing into their flesh drained those still alive of any courage that somehow was left; forced to watch as intestines and other innards were pulled straight out with bits of flesh still attached, on display for all to see.

One woman stared at the rows of teeth and hands getting closer by the second; so distracted and afraid that she ended up dropping the magazine she was trying to load into her gun. She desperately tried to pick it back up, only to be grabbed by her long hair. The people fighting at her side couldn't even react fast enough before she was dragged down like a rag doll, being pulled in several directions at once before the force was simply too much and her whole body was quartered.

"Hey! Fucking help me over here," another man called out while trying to pry another survivor from the grasps of the dead. Three more men desperately tried whatever they could to help, only for all five men to be overpowered and pulled into the feeding frenzy themselves.

"Don't worry! I've almost got you," another survivor called out as he was dragging the upper half of a friend that had been severed at the waist. A thick trail of blood and his wrangling intestines dragging behind all but spelled out the man had already died. His friend dragging him didn't even think to realize that before the man's eyes shot wide open, and he lunged and sunk his teeth into his jugular before ripping his vocal chords right out.

"WHERE THE FUCK DID SHIDO AND TATSUYA GO?!" another cried out amid the panicked fighting before getting blindsided and piled upon by yet more of 'Them'. They were all hopelessly lost without any leadership to guide them.

"You! Hey! Help us," another man began to shout after he looked around for help, only to spot Frasier watching from above. With possible salvation in sight, the man desperately turned back to face several of 'Them' that were heading straight for him. Frasier might have been able to help them out, to give them a way out of this bloodbath. However, he just remained silent as he thought of Saeko's injury and the murders of Isao and Kenji. Those horrible moments were still too fresh in his mind as he continued watching over the ledge to witness every last excruciating moment in gruesome detail.

"YOU'RE KILLING US! YOU'RE-" the same man began to scream at the top of his lungs; unable to even finish when one of his own sank their teeth into his shoulder. The man let out a painful shout while desperately punching his attacker away. A large chunk of flesh broke off, going down to the bone. With revolver still in hand, he shot the former survivor in the face at point blank range. He even managed to shoot another undead old man approaching him before a third took hold of his forearm, biting down and pulling out tendons when the head reared back. Despite his fate being sealed, he still tried to get away. But he only made it a few steps before another hand grabbed his foot, tripping him up. Without any chance to break away, several of 'Them' were already on top of him; tearing one the last of Shido's followers to pieces while the few remaining others gave up on trying to hold their position. Finally they'd realized just how much of a lost cause this fight really was, and it was now everyone for themselves. With nothing left to see, Frasier decided to make a run for the front lobby once more.

 **[]**

The APC finally rolled back, the .50 cal firing rapidly into the crowds of 'Them' that limped and staggered through the opening to the mall; hopelessly trying to break apart the ongoing tide of undead while those still alive in Shido's army had already retreated further into the mall to escape through any exit they could find. However, their clearing out efforts only delayed the inevitable, causing the inexperienced crew to back up in a panic until the APC was stopped just above the bridge Frasier was perched on.

"Only one chance to do this," he said to himself as he holstered his rifle along his back and vaulted over the railing.

 **THUD!**

His feet landed hard against the vehicle's roof, trying to maintain his balance as it rolled forward and back. He grabbed a canister of tear gas strapped to his vest, opened the top hatch and tossed it in before kicking it shut. It only took a second before the cries and coughing could be heard echoing from inside the armored vehicle. Knowing the men inside had to open up for air, he kept a pistol aimed at the hatch. The moment it opened up, he looked straight into the watery eyes of the first crew member. Without hesitation, he blew his brains out; the blood covered hatch slamming shut as the body fell back in.

"SHIT! Some asshole's on the roof," a voice man shouted in warning between the hacks and gasps for air. "Bastard! I'll throw his ass off," another man cursed before the APC suddenly started to move at high speed; forcing Frasier to leap off and roll. Once he regained his senses, he noticed the vehicle was already barreling back toward him, forcing him to run for it.

His rifle flew off his shoulder, hitting the ground before disappearing under the heavy-duty wheels, crushed into hundreds of pieces. The groans of countless undead and the roaring engine was all Frasier could hear anymore as he ran as fast as his legs would allow. He could practically feel the exhaust from the tailpipe inching closer before he desperately leapt aside when he realized he was about to be crushed against a pillar.

 **CRASH!**

Without any control, the APC crashed directly into a support beam; causing the overhead bridge to collapse. Amidst the resulting wreckage and debris, Frasier found himself pinned down beneath the rubble. Only one of his arms was free, the rest of him was practically buried.

'Oh shit...have to get out before those things can get to me,' Frasier mentally cursed, desperately trying to lift the large chunks of concrete off his chest. Before he could even get one piece to budge, he looked up to see the APC once again trying to back away; ramming into another oncoming horde of 'Them'. The massive wheels splattered and mashed those caught underneath before the vehicle came to an unexpected halt. Whoever had been driving had gravely underestimated their chances of being able to drive through so many of 'Them'. The wheels spun uselessly against the collected slick of rotted entrails, blood and fat painting the floor.

As 'They' piled around the sides, the practically frozen APC began to rock side to side until it was finally flipped over on its side. 'Their' teeth and claws uselessly scratched at the armored hull. While breaking down doors, weakened walls, and flipping over vehicles was one thing 'They' were capable of in mass numbers, tearing through solid steel was not something any number of 'Them' could do. However, 'They' were blindly patient and would try anyway until the prey inside would eventually be forced to come out. For better or worse, the crew inside was utterly trapped.

As the majority of the mob joined the aimless attack on the APC, some in the back took notice of Frasier, who was still desperately trying to escape from under the debris. Loose jaws sagged as the empty groans echoed across the mall. 'Their' feet started shuffling in a direct beeline for the eldest Lawson. Noticing he was about to be attacked by some of the stragglers, Frasier drew out his knife in anticipation; ready to fight to the last breath on his own. Five of 'Them' circled him, ready to drop to his level and tear into what little of him wasn't buried in the rubble.

 **BKOOM!**

Without warning, three of 'Them' were sent flying back with the heads blown clean off. Frasier was barely able to cover his face in time from the dark brown blood splatter. He lowered his arm in time to see none other than Takashi firing what had to be the last of his shells. Once the trigger produced the first empty click, he began swinging the empty gun around like a club in an attempt to buy Frasier the time he needed to free himself.

"Looks like Shido bit off more than he could chew with 'Them'. We can still make it out of here if we reach the garage," Takashi explained as he dropped the gun and began to help pull off some of the heavier wreckage. "And the others? Where are they? Are they alright?" Frasier asked with a strained groan while trying to squirm out to little avail.

"They're waiting for us at the buses, thanks to you. I think we're going to be okay," Takashi answered, astonished that they'd managed to last this long and somehow come out relatively unscathed.

 **BLAM! BLAM!**

Both of Takashi's eyes widened as he looked down to see he'd just been shot twice from behind. Blood began soaking through his shirt as he struggled to turn around to face his attacker. He was already breathing hard as he had to fight the immense pain just to avoid collapsing outright.

"Takashi…" Frasier muttered in horror, genuinely enraged as he looked past him to see a battered Shido moving in with the smoking pistol in hand. The deranged teacher quickly took a shot at an undead salaryman that stumbled towards him.

"You insolent little bastards just cost me everything! But at least I can kill you both before I make my escape," Shido snarled, never shown to be as angry as he was now. "You've lost...no matter what happens here...we beat you," Takashi announced in defiance as he had one hand held to his chest, clenching tight as he just grinned at Shido's infuriated reaction. "We'll just see about that, boy," Shido hissed before firing another shot into Takashi's thigh, causing the youth to collapse onto the floor while Frasier couldn't do anything but watch, powerless.

 **CLICK!**

Apparently that had been the last shot in the clip, prompting Shido to toss it aside before approaching the defenseless Takashi, sending several savage kicks into his sides and stomach over and over. He was smiling every step of the way; taking great pleasure at the sight of Takashi's anguish.

"How does it feel, Komuro; knowing that for all your efforts, you're all going to die like a bunch of dogs?" Shido taunted as he stomped on Takashi's hand, twisting his shoe around. Takashi let out a pained yelp as bone could be heard cracking under the pressure.

 **CRACK!**

Without warning, a rock-sized chunk of pillar hit Shido in the side of his head, causing his vision to blur as he staggered from the disorientation. His eyes flared with a seething hatred when he realized he was now bleeding. He began looking around frantically to see who was responsible before peering down at Frasier, who glared right back at him with another chunk in hand.

"What?! How...how dare you strike me like that, you insubordinate little SHIT?!" Shido snarled before noticing how Frasier was trapped and unable to put up much of a fight anymore.

"I really hope you enjoyed that…because now I'm going to make sure you die slower than he will," Shido hissed in a more relaxed manner before rolling up his sleeves, ready to pummel Frasier to death where he lay. He easily swerved to the side when the young Brit tried to throw another chunk of debris at him.

"Get away from them, you son of a bitch!" Rei's voice suddenly called out as she came seemingly out of nowhere and threw herself onto Shido's back; pulling back at his hair and knocking his glasses off, trying to get him away from the two wounded survivors as best she could. Her nails clawed into his neck and cheek in an attempt to distract him, causing him to drop his gun in the unexpected struggle.

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better," Shido announced with great enthusiasm when he recognized Rei's voice; grabbing her arms and pulling out of whatever grasp she had him in, ignoring the burning itch that resulted from her scratches left on his skin. Despite being by no meaning of the word 'strong', Shido didn't seem to have any trouble going toe to toe with Rei, who was far more concerned with not letting him anywhere near Frasier or Takashi. Shido grabbed at her arms before throwing her off his back and into the hard floor. She rolled away just in time before he could stomp on her head.

"I was really going to enjoy taking my time with you…savoring every last delicious moment. So forgive me if this doesn't end as quickly as you might've hoped," Shido expressed with a sinister grin, both yellow eyes widened by the anticipation he'd become so accustomed to. Rei quickly stood right back up; there was no way she was going to allow herself to back down now. Her eyes quickly took notice that Shido's pistol wasn't too far away from them. All she had to do was grab it and put a shot or two into Shido to end all of this. However, if he were to grab it, she'd virtually have no chance at stopping him then.

"I'm surprised you stuck around this long. I figured without all your followers to protect you, you'd be long gone by now," Rei brought up as she tried to keep him focused on her and not where she was going to go. "They were just simple pawns. Every last one was entirely expendable. Sure, it might be tough for awhile on my own out there...but once I find another group, I'll be right back to where I was," Shido retorted, having zero empathy for those he so callously threw into the meat grinder. Any regard for their lives was entirely absent.

"You monster! I should've killed you back at the estate," Rei growled before she charged at him. Shido meanwhile remained entirely calm, a fist already formed at his side and ready to strike at her when she came into range. Just as she was about to pounce on top of him, he took the first swing. However, having been taught multiple means of defending herself by her father, Rei backed off at the last second. The punch harmlessly swung at the air before she kicked a leg out into Shido's side. Not expecting her to be so fast, the teacher let out a pained groan, which only further enraged him. Rei quickly pulled her leg back to avoid it being grabbed. Giving him no time to recover, she took another swing, this time nailing Shido in the side of his leg; nearly toppling him over as he fell down to one knee.

Certain she could now end this with one solid kick to the temple; Rei swung her foot directly for the former teacher's head. To her surprise though, Shido anticipated this and clasped both his hands around her shoe. Unable to pull away in time, Rei was swiftly pulled down to the floor, Shido already crawling on top. His balled fists mercilessly struck her in the stomach and across the cheek. One hand then pinned her head down as the other tried to line up for another devastating blow.

A part of him didn't even know how he wanted to end her life anymore. For days he'd been so certain he'd be able to take his time, to drag out every ounce of pain as far as he could. Being put on the spot made his attacks reckless and somewhat random. He knew there was no way he'd be able to take her back alive to his special torture room anymore; not with so many of 'Them' to get in the way, on top of her accursed constant resisting. It had to be here and now.

While he was momentarily lost in thought, Rei quickly took advantage of Shido's lapse in judgment by placing both her feet against his chest before kicking him off with all her might. His body launched back, giving her enough time to crawl over towards the dropped pistol. She practically crawled all the way over, just moments away from finally ending it. Her fingers wrapped around the grip, only to suddenly get stomped on by Shido's foot.

"Oh, I don't think so! We can't let the fun end so soon now, can we?" Shido taunted, his foot twisting back and forth; causing Rei to cry out from the crushing pain. It felt like the bones in her hand were going to snap at any second. "You should consider yourself lucky…" Shido said in a chilling whisper before grabbing Rei by the back of her hair; viciously slamming her head against the floor three times until she finally let go of the gun. He quickly kicked it away, robbing her of her last advantage. "…I had so much planned for you, but that's all going to have to be put aside now," he continued before noticing the dead were starting to move further into the mall towards the gunshots echoing from the garage below.

Giving the young girl no respite, he wrapped both his hands around her neck; all ten fingers squeezing as hard as they possibly could. Rei's face instantly turned red, on the verge of turning blue as every gasp for air gave her none. Her head felt light, her vision starting to blur. It would've been so easy to just let the darkness take her now, to just give up and embrace the end.

Meanwhile, knowing she wasn't going to last another ten seconds, Frasier looked around in desperation for something, ANYTHING to help her with. Without any sizable rubble left in his reach to throw, he glanced at his knife and carefully set it on the ground; knowing he only had one shot at this or else they'd all die here. He took a deep breath and took aim with the knife before suddenly sliding it all the way across the floor, the blade stopping just short of Rei's left foot.

Unable to reach out and grab it, the nearly asphyxiated teen used her foot to kick it up within her reach. Once she was able to wrap her fingers around the handle, without hesitation she gripped it for dear life and thrust the thick blade upwards, going directly the lens of Shido's glasses and into his right eye. A blood-curling scream pierced the air as he immediately lunged back off of her with both hands over the handle. He was practically howling like a wounded animal as he desperately tried to pull it out. Blood and pus gushed out of the brutal wound, his hands slicked with it. His once mad howls quickly fell to pitiful whimpering cries.

Rei meanwhile was heaving for air when it finally returned to her. Her whole face was a vibrant shade of red as she felt around her throat; coughing violently. Once she was able to breathe calmly again, she glanced over to see Frasier sigh out of relief; before turning back to see Shido trying to limp away. The knife had finally been removed and lay on the floor, with a severed eyeball still skewered to it.

Her blood burning like fire at the sight of the monster trying to flee, Rei slowly got back to her feet, easily catching up to the crippled Shido as he peeked over his shoulder at the sound of her footsteps. His one remaining eye was already filled with tears, almost like he was begging for mercy when he met her exhausted and furious gaze.

"Please...Miyamoto-san, y-you're better than this! P-please, don't kill me! Y-you know this is wrong... you're n-not like the rest of them. I-if you were, you w-would've shot me when you had the chance back at the T-Takagi estate," Shido began to plead and beg pathetically; hoping that she'd be able to take the moral high road and spare his worthless life just a bit longer.

But Rei didn't say a word. Save for a few huffs for air and a slight growl of disgust at this pathetic excuse for a man, she was silent as the grave. Before Koichi Shido could even think of another way to plead for his miserable existence, she lifted up a knee. In an instant, her foot smashed right into his eyes and nose. Unable to even cry out in pain, Shido just clasped both hands against his agonizing face; whimpering and groveling at such unrelenting anguish that burned like hellfire. All the while, Rei just walked away, not even looking back to see what would happen next. One more look at such a cruel monster would've made her sick to her stomach.

Both hands blindly guided Shido along the floor; trying to follow the sound of Rei's footsteps. Just when he thought he'd bumped into her, his hands felt up a leg far too cold and dry to be hers. That's when he heard several low, rattling groans coming from all around him. His vision then recovered just enough to see he'd stumbled right into the horde.

Unable to even get a word out, Shido was instantly pinned to the floor by just one of 'Them'. His struggling grunts and desperate shouts only drew more towards himself. His leather shoes squeaked against the floor as he tried to kick the monster on top of him away. He was barely able to hold even one back before several more at once joined in. Several sets of jagged, rotting teeth began to sink into his flesh simultaneously, chunks of flesh and tendons ripped right out. Sharp, broken nails peeled and clawed at his body, some even breaking off into his skin. The whites of his shinbones could be seen after the flesh had been messily torn from his legs. Several hands dug away at his stomach until it was literally torn wide open, his internal organs spilling out for all to see. At this point, not a single part of him would go unconsumed.

Horrid gargles and savage gnawing were to be the final sounds he'd ever hear. The nightmarish sight of former human beings eating different parts of him would be the last he'd ever get to see. The stench of rotting flesh, freshly spilt blood, and steaming guts was all he could smell now. The sickening copper flavor of his own blood gushing out of his mouth was all he could taste. All senses overwhelmed his brain to the point it drove him over the edge as he began suddenly laughing and cackling like a madman. At least until an undead teenager, wearing a Fujimi Academy male student uniform and a shattered pair of glasses attached to its mangled face, sank its teeth into his neck and tore his throat wide open. Shido's wicked laughs reduced to bloody gurgles before finally going silent, as the dead feasted on every last bit of him like a pack of animals.

"It's...it's finally over," Rei muttered to herself between her heaving breaths as sweat and blood trickled down her face from the laceration on her forehead. She was in utter awe at the fact she just took another human life, the life of a man she truly hated to the core no less. She knew this day would change her forever, but now was not the time to dwell on it. She quickly ran over to help Frasier finally get out from underneath the wreckage. Shido's corpse had luckily bought her more than enough time to get the young Brit out.

"Thank you. I'm…I'm glad you had what it took to finally end that bastard. I'm sorry I ever called you weak," Frasier said gratefully, speaking with the utmost respect for Rei as he glanced over to see what little of Shido was left in that feeding frenzy. However, they both knew there was no time to celebrate this otherwise short-lived victory. Both rushed to aid Takashi as he remained face down, trying to keep himself from bleeding out. He let out a painful groan when Frasier helped him back up onto his own two feet.

"Oh my God, Takashi...is he going to be okay?" Rei asked frantically, both hands over her mouth and tears running down her face, devastated at the sight of him like this. "He's lost a lot of blood. We need to get him out of here," Frasier noted before realizing just where he'd been shot, looking away with a grim expression that showed zero hope.

"Rei…y-you have to leave me," Takashi wearily muttered, using what energy he had left just to stay conscious. "What? No, don't say that! You know I'd never do such a horrid thing," she protested heartbroken, certain it was just the blood loss making him say such things.

"Frasier...please...please promise me you'll take good care of them. Don't let anything happen to our friends. Don't...let them..." Takashi groaned, as it became a struggle to even speak at this point. Every last breath was taking the heaviest toll on him. Frasier however, stayed silent; trying to fight back the agony he felt at seeing someone he'd unexpectedly come to see as a true friend this close to death. "Please, stop talking, Takashi! You need to save your strength," Rei pleaded. After all this chaos, all the killing, all the suffering, there was no way in hell she was going to give up on him now, not when they were so close to getting out.

"Rei…I'm…I'm so sorry…for all of this. For what I've…done in the past…to push you away. If I could...do anything over again, it would…be back when we were more than just friends. To do it right…and make sure I never lost you. Please...please forgive me," Takashi suddenly said with an earnest smile; reaching out to her one last time, feeling their hands intertwine like the good old days. "Oh, Takashi...I already forgave you…a long time ago. You will always have a special place in my heart," Rei expressed sobbingly; holding his hand tight while looking up to see his expression was now that of relief, just frozen on his face as both eyes remained eerily open, distant.

"He's gone…isn't he?" she hesitantly asked, unable to even think of checking to confirm it herself. Frasier stopped for just a brief moment with two fingers placed beneath Takashi's jaw. He bowed his head in sorrow soon after. "I'm afraid so…I'm so sorry, Rei. He died a warriors death…if that counts for anything," Frasier expressed, trying to keep calm, considering his raging emotions and the fact 'They' weren't too far behind them. An idea suddenly occurred to him as he began to set Takashi down.

"What are you doing?" Rei asked, uncertain what was going on inside his head. "Leaving him behind to slow 'Them' down so we have more time to escape. Realistically...he's just dead weight to us," Frasier attempted to explain, trying to ignore the conflict between the sentimentality in his heart and the cold logical thinking of his mind.

Rei clearly did not share the same sentiments as he did, glaring angrily at him for even thinking such a disrespectful notion before she knelt down and held Takashi's head up to hers. She was doing whatever she could to bottle up her emotions despite how bad their situation truly was. How he could even suggest she go through with such a cruel plan was beyond her.

"I know he meant a lot to you, Rei. He meant a lot to all of us, but now is not the time to be grieving. We'll be dead too if we don't hurry to the garage," Frasier warned, now whispering as the first of 'Them' began heading their direction. "How can you ask me to do such a thing?" Rei asked through her sobs, horrified that he'd allow Takashi to be consumed by those monsters while they practically abandoned him.

"Oh, I'm not asking for your permission. I'm telling you as your leader to let him go. I'd want the same had it been me. Do not allow his death to be in vain," Frasier demanded as he frequently checked to make sure 'They' didn't get too close before they could react. The collective groans and snarls were growing louder by the second. What was once considered aimless wandering, was now full intent to catch up to the two survivors. Rei knew they didn't have much time left to escape before every nook and cranny of the mall would be filled to the brim with 'Them'.

"I'm not leaving without him. You want to leave him to those things? Fine! But you'll be leaving me behind as well...then you'll have to explain it to everyone else," Rei finally said in protest, bowing her head after delivering her ultimatum. This left Frasier at an utter standstill, as he watched Rei desperately try to drag Takashi's body along without tipping over herself. On one hand, Frasier realized he could simply drag Rei, even knock her out, as he seemed to do with a lot of his problems. However, once she woke up, there was no telling if she'd expose him for what he did just the previous night, a gamble he knew he couldn't afford to lose.

"You're lucky I have no energy left to argue. Let's get out of here," Frasier grumbled before taking all the weight from Rei's back, hauling Takashi over his shoulders before taking the quickest route to the garage that wasn't blocked off by 'Them'. Time was of the utmost importance, now more than ever.

 _Down below…_

Meanwhile, the garage was being fought over from two fronts. One exit had the handful of people left alive from Shido's cult trying to push through the garage; aiming to take one of the modified buses and escape. The second exit had the first of many undead shambling through like a slowly building flood. All the while, Marcus and Hitomi were trying to hold both fronts off behind the second bus. As the firefight raged on, another set of double doors burst open for Rei and Frasier to hastily make their way through.

"We're almost there, Frasier. We've just got to get across and board one of the buses," Rei announced as she quickly helped Frasier steady his step. The constant fighting had taken its toll on him, but to carry Takashi's body through the rest of the mall only sapped what little strength his body had left. "Only one left…gotta make this count," Frasier panted; motioning to a canister attached to his vest. Rei hesitantly pulled it off and began to look it over.

"Twist the cap, then toss it between us and the nearest bus," Frasier grunted, hoping Rei could finally secure their escape. "Okay...I think I got it," she replied before tossing it across the garage. The canister rolled on its side before spewing out yet another thick white fog to obscure the ensuing chaos.

The shooting stopped for just a few moments; the undead going in all different directions after the last few shots echoed and ricocheted from the walls. Rei practically guided Frasier through the smoke by his forearm, doing her best to keep an eye out for any of 'Them', the invaders, or the buses. Just when it seemed like they'd taken a wrong turn, they nearly ran headfirst into the second bus.

"Holy cripes, you made it! I KNEW you were too stubborn to die! Hurry, we'll cover you while you get on," Marcus announced out of relief once he realized who was coming through the smoke; frantically waving them to climb aboard as he and Hitomi continued laying down covering fire. "Let's go! Get us the hell out of here," Frasier ordered as he pounded a fist against the roof, signaling they were all here and finally ready to go. The engines to the buses simultaneously roared to life as the lights flickered on.

"Hey! They're getting away!" one of the last invaders shouted before yet another volley of gunfire began to rattle off through the smoky veil. "Stop them! If we're going to die, they're going down with us," another screamed, clearly driven mad by the brutal fighting that had claimed so many of their own.

No longer willing to waste time and bullets returning fire, Marcus ran and climbed into the rear bus for evacuation; whistling for Hitomi to do the same. Just as she was about to follow suit and climb aboard, she looked up to see Marcus offering her his hand as the bus began to go faster. With one foot on the rear bumper, she reached for his hand and felt him hoist her up. A feeling of grateful warmth emanated from within them both to see the other safe.

As Hitomi opened her mouth to speak, she felt a sudden intense pinch in her chest. Marcus at first looked at her with great confusion before glancing down to see freshly split blood on both of them. When his gaze returned to her face, a single trail of blood was running from her mouth. Hitomi's knees buckled and her body fell forward into his arms. His green eyes trembled in horror as he laid Hitomi on her back and tried to apply pressure to her chest to stop the bleeding…but the flow just wouldn't stop, seeping over his hands like nothing.

 **SLAM!**

Frasier slammed the rear door shut as soon as Marcus and Hitomi hit the floor. As the buses drove up the incline and out into the daylight and across the parking lot, Frasier let out the deepest sigh of relief he thought possible. It was only the sound of Marcus' barely contained sobs that broke him out of his state of mental numbness.

"Where is she?! Where's Shizuka?! Somebody get her over here NOW," Marcus shouted between devastated sadness and uncontrollable anger, trying to keep Hitomi still so the sudden shaking wouldn't somehow make her wound worse. "She's on the other bus. I'm...I'm sorry, Marcus," Noah realized, his voice heavy with sadness. The more he looked at Hitomi's wound, the more the cold feeling set in the pit of his stomach that the nurse wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway.

"Hitomi...Hitomi, please don't struggle. Just hold on. We're gonna pull over, then Shizuka can patch you up. You'll make it, you hear?" Marcus pleaded as he could see her face turning progressively paler. "Just... please... just..." Marcus begged, unable to refrain from sobbing as he watched Hitomi's beautiful eyes lifelessly staring off into his. Her lips slightly parted as if to speak, but all he got was a cold silence that shattered his heart to pieces.

One of her hands wearily reached up to cup his cheek. Marcus gently placed one of his hands over hers and gave it a soft squeeze in response. The faintest smile crossed her lips before her head slowly lulled back, and her eyes slowly closed. Finally, her outreached hand fell limply to the floor. Time seemed to freeze as everyone in the bus watched with their hearts caught in their throats. Marcus hung his head in failure, unable to keep the tears back as his whole body trembled with his silent sobbing.

Noah and Frasier both knelt at his side, but at a loss of any words for comfort or reassurance. None of the things one would typically say in the wake of losing another felt real. In this moment, to have witnessed someone who'd become so close to the trio die…it gave the world itself an oppressive feeling of wretched emptiness; the kind that could kill the flame of one's spirit.

"Did everyone else make it?" Marcus suddenly asked, never once lifting up his head; sniffling as he couldn't bare to face anyone else. "Unfortunately…not everyone. We…we lost one more, and we need to bring the others here for that. But…the rest of us are still here because of Hitomi. Her sacrifice was not for nothing. Take what solace you can from that, Marcus," Frasier said somberly as he knew this was no time to be telling Marcus to toughen up. Watching his middle brother so overwrought couldn't help but make Frasier imagine what he would be like if it were Saeko at his feet like this. He wasn't sure his heart would be able to physically take that kind of sorrow.

Holding onto Hitomi's body for dear life, Marcus suddenly reared his head back and let out the most heartbreaking wail any of the group had ever heard. It was like listening to one's own soul whither and die; the death rattle of any semblance of hope or joy that remained in the group's one constant beacon of hope.

Giving the Lawson trio some desperately needed space, the other survivors in the rear bus looked out the windows to gaze upon the carnage that had unfolded in just over an hour. More of 'Them' poured into the breaches to the mall like vultures would to a fresh carcass, while others aimlessly roamed the vast and open parking lot, occasionally bumping into the scattered abandoned vehicles. Some even hobbled after the two buses passing by; those in front quickly being rammed to bits and pieces by the cowcatchers installed.

Smoke from both the explosions and fires were soon the only things the survivors could see when the mall was finally out of sight. Everyone was still shaken up and on edge at what they'd just gone through, at what they'd done, and what they'd lost. In time, their losses would be all they would remember. It was undeniable among them all that today, there were NO true winners. This was nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory none would ever boast of. It was just another rough, bloody, and ultimately pointless conflict in the world, that ultimately left the undead more unopposed than ever before.

All the two buses could do was keep on moving and never once turn back. The future was dreadfully uncertain for the survivors. There was no telling what they were to encounter on their journey to the Tokyo quarantine zone. And there was no way of knowing if any of them would even live that long, not after this day.

Despite the untold horrors and destruction wreaked by the undead all across the globe, at least 'They' never fought and killed each other like animals. Today, all the group could think was how today had proven the living to be a worse monster than the dead could've ever hoped to be; with the blood of their friends and loved ones to serve as the grim and eternal testament.


	20. Chapter 20: Don't Look Back

**Z-Day+27**

Some distance outside the limits of Tokonosu City, two heavily modified buses were parked in a V formation just outside a police substation with the mangled body of a helicopter crashed right into it.

The events of the previous day had slowed them down considerably; the original plan being they'd be long gone from the city by now. But everyone was too physically and emotionally exhausted to set out on the open road, so it had ultimately been decided they would rest up and head out for Tokyo at first light.

Most of the group had managed to somehow fall asleep with relative ease, but not so for others. Saya, Kiriko and Saeko had found themselves unable to lose consciousness, and with the offer to keep lookout, had convinced Frasier to gather up his strength himself. Thankfully there'd been no signs of disturbance or movement this late into the night, but that wasn't the most of the three women's concerns. What had their attention was that Alice sat curled up into a ball on the far end of the bus, her tired purple eyes staring out vacantly through the window into the darkness outside. The once innocent and vibrant eyes that could light up with such childlike joy that always brought a smile to everyone's faces had died down, now reflecting a grim emptiness, as though the poor little girl was staring off into nothingness.

"Alice-chan? Sweetie? You've been really quiet all day. Is everything alright?" Saya finally worked up the courage to ask with a soft whisper as she got down on both knees once she joined the little girls' side. Her voice was soft and comforting, but her concern only intensified when Alice remained dead silent, not even turning her head to acknowledge she'd even heard her surrogate big sister. "Saya-chan, do you really think it even makes sense to ask that? I don't think even she would consider anything 'alright' right now. But she's been like this for the last two days. I'm really worried about her," Kiriko noted, both arms crossed as she could feel her heart twist in agony seeing the poor child looking so broken.

"So am I. But can we really blame her? We've all lost too much, but can you imagine what these losses must feel like for a child her age?" Saeko chimed in; swallowing the immense pain she was still reeling from and mentally shuddering at the thought of just how much Alice must've been suffering while staying so silent. "Alice-chan, what's wrong? I know I get mad and yell a lot, but…you know you can open up to us about anything, right?" Saya repeated once more as the little girl suddenly began to start breathing more heavily. Her eyes opened up a bit as she seemed to be reminiscing.

 _Two days ago…_

 **Z-Day+25**

It had only been a few minutes since the group had abandoned the mall to the dead. As far as they could tell, they had been the only ones to get out with their lives. The two armored buses had no trouble plowing through several clusters of 'Them' before being forced to go down one of the many abandoned side streets that led away from the mall.

While most would've considered this victory nothing short of a miracle, there was no room for joy or relief from anyone. There were just sour emotions, mixed with a bitter remorse for those they couldn't save. Even some of the injuries they'd received during the chaos hadn't fully registered until now, when all the adrenaline had finally worn off. Most notable in this instance was Saeko, who had one hand clasped around her bloody shoulder, her teeth clenching tight with each agonizing throb from the bullet hole.

"Are you absolutely sure you don't want me to use any anesthetic? This is going to hurt quite a bit." Shizuka asked concernedly; but the wounded warrior shook her head stubbornly. "We have to save as much as we can of that stuff. I can handle this." Saeko grumbled dismissively, eager to just get the worst of the procedure out of the way before she'd change her mind.

"Wait, is it really a good idea to be performing this kind of procedure on a shaky bus?" Kiriko suddenly piped in, aware of how dangerous and pointless it would be to try such a risky operation in poor conditions. "If we stop, we'll be vulnerable. We have to keep moving no matter what." Kohta brought up, looking out the windows to see 'Them' still heading in the direction of the mall and thankfully paying the buses no mind.

"Can you all please be quiet? I need to concentrate here." Shizuka requested in a polite but surprisingly serious manner. There was a look of clear hesitation in the young nurse's golden eyes as she tried her best to focus on the task at hand. She'd never had to operate on someone like this. The worst thing she'd ever had to deal with back at Fujimi Academy was a sprained ankle or a scuffed up knee.

Just the fact it was a real bullet wound made it all the more tense for her. At the time it first came up, Saeko and the others had claimed it was a clean shot through the shoulder. Then again, it was diagnosed in the heat of battle. What if bits and shards had managed to break off into her? The risk of infection was too great for Shizuka to ignore.

However, she managed to swallow her hesitation and doubts and gently pressed the threaded needle into Saeko's skin, weaving the suture back and forth. Tears instantly welled up in the corner of the swordswoman's blue eyes in response to the sharp spasms of pain that shrieked through her whole body. Without even thinking, Saeko's leg lashed out, inadvertently kicking at the nurse's shin and causing her to fall back from the sudden force. A look of seething rage and anger burned in the depths of Saeko's eyes before her face softened to one of horrified regret.

"I'm...just trying to help you, Busujima-san." Shizuka groaned, trying to pull herself back up from the sudden strike; all the while hoping it wouldn't leave a bruise on her smooth, soft skin. "I'm so, so sorry, Shizuka-sensei! I swear that was just a reflex! Are you okay?" Saeko frantically apologized; greatly embarrassed by the fact she'd just lost her cool in front of them. Thankfully, Shizuka wasn't as big a pushover as most would've figured her for, given her bubbly, passive nature.

"Should we maybe restrain her, just in case she can't handle it again?" Tadashi suggested, well aware Shizuka was far from finished. "I can handle it, now that I know what to expect," Saeko grumbled, feeling annoyed he'd talk like she wasn't even there. "I wasn't really asking for your sake," he retorted before Shizuka pulled out a clean, thick rag and pressed down to soak up the blood before attempting to continue. Saeko sucked in air through her clenched teeth at the stinging pain.

"It'll help for you to bite down on this. Just stay still for a few minutes, Busujima-san, okay?" Shizuka suddenly offered, holding out another rag for Saeko to sink her teeth into. Realizing she didn't have much choice, she took it and bit down onto it as hard as she could; almost screaming in pain as Shizuka began to sew up her wound again. Tadashi preemptively kept his hands ready, were Saeko to accidentally lash out again. He kept hoping that she actually meant what she said by having control of herself at this point. Saeko's nails began to scratch alongside the chairs, leaving thin white marks.

"You're doing great. I just need you to relax and not struggle." Shizuka reassured, trying to focus on doing her best to help the young teen. "Tell me...do you think Komuro-kun is alright? He did come back with the others…didn't he?" Saeko suddenly asked, finally breaking the tense silence between them by trying to distract herself from the pain.

"I saw my daughter and Frasier-kun getting onto the bus behind ours with what looked like Takashi-chan. I'm sure it'll be alright," Kiriko said, personally more relieved about Rei being alright than anyone else at the moment. Saeko weakly nodded, feeling relieved to know Takashi had not been left behind at that accursed mall. Had that been the case, she'd practically force them to turn the bus around to go get him. She finally closed her eyes as she recalled him leaving to go make sure Frasier was not in trouble trying to cover their escape. The memory left Saeko once again feeling ashamed her injury had forced her to stay behind.

"Alright, can you please stop the bus? I just can't do this without messing up my stitching with so much bumping around." Shizuka suddenly requested to Sho before he nodded in understanding; honking the horn once to signal the bus behind them they were pulling over.

 _The rear bus…_

That piercing horn up ahead left Frasier's blood ice-cold in realization that they were going to have to pull over to stop with them. His gaze fell to Takashi's body, dreading how Saeko and the others would react, seeing someone so close to them was now dead. A deep and regretful sigh escaped his lips, knowing without a doubt there was no way to avoid what was about to come.

"Pull over behind them. There's no use in delaying this," Frasier grimly instructed Rika as she nodded before pulling over to the right side of the overpass tunnel they'd just entered.

"How are you going to explain this to them?" Rei hesitated to ask, rubbing her tear-filled eyes and sniffling; trying so hard to compose herself so no one would think to ask questions too soon. "What's there to explain? He's gone…she's gone…Kenji- and Isao are gone...there's nothing more to it." Frasier answered grimly, motioning towards Takashi and Hitomi before bowing his head in silence. There were no plans or tactics that could prepare him for this.

"Alright, everyone off and keep your wits about you. Don't fire any bullets you might have left. Be quiet and keep to close quarters combat should the need arise," he then instructed as Rika opened the doors; motioning for everyone on his bus to disembark while he remained glued where he stood. Just as he was about to dismount himself, he noticed Marcus still huddled over Hitomi. Not once had he even budged from that spot. At first the eldest Lawson began to walk over, but quickly felt someone's hand grasping his shoulder to restrain him.

"Leave him be, Frasier. We should let him say his goodbyes…alone." Noah's voice suggested sadly as Frasier looked to be thinking it over before peering back to Marcus. "Right," he muttered, keeping his eyes fixed on his grieving brother before stepping out. He quickly noticed the others from the first bus were now filing out themselves. He never fully got off the steps, remaining in the doorway to keep an eye on his mourning sibling.

"Rei, thank god you made it! Oh, there's only so much worry and relief a mother can handle in one day," Kiriko exclaimed as Rei practically ran into her arms. "More like an entire lifetime! What were you thinking running off like that?!" Tadashi added before joining in on the hug, trying to keep himself from crying along with them.

"I tried my best. I...I did what felt was right...but...but..." Rei explained before she began to sob, trying to breathe between her long pauses. It soon became so hard to talk that she couldn't even finish her sentence; leaving her parents in the dark with looks of great concern. Still immensely devastated by Takashi's death, she just shook her head and held onto them as tight as she could. Both parents glanced at one another with dreadful curiosity at what could've happened; nonetheless, it did not falter their loving embrace one bit. "Don't say another word, sweetie. Just let it out and talk whenever you're ready. We understand," Kiriko said soothingly while rubbing Rei's back, just like she used to when she was a little girl whenever she was upset.

Alice meanwhile walked by them with Saya protectively holding her hand. She looked around wide-eyed to make sure everyone was okay and that nobody had been left behind or badly hurt like Saeko was. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for her to wonder why she didn't see Hitomi, Marcus and Takashi anywhere.

"How come everyone isn't here? Are they still on the other bus?" Alice asked innocently, not wanting to wait for an answer as she tried leading Saya towards it. However, the young genius could see the grim look of despair the others from that bus had on their faces. Somehow, they looked even worse than the ones who knew about Isao and Kenji's fate on the bus she was on. "Hold on a moment, squirt. I need you to wait here while I go ask what's going on," Saya instructed, squatting at Alice's level before watching the young girl nod in acknowledgment. With that, she headed over to where Noah and Miku were standing by the sidewalk's safety rail for pedestrians.

"Did...did we lose more people?" Saya struggled to get the words out as she crossed her arms; almost instinctively knowing she was going to hate the answer. "Y-yeah. Hitomi…and…and Takashi. Marcus is still in there with her, mourning. I can't even begin to blame him neither." Noah reluctantly answered; able to understand and sympathize with the hell his older brother was going through. All the while, Saya looked like a knife of pure ice had just been twisted into her guts; feeling like she was going to puke to know who they'd actually lost.

"Oh my god...oh god…Goddammit." Saya choked through the sobs involuntarily coming up her throat. That bit of bad news hit her harder than she could've expected. Takashi had been such a close friend to her for so many years. In a way, he was her only real friend. And now…now he was gone, out of her life forever and always. There were no words Saya could come up with to describe how she was feeling in this moment, but every instinct in her body knew this was the worst sensation she'd ever experienced in her life.

She eventually willed herself to take off her glasses and bury her face in her free palm, if just to try and wipe the tears in her eyes. "God, I can't believe it. What a day. Can it even get any worse?" Saya then asked no one in particular, almost tempting fate after wiping her tears away. Despite never apologize to anyone for her prickly attitude, in this moment she wanted nothing more than to tell Takashi he wasn't as stupid as she'd always mocked him for, and to apologize for all the times she'd ever yelled at him for anything.

"Oh god, how are we going to tell Alice-chan?" Miku suddenly brought up, causing them all to peer over at the young girl still standing alone where Saya told her. "Oh no, she doesn't even know about Kenji and Isao yet. God, I don't even know where we would start." Saya added, shuddering at the thought of having to break such awful news to someone as sweet and innocent as her.

"Should we...I dunno…lie to her? Tell her they're somewhere else? I mean, there's a decent chance she might believe it," Noah suggested, earning an insulted frown from the pink-haired genius. "She might be a kid, but she's not stupid, Noah. They have a habit of picking up on things you'd never expect them to," Saya sneered before calming herself down, knowing that Noah only had good intentions behind it.

"Okay, you tell her then. You explain to poor Alice that several people she loved are now gone forever," Noah snapped, forming a fist only to release it after realizing he'd lost his temper. "I'm sorry, Saya-san...I-I just don't know what to do…and the longer we wait, the worse it'll get," he said apologetically before turning away to look at the sparkling of the ocean in the distance.

"Dammit. Why does this have to be so hard?" Saya lamented, trying to restrain her sadness long enough to come up with a way to explain to Alice what happened.

 _Meanwhile…_

"How long do you think I'll need these?" Saeko asked as she watched Shizuka putting away her medical supplies; gently trying to rotate her shoulder to see just how tender it really was under her new tight bandages. "Well, luckily the bullet didn't break off and no bones were fractured. It'll still take some time to heal the muscle around your shoulder, though. I'd say two or three weeks should suffice before I should remove them." Shizuka estimated off the top of her head; leaving Saeko almost speechless before she shook her head in disagreement.

"Three weeks?! Are you sure that's right? Just how long until I can go back out into the field again?" the young teen began to ask question after question; leaving Shizuka no time to answer. "You shouldn't be so quick to get back out there. This isn't the time to be thinking of such things. We're safe for the time being it looks like," Shizuka tried to calm her down, just grateful for the chance to take a breath.

"I know, but how long will that last? Every time it seems like we're safe or can settle down, we're almost killed for it. It's like we're being punished," Saeko surprisingly agreed, sounding bitter and resentful all the while of their constant shifting luck. "I know what you mean. It's only getting harder to sleep at night. Every time I try, I keep wondering if I'll even wake up again," Shizuka added, recalling how she'd kept waking up with frigid sweats in the middle of the night for the past few weeks.

She snapped back to reality though, when Saeko placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But with that all being said, I still think it'll be okay. You don't need to worry about me, sweetheart. With great friends like all of you, I know we'll be okay," Shizuka then said with a much more reassuring smile.

"I'm going to go find Komuro-kun. Are you sure you sure you don't need help cleaning up?" Saeko announced, wanting to be certain the nurse wasn't going to need her help. "Not at all. Go find your man. I'm sure he's worried sick about you," Shizuka said with a warm smile. Saeko couldn't help but smile gratefully as she bowed in respect before bolting out of the bus to reunite with her lover.

 _Outside…_

Frasier this whole time remained in the bus doorway, almost as if standing guard. When it seemed like things were finally somewhat at ease, he saw Saeko stepping out the other bus. His heart plummeted the instant he could see how frantically she was looking around, no doubt for Takashi. When she eventually noticed him standing there, he knew she wasn't going to let anything get between her and the cold, horrid truth.

"Frasier? Why is Komuro-kun still on the bus? Why didn't he come out with the others?" Saeko asked in concern, her eyes staring up at him to where he couldn't bring himself to look away. At first he tried to talk, yet nothing would come out, leaving her confused. Just as she began to try and move past him, his arm suddenly branched out between her and the entrance to the bus. She stared at how tight his hand was clutched on the doorway before looking up at him, instantly noticing a nervous expression on his face.

"Saeko...you should stay out here," he finally blurted out before staring straight down at the street beneath him. He knew that if their eyes met, he'd be unable to look away from them, or keep the truth from her. "Huh? W-what are you talking about? Was he hurt too? Please, let me see him," Saeko borderline demanded, trying to keep her cool. A horrible feeling began to take hold in her chest, as it was crystal clear he was trying to hide something from her.

"I think what's best is that you stay out here with the others. We need to keep an eye out for any danger while the others recover and gather themselves," Frasier tried to explain, trying to ignore how his obvious attempt to change the subject only began to irritate her. "Frasier…stand aside. Please," Saeko said with a restrained sigh; bracing herself for her greatest fear. "Just calm down and let me expla-" was all he could say before her hands suddenly grabbed his chest, forcefully shoving him aside with a loud SLAM when his back hit the side of the bus. She immediately stormed past him into the bus.

Just as she entered, she instantly found Takashi's motionless body laid on one of the cots. Her heart jumped up into her throat, trying to speak but finding no strength to summon words. Her knees trembled as she attempted to walk over, before ultimately collapsing onto them as her ear rested against Takashi's chest. She didn't even realize she was silently hoping, praying there would be something she could hear. Any ounce of hope at all would do. But a heartbroken whimper was all she could muster as Marcus and Frasier both watched her in silence. Stinging, devastated tears rained down from Saeko's eyes as she clutched onto Takashi's shirt for dear life, her lips trembling before she finally broke out into sorrowful sobs; burying her face into his still chest.

"Saeko...I-I didn't know how to tell you. I thought-" Frasier began to express as he knew something had to be said. He instinctively ducked when Saeko suddenly swung back in another attempt to grab him. "He was alive when he went back to find you! He promised me he'd come back! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?! What the hell happened?" Saeko demanded in near hysterics. Both Frasier's hands had to restrain her wrists as his back was pressed against a window.

"What did I do?! I saved our lives! I fought and planned my damn hardest against impossible odds! I took a mixed group of weaklings and lead them into battle," Frasier snapped in an understandably pissed off rebuttal. But the piercing look of heartbroken anger in Saeko's fierce eyes told him his answer wasn't nearly enough. "He was trying to save me while I was buried in rubble…and Shido shot him in the back. What more could I have done? The situation was out of my control," he then explained more calmly.

Saeko just glared at him, that fiery passion he'd come to both respect and fear now flared bright. His grip on her wrists remained firm whilst watching her trying to process it all. She so clearly wanted to lash out at everyone and everything around her; to just embrace the sorrow that weighed so heavily on her heart. But the tension in her body soon faded, and she almost went entirely limp, as though in a silent showing of defeat.

"I thought you would've been able to save us all. I believed my faith and trust in your abilities to lead would've been enough. I…I believed in you. Clearly…I made a huge mistake," Saeko mourned, turning her back on him before kneeling down to hold Takashi's head against hers. She gently parted his ruffled hair to see the peaceful expression left on his face, as though he were simply sleeping.

This wasn't fair. She had done nothing wrong, yet this was what happened to her? Losing the boy she held so very dear to her heart? To be kept back from the fight, unable to help? Left behind while he valiantly went back into the fray to make sure her best friend was all right? Incomprehensible guilt began to fill her mind. Every instinct in her mind and body was screaming how Takashi would still be alive if she'd insisted on going with him; that his death was just as much her fault as it was Frasier's.

"Have you ever noticed how good people have a tendency of dying around you?" Saeko suddenly said with icy venom lacing her words; not even thinking about it. An instant look of regret filled her face once she recalled his uncle's fate. She didn't even need to look to know just how deep her words cut into Frasier like butter. "Just…just leave me alone. There's nothing left for us to talk about," she then grumbled morosely. There was no emotion to be found in her voice. It was like every ounce of life had been sucked out of her, leaving only a miserable empty shell of her former self; having no idea how to feel about anything anymore.

Without needing to be told twice, Frasier left the bus in complete silence. Inside, he was utterly devastated at what he'd just heard from the very girl he loved. To know how callous and angry he'd made her towards him left a sickening knot in his stomach; like it was truly all his fault. He then glanced up to see everyone outside was looking his way. Everything they'd said had clearly been heard, given the mixed reactions adorning their faces.

"So...umm...status?" he barely mustered the will to ask, his gut telling him it didn't even matter at this point. "Regarding…?" Rika tried to motion for him to elaborate, easily able to see he was greatly distracted by what they'd overheard. "I don't know. Just, someone please tell me how we're doing?" Frasier muttered; his vision felt blurry as his stomach felt like it began to push up into his throat. A truly sickening sensation of nausea suddenly crashed into him before he shook his head.

"Do you want to talk about what just happened?" Noah asked, hoping his eldest brother would be willing to talk for once about his feelings for his own good. "No. Talking about such things is unimportant. Just drop it and give me a status update on how much ammo we have left…or something." Frasier outright denied, desperately trying to put off talking about how he felt.

"Frasier, please, stop holding yourself back for the sake of others. What just happened was horrific and traumatic for everyone…even for you." Noah pleaded, sounding somewhat demanding as he knew he couldn't allow his brother to hold his feelings back now of all times. Doing so would only cause them to stagnate and manifest deep inside him into something inconceivable and ugly.

"I want that status report in five minutes," was all Frasier could repeat, hopelessly trying to disregard how he truly felt; swallowing his pride for the good of the group. "Do you hear yourself right now? For Christ's sake, just stop and let us help you," the youngest Lawson pleaded, practically offering his hand before Frasier turned his back on him.

"Help? Me? I don't need you. Hell, I don't need anyone for that matter," Frasier grumbled; putting his emotional defenses up like his brother had never seen from him before. "Fucking hell, Frasier; when are you finally going to accept that you can't do this on your own anymore? If you keep this up, you'll lose everything," Noah warned, knowing the path his brother was taking would only end in disaster.

"Haven't I already?" Frasier sighed, looking back at the bus before returning his gaze forward; all while Noah could only bow his head mournfully, knowing he wasn't going to see reason…at least not today. "Status report. Five minutes. Get to it," was all that was said before Frasier started walking away to scout the street behind them.

"Hey," Noah suddenly called out, actually surprised when Frasier paused to listen. "Just…give her time. She's in a terrible place right now. She needs time to mourn, just like Marcus. Just know that…she didn't mean it," was all Noah said before finally leaving his eldest brother to himself; leaving him frozen in deep contemplation before he continued to keep walking.

What his brother had said made perfect sense. Anyone would've lashed out like Saeko had in these circumstances. Hell, Frasier knew he would've been potentially worse if he'd been in her place. But all the rationalization in the world didn't make those last words she said any less painful. The sheer disdain she held for him when she said it still made his stomach twist and turn. It couldn't help but make him wonder if she would ever be able to look him in the eye again, let alone speak to him…or forgive him. All the young Brit could do now was contemplate where he would go from here as he listened to the emptiness of the wind blowing through the empty, lifeless streets.

The eerie silence was suddenly broken by the faint sound of footsteps approaching Frasier carefully, almost cautiously. His body naturally tensed, until his sharp hearing noticed just how soft the steps themselves were. There was only one person it could've possibly been with that in mind. "Is something on your mind, Alice-chan?" he finally asked, the little girl letting out an involuntary squeak of surprise.

"W-where are Isao-ojiisan and Kenji-kun? I can't find them anywhere," Alice hesitantly asked, pulling on Frasier's shirt to further grab his attention. Thankfully, she didn't notice the way Frasier instinctively swallowed the dry lump in his throat, as if trying to psyche himself up to hide his emotions. "Alice-chan, come sit down with me for a minute," he suddenly suggested, speaking so softly to where it seemed unnatural for him. Both of them now sat on the hood of a car that faced towards the distant ocean.

"Is something wrong? Were they hurt like that man?" Alice began to ask, her voice brewing with concern as she remembered the construction man Osamu, and how he was all bloody when Sho brought him aboard their bus.

"They're...they're gone, Alice-chan," the young leader blurted uncomfortably; hoping she'd get what he meant and not press him to be more specific. "G-gone? Well, where did they go? Why didn't they come with us?" she persisted in shock; coming up with all sorts of questions Frasier knew she wouldn't allow to go unanswered.

"They can't come with us, Alice. It's…just the way things are," Frasier sighed while he glanced over towards the other bus; knowing he would also have to be the one to tell her the worst news of all. "But why? Wasn't there enough room for them? They can have my spot on the bus if it means they can come with us," she tried to bargain. Those words of otherwise genuine kindness and sincerity just tore into Frasier's heart all the more. His nails scratched at the hood of the car before he bowed his head in utter shame.

"Because they're dead, Alice! They're dead and…and gone forever. I'm...I'm so sorry, poppet." Frasier finally admitted, loud enough for everyone else to hear. They didn't matter however, when he could see the devastating truth left Alice completely shocked. "Oh...oh, no..." was all she could weakly mumble before tears began to run down her cheeks. She wasn't even remotely prepared to hear how two people she'd become so fond of were now dead.

"But…I'm afraid that…that's not the worst of it. Alice…Takashi and Hitomi also didn't make it. I know how hard this is to hear, but you deserve to know the truth. I tried my hardest, Alice…I really did. I'm so sorry." Frasier continued, knowing that he might as well lay it all on her at once to get it out of the way. But the way he spoke of his efforts sounded like he was trying to convince himself just as much as her. Poor Alice looked like she'd just watched her entire world fall apart and die before her eyes. Words like devastation or heartbreak couldn't do justice to the pain and sadness reflected in her purple eyes in that moment. It was the kind of look that hurt Frasier more than a thousand knives to the heart.

Before long, shaking her head in either disbelief or denial, Alice took off on her own. Frasier tried to reach out, but she smacked his hand away before running away to the bus their bodies were still on. "No, please…not you too." Frasier muttered to himself in despair as yet again, he felt entirely responsible for this. To see and feel Alice push him away like that left a very cold, empty spot in his heart. When the inevitable wailing and crying that only Alice could make echoed out from inside the bus, Frasier felt like death would've been a much more preferable fate to knowing he'd caused her so much sadness.

 _A few hours later…_

It had taken a good while for the rest of the group to air out their respective grief once the news of Takashi's death had gotten around to all of them. But not once did Saeko ever leave his side, not even when the time had finally come for their caravan to move on. But it wasn't to finally leave the city. There was one last vital thing everyone agreed needed to be done.

The off-road trail Saya and Rei had instructed them to take impeded their overall progress, but for what they had to do, the delay was worth it. The trail ultimately lead out to a surprisingly serene clearing near a Cliffside that primarily overlooked the ocean and the shoreline. The air smelled clean with the distinctive scent of the sea, devoid of the lingering stench of decay that practically permeated the city itself. The silence here was more pleasant, not carrying that grim foreboding atmosphere that made the city feel like one giant death trap. But most of all, without the abundance of fires and long-since dissipated smoke trails, the view of the city itself looked…peaceful. This place…was simply perfect.

"I had no idea a place like this even existed here." Shizuka mused, looking in awe at all its silent yet serene beauty. "Takashi and…and Hisashi used to play with us around here all the time during the summer when we were little. We would always play hide-and-seek, climb trees…or Takashi would always try to catch beetles." Rei said with an air of nostalgia. "Ugh, don't remind me of that. I still have nightmares some nights of that time he put one of those things in my hair!" Saya jokingly scolded Rei, unable to help but start softly laughing to herself at the memory. She'd been so mad at him after the fact, but all things considered…those times were one of the best memories she had. And the realization it would only ever remain a memory couldn't help but bring her to tears once more, with Rei quickly following suit.

"He always…he always loved this spot especially. Even when we were little, he loved to shout out and see how far his echo could go from here. And right before high school…I remember he always liked to just listen to the ocean for hours here. This…I know this is what he would want now." Rei struggled to say between her stifling sobs while Kiriko laid her supporting hands on her daughter's shoulders. With that, Rika and Saeko both carried out Takashi's body, now wrapped in white bed sheets, from the bus; quickly followed by Noah and Marcus carrying Hitomi's body, wrapped just the same, in a funeral procession. All the while, Johann and Frasier followed with a pair of shovels.

The sound of the soil being dug up being the only thing to break the silence seemed to go on for what felt like hours; each one making the painful realization of their reality that much more painful, as though those who could only watch had silently been hoping the deaths of their dear friends was nothing more than a terrible dream. But when the two holes had finally been dug side-by-side, they knew there was no point in trying to deny the truth any longer.

Tadashi and Kiriko gently lowered Takashi's body alongside Noah and Kohta, who did the same for Hitomi. Once they were inside, it felt as though time had come to a halt; everyone present wishing it could all just stop, not wanting to go forward with what they knew had to be done.

"Does…does anybody have anything they want to say?" Noah finally found the courage to ask, and from the conflicted looks on everyone's faces, they had plenty to say, but couldn't decide if they really wanted to be the first to speak out this dreaded final nail in the proverbial coffin. But that was when Marcus finally stepped forward; his face almost completely red from weeping for the last few hours straight.

"We keep thinking we're able to handle anything that comes our way. We think that as long as we stand together and fight, there's nothing we can't do. But all that courage, all that bravado…it doesn't amount to a goddamn thing when…when we lose the people we love. We've been through so much…too much. Seen too many good people die, seen too much violence…but that…t-that never stopped Takashi and Hitomi. When so many other people just gave up, they kept pushing forward, not just for themselves, but also for those around them, those they cared for. Even before our groups met, they never backed down, never allowed those in their care to just call it quits. That…is the sign of a truly admirable person; the kind of person that should never, ever be forgotten. I didn't know Takashi nearly well enough to speak more for him than that…but Hitomi…s-she was the kind of person that could bring someone out of even the deepest sorrow, not with soft and gentle words, but with the sheer radiance of courage with which she shined. When things were at their toughest, and when some of us flat out spat in the face of her conviction…she never faltered. She never gave up on any of us…she never gave up on me…and for that, I will never be able to thank her enough. And to know that I'll never be able to show her the full extent of just how much her confidence and loyalty meant to me…is more painful than I can describe with mere words. But…but I won't let that defeat me; doing so would disrespect everything she fought for, everything she believed in. And so…that's why if nobody else, I will keep fighting…for her. That's all that's left in this world that I can do for her. I love you, Hitomi…and I always will."

Everyone could feel their hearts break anew to hear Marcus speak, his voice coarse from all the despondent wailing he'd put himself through to get here. But there was such conviction, such honesty in his words that it couldn't help but move as well as sadden. His eyes seemed to shine with a newfound courage, a newfound determination to stand by this solemn vow, even if nobody else around him would. If anything, it was…awe-inspiring, admirable even. When all was said and done, the middle Lawson tucked one hand into his pocket, as if holding onto something precious, and retreated back into the gathering.

With a surprising newfound confidence, Saya of all people was the next to come forward; clutching her hand to her chest as she took a deep breath, with Kohta staying loyally by her side with a hand on her shoulder.

"For all my talk about being a genius, that doesn't mean I'm completely delusional about myself. I know I'm not the easiest person to be around, not by a long shot. I have no patience for the majority of people, I get angry at people who don't even deserve it for the stupidest things, and I know how overwhelming and off-putting that makes me. I didn't have a lot of friends, if any for a long time, and I understand why. My parents instilled in me the idea that I had to be able to accomplish and perfect anything I set my mind to, so I thought that was just how it was meant to be for me, that I didn't have time for friends, and that people would just resent me for it. But…Komuro—no, Takashi was different. We'd known each other since elementary school, and ever since then, he was the only person I ever looked at as my one real friend. When he saw me, he didn't see the daughter of some scary politician, or some self-obsessed snob who thought she was too good for everyone else. He only saw me as a girl who had no friends and was probably feeling really lonely behind all that confidence. And you know what? He couldn't have been more right.

"Despite how much I tried to show off confidence, I was always lonely, just wanting to be able to forget the pressure from my parents just for a little bit and play with other kids my age…and Takashi was always there for me in that way. I always got mad at him for something or other, but he never got mad back, he never lost patience or said he hated me for always yelling at him. I didn't think there could ever be anyone like that in my life…and looking back on it all now, I just want to be able to apologize to him for always being mad and calling him stupid over all these years. He was…he was my best friend, and all I ever did was treat him like dirt, even when I didn't mean to. When this whole nightmare started, that could've been his chance to be rid of me…but no, he stuck with me, with all of us through so much…if anybody here is stupid, it's me for never taking the chance to just…just tell him how much I really appreciated his being there for me. I want…I want to be able to make this right…make this right for all of us. None of us may have been able to say it till now, but the truth is, we're more than just a bunch of survivors, we're a family. Where I lost one, I found another. And I don't ever want to get mad at any of you like I did so many times with him. That's the only way I can truly think to do right by him: by trying to be a better person than I was before. Thank you so much, Takashi, for helping me to recognize the person I am."

The pink-haired girl managed the faintest of smiles, her orange eyes shimmering behind her glasses before bringing a hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs as she buried her face into Kohta's shoulder. With a heavy sigh, Rei stepped away from her parents, looking down at the two wrapped bodies below.

"When things get quiet like this, it reminds me that…in the grand scheme of things, we've been fighting to survive for less than a single month. This all started barely more than three weeks ago…but it feels like it's been so much longer. Those days when all we had to worry about was getting to class on time, getting good grades…that all feels like it was a lifetime ago. But whether you perceive time to pass as it did before, or if it feels like it only now crawls by…it nevertheless has given me a chance to really reflect on a lot of things; namely how we judge the kind of people we are, and who the kind of people are that we associate with. This nightmare has helped me to really recognize just who my real friends are…and I wouldn't trade a single one of you for anyone or anything else. But with that all being said, something I've thought about a lot is…regret.

"Not a single one of us here doesn't have something they regret, whether it's things about ourselves we wish we could change…things we do without thinking, or at least not thinking enough…and most importantly: things we say, whether from an overabundance of emotion, or a complete lack of it. And I know that there are a lot of things I've done and said that I wish I could take back. And I'm going to have to learn how to accept that, much like I learned to accept a lot of other things recently. Most of you don't know, but much like Takagi-san, I also knew Takashi for about as long as I could remember. He always just had a talent for getting along with anyone he wanted to back then…and in my case, it worked better than usual. We…we were more than friends for a very long time, to the point where we'd even made a pinky promise to get married back in kindergarten. I know it must sound so childish, so stupid now, but…but Takashi never forgot it as we got older. Sometimes I think it was one of the things that made him the happiest. I just wish I could've been able to hold onto that feeling with him.

"As we got older, things just…got more complicated in both our lives, something I know we all can sympathize with. I just got so frustrated with the way so many things were going for myself and for both of us as a couple, that I…I walked away, and knowing how much that hurt him is something I still have to learn to forgive myself for. When all this started, he was no longer that soft-spoken distant boy I'd given up on. Something changed in him for the best, and I found myself falling for him all over again…and I know I ultimately wasn't the only one. But things like that don't matter. What does matter is that in this moment, there are so many things left unsaid I wish I could've just had the courage to tell him. I wish I could've been clearer with him about how I truly felt about him in the wake of all this madness, instead of thinking like I had to be so damn cryptic with him. But looking back on it now, I've come to realize that maybe Takashi had grown up even more than I had. In the end, he didn't come back to me, and despite how I may sound right now; I've come to accept that fact.

"These days are not the time for childish things like jealousy, or feeling we deserve something more than someone else, and I want to live by that from now on. I love every single person here, and I would do anything for any one of you, and I would expect the same in return. We're all we have in this life, and that's something to be cherished. No one should ever have to live with the regret of things being left unsaid to another, so…I would ask that we all be open and honest with one another from this day forward, for Takashi. There's no telling what could happen to any one of us each day, so being open with each other is the least we can do. Continuing to confide, trust and fight for each other is the best way we can honor all the people we've lost to this point. I would only hope that you all would feel the same."

The gravity of what Rei said could be felt among all onlookers as they all shared contemplative glances with each other. Everything she said of course was right. Not one among them felt like they wouldn't risk anything for each other, especially now that they'd been given some time to truly contemplate and accept their biggest losses to date. Though nobody said anything, there was a clear new understanding among them as Rei came to Johann; instinctively hugging him while the others looked among themselves to see who would be next.

As another soft gust of wind swept by, Saeko silently stepped forward, her hands folded together as she loomed over the grave; her head bowed and her eyes cast down in deep contemplation, as though trying to decide what to say. The silence seemed to extend ever onward as the swordswoman didn't say a word. For a short while, no one could figure out what was going on in her head, until the sunlight caught a single tear slowly rolling down her cheeks; accompanied by her lips just barely trembling. Finally, the first sound Saeko made was a barely stifled sob before she suddenly knelt down as though to pray.

"I'll never forget everything you've done for me, Takashi-kun. I will always carry you with me in my heart until my final dying breath. I love you." The words were barely noticeable to the ears of others, but in Saeko's heart, they rang with the fervor few masses of church bells could hope to match. It was more than a goodbye; it was a solemn vow to herself to never forget everything he had promised to be and do for her, and to carry that promise on for the both of them.

When she finally rose to her feet and retreated back into the gathering, she momentarily glanced toward Frasier, who still kept his head down like a mournful sentry watching over the proceedings. For once, the fact he didn't grant her eye contact didn't bother her. If anything, she preferred it that way.

When nobody else stepped forward, Noah and Kohta were the ones to step forward and begin the burial. The stifled sobs started off few and far between, but they slowly grew with each shovel-full of dirt poured upon Takashi and Hitomi. Even Noah and Kohta couldn't help but relinquish themselves to their sadness by the time the grave had been completely filled. When all was said and done, nobody could bring themselves to leave, as though doing so would start the dreaded yet inevitable process of forgetting the faces of their dearly departed friends and loved ones.

Suddenly, out of anyone else, Alice stepped away from Shizuka's side, with Zeke still loyally at her side, but his typical energy nowhere to be seen, as if he could somehow tell the mood didn't call for it. Nobody thought to say or do anything to stop the little girl once they noticed the handful of small flowers clutched tight in her hands. Nobody else knew, but they were the very same kind that Takashi had given her the night they first met; the night she lost her father, but gained a new family in his place. Long gone were the inconsolable tears that were the only way she could express her sadness on the way here. Now, there was…nothing. Nothing at all to be seen in her eyes, as though she weren't gazing upon the grave itself, but to some far off unknown place that only she could see.

The little red-haired girl knelt down before the mound of dirt before carefully sticking the stems of the flowers upright into it; and she continued doing so until they all had been set, looking as though they had grown from the mound from the start. "Thank you for always looking after me, Onii-chan. I'll take care of everyone for you now. I'll…I'll miss you. Me and all my other Onii-chan's and Onee-chan's here, we'll all miss you so much." The deep sorrow with which she spoke broke everyone's resolve as one by one, they all knelt down likewise to bring poor Alice into a massive group hug; her tiny body beginning to tremble as she tried to swallow a new wave of sadness.

At last, everyone realized there was nothing more that could be said, and so with great reluctance, the time had finally come to return to the buses and at long last begin the trek to a hopeful sanctuary. But alas, no excitement or optimistic musings were to be found as they made their way back through the woods. It was as if everyone was simply moving out of pure motorized instinct.

"So does anyone really think it's a good idea to hit the road already? I mean, Jesus…after today, shouldn't we at least take a little more time to cope?" Noah was eventually the first to ask, but nobody even had the energy to look back to him, let alone argue. "It wouldn't be a terrible idea, but it's still too much of a chance right now. If anything, assuming the routes we plotted out are relatively clear, the trip should be smooth enough to allow us all a little more time to…process things." Frasier objected; his usual tall and authoritative stance now noticeably slouched and drained of energy, like a wounded soldier wandering aimlessly through a long since abandoned battlefield.

"Wait, we can't leave yet. What about my mommy? Aren't we going to go look for her?" Alice suddenly asked in confusion, as the others all felt their hearts break now that her most dreaded question had finally come out. None of them could bring themselves to look at her and explain how futile such an effort would be at this point. The awkward silence soon became unbearable for the little girl, but her desire for an upfront answer did not fade. She hurriedly stepped out before them, trying to block their path as she refused to be ignored now of all times.

"Alice-chan…sweetie... I know this is going to be hard for you to understand…and even harder to accept," Shizuka attempted to explain in her most motherly tone, trying to be as tactful as possible for Alice's sake. "What is it?" Alice asked, unable to process how despite what happened, there could be any reason not to go looking right now.

"It's going to be sundown soon. After what happened today, we need to recover and head out; for our own safety," Saeko attempted to explain, kneeling down as her hands rested on Alice's shoulders. "No...No, no, no! We can't stop now! We have to find her and bring her with us," Alice exclaimed in complete denial, pulling away from Saeko's hands as though the swordswoman's touch was toxic just for suggesting the idea.

"Frasier-niichan, you'll look for her, won't you? You promised you would!" Alice then pleaded to Frasier, the one person who vowed to her personally he would find her mother, no matter what. However, he remained dead silent and couldn't bare to even look her in the eye. Sadly, that was all Alice needed to realize just what he was thinking. "I knew it. I knew you didn't really mean it. You…you're a LIAR!" the young girl wearily muttered in a voice filled with betrayal, running back into the nearest bus sobbing as the rest could only watch in pain; reluctantly accepting this was for the best.

"We don't have time for this shit," Marcus grumbled before storming off to the next bus; bumping his shoulder against Frasier's passive aggressively along the way. On any other day, the eldest Lawson would've called him out, seeing it as a direct challenge. However, after their recent losses, he knew it was best to just let it go for once and let Marcus work through his grief the way he needed to.

"At this rate, we're not even going to make it out of the city limits." Kohta sighed as both he and Saya left to go check on Alice; knowing that someone had to explain to her why they were so quick to give up on finding her mother. Frasier all the while just stood there, looking at his own reflection in puddle of water at his feet. His eyes were completely bloodshot, dirt and dried up blood painted his face. Several scuffs, cuts, and bruises marked his exposed arms from his fight with Tatsuya.

"What a fucking mess," he sighed to himself before turning to see how the others were doing.

Their faces were all tired, their bodies and spirits both had been worn out from the pain of their losses and the fight alike. It wouldn't be easy going to sleep that night, knowing there were faces they'd never get to see or speak to ever again. Frasier kept silently hoping to God that they'd be allowed to get some rest before they really started the long journey that was set before them. It was the only respite he could think of that they needed more than anything else.

He let out a gentle sigh when he turned to look over at Saeko, whom stood out in the distance, looking out into the trees. Her stance, her body language in itself, practically radiated a dark intensity, and Frasier couldn't blame her for it. Knowing what secrets she held, he couldn't even imagine the kind of hell she was going through without Takashi at her side. He wanted to talk to her, beg her forgiveness for everything she found him guilty of; but he also knew showing such vulnerability would only make her bitterness toward him even worse. He just turned his gaze back to the rifle slung around his shoulder and hoped she'd eventually be able to find it in herself to forgive him.

"Frasier…do you have a moment?" Saeko's voice suddenly pierced the air as he snapped back to see she was now looking over at him; her tone forebodingly unreadable. "Of course." Frasier reluctantly replied; ready but still dreading whatever new verbal or physical barbs she could possibly want to lay into him with now. He felt his heart hammer at his chest and his blood go cold as Saeko slowly approached him, her piercing blue eyes burning into him with a terrifying intensity.

Just as he was inches away from her, he suddenly felt both her arms tightly wrapping around his sides before her head firmly planted itself into his chest. Without warning or time to take in what just happened, all he could hear now was her soft sobbing. The last few hours had finally broken what little remained of the young swordswoman's spirit as she couldn't keep her frayed emotions composed any longer.

Not wanting to ruin a fragile enough moment with the wrong words, Frasier simply brought his arms around Saeko's back and allowed her to privately relieve her emotional weight unto him. It lasted like this for a good several minutes, to the point where Frasier began to worry if anyone else was watching them from the buses, but he didn't dare ask Saeko to let go. Letting her get her anguish out as long as she needed was infinitely preferable. Before long, she seemed to have had enough as she finally let go of the eldest Lawson and immediately began to leave for the rear bus.

"You should take the one in the lead for now, Frasier. Don't read too much into…just now. I just needed some kind of shoulder to cry on. But this changes nothing." She stated bluntly and coldly before retreating inside. Frasier could only let out a weary sigh, being left alone outside. He could only suppose that was the best he could've hoped for.

 _Nightfall…_

Night had fallen, and the group had decided staying off the road and out of sight as they were was their safest bet, and that come first light, they would finally leave. Late into the nighttime hours, when only Rika and Frasier were still up to keep watch, Alice tussled and turned in the blanket Shizuka had put over her after she'd tired herself out from crying. She couldn't stop thinking about how close they were to her old neighborhood, and how Frasier had been lying to her face all this time.

Eventually, Alice awoke, unable to stand staying put for a moment longer. She carefully sat up to see the others were all sleeping on their makeshift cots. Certain they weren't going to notice her being up and about, the little girl silently got up and took a backpack and flashlight before stepping out of the bus. If nobody was going to help her, then she'd do it herself.

Hearing voices as soon as she stepped outside, she looked up to see the backs of Frasier and Rika on the roof of the bus. Luckily, both were turned away and hadn't noticed her yet. Alice moved sneakily; knowing if she'd made a single peep that they'd instantly notice and bring her back. But she was far too determined to stop now and pressed on until she was out of the woods and back on the road.

A chill suddenly ran down her spine when she realized how she'd never once been this far from them before, despite their only being a shout away. However, she wasn't going to let this spell of nervousness stop her. If nothing else, this was her chance to prove she wasn't just a helpless little kid anymore. Without hesitation, she began to walk down the middle of the road, descending the hill further into the city with her flashlight guiding the way the moment she was out of their sight.

It didn't take long before she was feeling nervous deep in her gut at the idea of being completely alone. She knew that if anything happened to her, the others wouldn't even know about it, much less do anything about it. What would've normally been ignored by her when safe with the others began to draw out her fears. The rows of houses seemed to be growing taller with each instinctive turn she took, the street expanding to the point it seemed like she'd never reach the end; shadows swirling and forming fiendish figures.

 **CLANG**

"Don't hurt me!" Alice squealed in terror as she froze in place when a nearby tin can had been knocked over, rolling out into the sidewalk.

When nothing happened, she looked around only to realize the culprit behind the commotion had been none other than a small gray cat that had been passing by. It stared untrustingly at the young girl, whose fear quickly shifted to relief at the sight of the small creature. At first, Alice wanted to reach down to pet it, but the moment her hand reached out, the cat immediately hissed in warning.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." Alice said softly, as if she actually believed the cat would understand her. Unfortunately, the cat did not share the same sentiments and hissed louder before it swiped a paw at Alice; leaving several scratch marks on her palm before it took off into the nearby garden of a house. The little girl meanwhile recoiled, more out of shock than actual pain as she looked at the scratches she was left with.

"Ow! You jerk! I was just trying to be nice!" Alice whined as she tried not to cry, feeling tears welling up. If only Zeke weren't such a heavy sleeper, he'd no doubt have followed her here and scared that mean cat away. Or he might've ended up drawing out the monsters instead. Alice chose to stop thinking about going back as she blew on the otherwise minor scuff before sticking her tongue out at the gray cat that was now perched atop the wooden fence. It kept watching keenly, waiting for Alice to move away from the tin can that must've had something it wanted inside.

"We could've been friends, you know." Alice announced out of spite before walking down the sidewalk with the flashlight in hand; trying to ignore the burning sting that now pulsated in her palm. She was now more focused than ever to get to her neighborhood before the others realized she'd taken off.

Just when she was getting used to the dark, the sky thankfully began to brighten up a bit. Alice turned the flashlight off as she realized just how close she now was to home. All she needed to do now was reach the end of the current street she was on and go right. An unexpected burst of energy suddenly filled her legs as she quickly bounded into a sprint. She wanted to call out her mother's name, but stifled herself knowing it was best to remain silent in case the monsters were nearby.

Her hand wrapped around the pole of a street sign, practically swinging on it to change her direction before standing at the entrance to her former neighborhood. At first, it looked completely untouched in the shadows that covered the houses. A warm smile teeming with comfort could be seen on the young child's face as she began to venture forward. Unfortunately, as the sun slowly began to rise, it revealed something entirely different than what Alice had initially seen. A soft, almost horrified, gasp escaped past her lips as her purple eyes widened at the true state of her neighborhood.

The first few homes on both sides remained unscathed. However, the remaining houses were not nearly as fortunate. A large power line had been toppled over and crashed down atop two homes, and the street was cracked from what must've been a tremendous amount of explosives; perhaps from a JASDF fighter jet trying to wipe out a large horde of 'Them'?

Every remaining car on the street had their windows completely blown out, the glass shards now littered on the road and sidewalks. Pitch-black scorch marks on the sides of some houses indicated a fire, but the rainstorms must've stopped it before they could burn down the entire neighborhood. Alice's home was the last on the block, and she had to see what had become of it now.

Tension filled Alice's heart as she felt a lump form in her throat. She tried to convince herself it was going to be all right, that her house was going to be untouched just like the first few she'd passed by. Her knees began to feel weak, her arms shaking the closer she came to her former house.

Another shocked gasp escaped from her as she stopped dead in her tracks again. The pain in her palm was entirely forgotten and replaced with a heart-breaking sadness when she looked at the caved in remains of her house. Windows shattered, the roof uneven; making it clear the place was barely standing. It probably wasn't so bad at first, but with the weather the way it had been, it was a complete loss now.

"I'm too late," Alice muttered to herself as she walked to the front door that was barely hanging onto the frame anymore. Her small body crawled through it and looked around to see the interior was just as bad as it looked on the outside. Books and picture frames spilled out onto the now weathered wooden floor. A torn window curtain blew in the breeze, barely attached to the rail. A large amount of debris from the caved in roof blocked off entry into the living room.

"Hello?" Alice softly called out, realizing the rest of the downstairs was a complete loss. The silence sent a chill up her spine as she kept hoping for some kind, any kind of response. After several more seconds, she finally began to carefully ascend the stairs. Just as she reached the top, she looked down to see she was almost stepping on a book of some sort. When she bent down to pick it up, she realized it was none other than one of the several family albums that was littered with pictures of herself and her parents; ranging all the way from baby pictures to vacation pictures, flooding her mind full of what felt like long distant memories.

Tears began trickling down her cheeks as she looked at the ones with her father in them. She could still replay the night he died in front of her with terrible clarity, as though it had only happened minutes ago. And she always remembered how as he died before her eyes, while the monsters drew near, Takashi and his group came to her rescue and had quickly become her dearest friends…her dearest family. When she turned the page, she finally came across the pictures with her mother.

She was a very beautiful woman with long flowing hair, exactly the same shade of rosy pink as Alice's was. Her piercing golden eyes were as bright as the sun itself; and her slender figure made her look like she was easily in her early twenties, despite having a now eight-year-old year old kid. Alice could feel herself choking up, wanting to cry anew as all she wanted now was just to be in her mother's arms again.

A sudden creaking sound snapped Alice to full alert when she heard the sound of a nearby door opening, followed by what sounded like feet shuffling against the wood floor. A sense of hope arose in Alice's heart as she looked down the dark hallway and saw a hidden figure emerge from around the corner. Unable to see who it was, she reached for her flashlight and turned it on.

However, the moment she could see what it was, the hope she felt sank like a rock. An undead woman towered over her now, drawn out by her muffled cries and whimpering. It's jaws began to open wide with rancid saliva slipping out the side; both arms reaching out for Alice, only to narrowly miss when she moved away at the last second with the family album now in hand.

"Stay away from me!" Alice cried out as she darted down the stairs, looking back over her shoulder to see it was now following her. The moment it tried going down the stairs though, it crumpled over and rolled down towards her.

The little girl let out a terrified scream before managing to get out of the way just in time. Joints popped and bones bent and snapped before the undead woman finally landed at the foot of the stairs in a twisted mess. What would've easily paralyzed anyone else didn't phase the creature at all, as it was already starting to get back up to continue the chase.

Knowing she was no match for it, Alice did the only thing she could do and crawled out under the door the same way she'd come in. She kept running as fast as she could while looking back over her shoulder to see if it was still following her. She didn't even notice she was about to run into someone else until she felt two large arms suddenly wrapping around her small body.

"No! Let me go!" Alice cried out as she squirmed and struggled, her mind in an absolute panic-driven frenzy. All she could focus on now was wishing that she'd just listened and stayed put with everyone else. "I absolutely will not! You are in a lot of trouble, young lady." A foreign-sounding yet familiar voice suddenly announced angrily; prompting Alice to open her eyes in realization of who it was.

"Frasier-niichan…" Alice announced with more joy than shock when she looked up to a thankfully familiar face; not even remotely concerned at how angry with her he appeared to be.

 **CRACK**

Before Frasier could even begin to relentlessly scold Alice's reckless behavior, the front door to the house began to violently shake. They both looked up to see the undead woman was violently prying at the door in an attempt to get out.

"Great. Stay behind me, Alice-chan." Frasier said with a grunt, his anger towards the small child completely changing to anticipation for the fight ahead. He drew his knife out of its sheath as he protectively stood between Alice and the creature. As the light from the rising sun finally shone on the monster, that look of relief on Alice's face instantly vanished when she realized who it actually was.

"M-Mommy?" was all she could bring herself to ask as Frasier looked back at Alice in confusion, only to look back and finally see the uncanny resemblance between the two. The creature before them had the typical gray skin as any of 'Them' would have. Its once long, lush, rosy pink-colored hair was now dried out, faded and split at the ends. Both its eyes were typically completely clouded over and swiveling with each step it took. Several large bite marks could be seen along the forearms and one in the collarbone. They were so deep that they'd ripped right through the clothing and nearly went down to the bone.

"T…that's your mother?" Frasier asked hesitantly, not sure what to do now with Alice standing right there to witness it all. Before anything else could be said, the little girl broke out into tears and began to walk towards her. "Mommy? It's me: your little Alice. Can't you recognize me?" she desperately tried to reason with it, moving closer to the undead woman with arms outstretched; as though such a gesture would somehow get through to it. She didn't even notice how much Zeke was whining and trying to pull on her pant leg with his teeth to get her away.

"Alice, what the hell are you doing?! Get away from it!" Frasier snapped as he swiftly pulled Alice back. The child instantly started thrashing about, trying to pull away from him with all the strength her tiny body had. "No! Please, she won't hurt me! I just know it!" Alice protested, almost digging her nails into his arms to break free. But no way in hell would he allow that to happen. Instead, he pulled her in and held her even closer.

"Alice...I know this is hard for you to understand, but you need to stand back and let me handle this," Frasier attempted to make the child see reason while never taking his eyes off her mother behind the barely holding door. "B-but she's my mommy! I can't lose her now! I just can't!" Alice pleaded if not straight up begged. Her voice was cracking as her face could only show utter desperation for this to play out any other way.

"I know, poppet. I know this hurts; but if I don't put her down now, then she's just going to keep suffering until someone else ends it for her." Frasier explained; his tone and expression genuinely sympathetic to her pain. After what he'd felt upon rediscovering Uncle Mark, he knew far too well how poor Alice must've been feeling. "Isn't there anything Shizuka-sensei can do for her? Couldn't we take her to Tokyo with us, go to a hospital where the doctors can fix her?" Alice suggested pitifully, as if even she realized how desperately she was grasping for any answer at all.

"Even if there were any functioning hospitals left...they couldn't fix this. We only have two options now. A: We leave her here, but at the cost of letting her continue to suffer like this. Or B: We help her pass on and end her pain right now." Frasier denied before bluntly giving an ultimatum. Alice was left in total silence as the door hinge began to crack and warp. Her mother continued mindlessly snarling viciously in anticipation of the two survivors.

"Take a moment to think this through, Alice-chan. This is your choice to make, and I don't want you to regret it later on." Frasier suggested as the little girl stood there with both legs trembling. She looked as though she just wanted to scream at how hard this decision was to make. "I-It's too hard! I can't do this. Please…please, just help her." Alice finally cried out as she got on both knees with her hands over her ears and her eyes shut tight.

"This is the world we live in now, Alice. We can't ignore it and pretend everything will be all right anymore! If you truly love her, then make a decision right now." Frasier sternly reprimanded as he pulled her hands away; denying Alice any chance of staying in denial.

 **CRASH**

The door finally snapped off its last hinge; collapsing to the ground down along with Alice's mother. In no time at all, it was back on its feet; heaving itself onwards towards the two companions that stared at the approaching figure. Alice watched helplessly as Frasier grabbed a nearby shovel in a nearby overturned wheelbarrow and lightly tapped the nearest fence.

Alice silently looked on as her mother's head slowly turned towards the newfound sound; soon limping towards it only to stop when it walked face first into the wooden fencing.

 **WRAM**

Without hesitation in his heart nor actions, Frasier slammed the head of the shovel like a spear into the back of the knees; sending Alice's undead mother collapsing to the ground before he wedged the shovel's blade into the chest cavity to pin it down.

"Can I…can I at least say goodbye to her?" Alice suddenly asked weakly, trying to keep it together as she looked up at him pleadingly. "Of course you can. Just keep your distance though," Frasier answered softly, keeping the shovel pinned against the chest of the fallen creature.

Alice cautiously marched forward, both hands held together as she felt ready to burst into tears again. Her little lips quivered as she looked directly into her mother's eyes.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry we couldn't find you sooner, Mommy. I miss you…I miss you and Daddy so much! I wish I was bigger so I could've maybe saved you." Alice began to confess. A deep sense of regret and remorse flowed through her words between her sniffles and choking sobs, hating how useless she felt compared to everyone else.

"I don't want to leave you. I really wanted you to come with us…but it can't happen now because of what happened to you." Alice expressed sorrowfully, tears flowing down her cheeks when she couldn't shake off the personal guilt she felt in all of this. She took a moment to let it all out as Frasier had to put all his strength into keeping her mother pinned down.

"If it makes you feel any better...I think I'll be safe with my new big brothers and sisters. I really like them a lot, and they really like me back. I wish you could've met them all. They'd probably really like you too." Alice then brought up; somehow able to faintly smile as she forced herself to see the one real positive thing in her life she had left. At first she began to lean forward, but was quickly reminded by one of Frasier's grunts that she had to stay back; letting out another deep sigh as she felt the sadness taking over again. "I never gave up on you. I never stopped thinking about you, Mommy. Please, tell Daddy I miss him too." She muttered as she fought to keep the last of her tears at bay, her voice once more cracking up at the end.

"W-will she feel it?" Alice then asked as she stepped back and looked up to Frasier; her eyes clearly desperate for an honest answer. "No, not even a little bit, sweetheart. It'll be quick and painless." He reassured her, speaking in a somber tone. "You promise?" she pressed further with concern. The very last thing she needed was to think Frasier was going to make her mother hurt any more than she already was.

"Of course. Now just…turn away, and don't look no matter what." Frasier vowed before he motioned Alice with his head to stare at the wall behind them. "Goodbye," Alice whispered to herself as she kept her back turned before hearing that horrid crunching sound whenever someone took out the dead up close.

"Is...is it over?" Alice asked, not daring to turn an inch back. She couldn't bear to potentially see her mother's head smashed in. "Aye, it is. You can look now." Frasier answered as she reluctantly peered over to see the body laid out where she last saw it. His green jacket, however, was now draped over the head and upper body, to prevent Alice from seeing any more than she had to; as well as a sign of respect.

Alice slowly walked up to the feet of her mother before dropping down to her knees as she put a hand on her shoe, lightly rocking the foot back and forth with her little hand.

"What are you doing?" Frasier had to ask with a raised eyebrow; kneeling down on one knee to be on her level. "Mommy would always wake up no matter what if something touched her feet. She's really gone…isn't she?" Alice explained, her voice surprisingly peaceful when recalling that obscure detail about her mom, only for it to instantly sink back into sadness when the cold, hard reality had returned to her.

"I'm afraid so. I'm so sorry, poppet. You just can't save everyone I'm afraid." Frasier sadly confirmed before trying to express his deepest of condolences; hoping that she'd somehow understand what he was getting at. "It's gone…it's all gone." Alice began to mutter as the shock finally wore off.

"I have no home…no Mama…no Papa…nothing. Every…e-everything is gone." She finished morosely as she sat down with both knees pulled to her chest while staring over at what little remained of her house; taking in everything she'd just endured and unable to say a peep over several minutes of mournful silence.

"Well...that's not entirely true, Alice-chan. You still have us." Frasier chimed in as he sat down beside her; both legs crossed, as he made sure to constantly watch their backs. "But what about my house? My family? Where will I go after all this?" Alice asked incredulously, surprising Frasier with how generally pessimistic her thinking had become.

"I can't do anything about your family. No one can now." Frasier began to express with regret, knowing she deserved to be given the whole truth today. Alice's head hung low in despair. "However, in regards to your house, I actually can do something about that. I'll build you a new one." Frasier suddenly vowed, completely catching the young girl off guard.

"R-really?" she sniffled, looking up at him with uncertainty, as though trying to see if he was lying to her again. He gently nodded in assurance as a barely noticeable smile began to spread across his lips. "Just you and me?" She then clarified.

"Just you and me." Was all he responded with before he wiped the sweat from his face. "I'd really like that. But...I-I want everyone to live with us, though." Alice finally spoke with a trace of optimism, trying to clear her throat before speaking again; her face red from all the sobbing.

"Oh, they can live with us, but the house will be our personal project; just you and me if you're up to the task. What do you say to that?" Frasier replied with an earnest grin, aware how much she'd appreciate the idea of them having their own little niche. The only response she could muster up at this point was hugging him as tight as she possibly could. A muffled "Okay," was all that could be heard as her head pressed into his side. This thankfully heartwarming moment left Frasier at ease; a feeling he'd almost forgotten about since the start of all this.

"Alright now, c'mon...on your feet. We need to head back to the bus before more of 'Them' show up, and before the others wake up and notice we're gone." He eventually suggested before standing back up, motioning for Alice to follow him. "R-right. Just give me a second." Alice agreed before running over to her mother's side, pulling out one of the photos of herself with both her parents and placing it into the jacket pocket. She took a brief moment to collect herself in light of everything here before darting back to Frasier's side; taking his hand and never looking back since.

While saying nothing the entire way back, Frasier was silently overjoyed he'd been able to find her. After everything else, losing Alice was the one thing that would've utterly destroyed him beyond repair. All he could hope now was that when they awoke, the group would be ready to leave, and their journey to Tokyo could finally commence; and more importantly, would be able to go with little trouble.

 _Days earlier across the Atlantic in an unknown facility…_

Entire rows of monitors glared as the images on them flashed and changed rapidly. Video clips played on repeat as the audio echoed in what sounded like a small control center. A phone rang several times before eventually it was picked up.

"How did you acquire this number?" Arthur Lawson's rough voice grumbled, clearly in no mood for small talk from a stranger. "Father, it's me," Frasier's voice suddenly announced.

"What...?" Arthur asked shocked, almost as if in disbelief that his son had managed to get a hold of him. "There's so much that needs to be said, but there's no time to talk. I know it's a vast distance, but I need you to send an extraction team to these coordinates," Frasier began to explain, clearly troubled by something more than just the worldwide outbreaks. However, he stayed strong and kept calm long enough to get his request across.

"Son…it's so good to hear your voice, but do you have any kind of idea the danger you're in now?" the proud father sighed in relief; but his tune quick to change back to a more serious one as he went on. "Of course I'm in danger! There's some kind of viral outbreak turning people into undead monsters, and we're right in the middle of it all!" The eldest Lawson sibling stated impatiently, well aware of how dire his own situation was.

"No! Not the dead, you fool! Something far worse than that." Arthur suddenly snapped; leaving Frasier silent at such a sharp response. He could only imagine how truly concerned Frasier must've been by what could possibly leave a man as powerful and well reserved as his father in such a fearful mood.

"Father?" Frasier eventually asked with surprising vulnerability when the awkward pause became too much for him to bear, the anticipation eating away at his patience. "Frasier, listen to me: you need to take Marcus and Noah, and run. Just get as far away from wherever you are right now, understand?" Arthur suddenly instructed, keeping it short and simple with no sense of direction.

"Father, what's wrong with you? Why are you talking like that?" Frasier demanded, hating the sound of his father sounding so shaken, so unsettled. The man was practically the foundation Frasier stood on, and if he was sounding this afraid, Frasier couldn't conceive what it must've been, nor did he even want to.

"Frasier…my son...I'm sorry. I truly am…" Arthur hesitantly replied, sounding truly apologetic before a soft, soothing melody could suddenly be heard playing in the background. Without warning, Frasier's breathing became heavy, and he began occasionally grunting in pain, as if in genuine distress from the otherwise harmless tune. "…But be a good lad and obey. Protocol 0-4-5-1." Arthur calmly commanded. Frasier's heavy breathing instantly stopped, and there was a dismal pause for a few unbearable seconds.

"What are my orders?" Frasier suddenly asked, his voice now devoid of all emotion. Whatever distress or pain he had before was nowhere to be heard. "I need you to take your brothers, if they're still alive, and get as far away from your current location as you possibly can. When I hang up, destroy the phone you called me with, and forget everything you just heard if anyone asks." Arthur began to instruct, being very thorough in what had to be done.

"Understood. I will not fail you," the eldest Lawson brother acknowledged without a hint of resistance, not questioning anything he'd just been told to do. "I know you won't, son. Dismissed," his father sighed before the playback of the transmission finally ended; leaving things momentarily silent, save for the buzzes and hums of the multitude of computers.

"You know what to do." A woman's authoritative voice announced sternly as her gaze shifted to a powerful yet hidden figure that loyally stood at her side with both arms crossed. An eager grin formed on his face from the anticipation of what was soon to come.


	21. Chapter 21: The Road Leads to Nowhere

**Z-Day+61**

It feels like it's been ages since I wrote anything in here. Then again, it feels like the old life we all used to have was a lifetime ago, so I guess feeling this way only makes sense. Where the hell do I even begin?

It's been over a month since we took our chances on the road and left for Tokyo. We should've been there and back by now, but setback after setback has made it almost impossible to get very far. If only we'd known just how bad it was everywhere else, we probably never would've left Tokonosu.

So much destruction and devastation has consumed this once-beautiful place. It's everywhere we go. I've lost count just how many roads we've come across packed to the brim with abandoned cars. They're practically mass graveyards, with or without the occasional strewn body parts. Seems like the largest congregations of survivors are always the first to go...always.

The military definitely hasn't helped us out, what with bombing entire highways, demolishing major bridges, and collapsing tunnels. I can't blame them for it, though. It must've only seemed natural at the time to keep the infection from getting in or out. The only problem is that this infection has a new set of legs with every person it takes, and it will find a way to catch up to its next bunch of victims. It always does.

Hell, even the weather hasn't been on our side. The rain from all the recent storms has caused major mudslides. Going off-road is ill-advised, unless of course we have no other choice. Sometimes I can't help but wonder what's next: a giant earthquake that'll tear the Earth in two; a volcano sprouting up in the middle of the night? The only bright side is at least the rain keeps 'Them' distracted to some extent.

It wasn't too long after we left that we realized driving two buses together garnered too much attention. We ultimately decided Sho and the rest of his group should scout ahead so we'd cover more ground. They were to radio back to us if they found a way out first. There was contact for the few days. Then…then there was nothing but silence. I refuse to believe they didn't make it, but the cold hard facts keep making me question how good their chances really were. I can only hope they're still alive, wherever they are.

Those wishes are just as much for our sake as theirs. The losses we suffered back at the mall are still so fresh in everyone's heads. It still feels like it all just happened yesterday. I can't stop thinking just how close we were to getting away before Shido dropped in on us.

As if everything else hadn't made our situation bad enough, food started getting scarce once we entered our second week. I can see now why Frasier felt a small group was the way to go. I almost feel guilty eating anything at all, knowing the others are just as hungry as I am, if not more so. Every time we've tried to make a supply run, whether it's the loneliest of convenience stores, or small villages, or the outskirts of cities, they're either burned to the ground or utterly infested with 'Them'.

Shizuka-sensei has taken it upon herself to start teaching Saya-san and Rei-san the basics of first-aid. I think she knows there will eventually come a time that they'll need to know how to properly dress a wound while remaining calm under pressure. They're both thankfully eager to practice, and quite enthusiastic whenever one of us needs aid. I still have this band-aid with a smiley face they put on me after I cut my foot walking barefoot with Miku at night. I just hope they don't figure out exactly why we were walking off so late; or at the very least that they don't start gossiping about it.

Saeko-san has fortunately managed to recover from her gunshot wound since we left. Her muscles are probably still tense and sore by the way she moves and groans, but she insists she can wield a blade whenever any of us ask. Unfortunately, she's become much more reserved, and tends to isolate herself whenever she can from the rest of us. After losing Takashi, whatever bond she had with us has been painfully strained. I just hope she'll be able to get past this and reconcile with Frasier. After their spat, they've hardly said a word to each other. They've both been too busy to even dwell on their fractured friendship. Hopefully, when things calm down, they'll be able to talk again?

Marcus…he worries me a lot. When Hitomi died, it took a big part of him away. He doesn't crack jokes to lighten the mood anymore. No more clever quips or puns at the ready. There's just this sullen silence and a drained stare. He still eats and responds when spoken to, but it's just not him anymore. This world has changed him. For better or worse, it's too soon to know. Either way, I don't like it. Something I noticed last week is that he'll take out Hitomi's badge whenever he's certain nobody is paying him any attention. So, for what it's worth, at least he hasn't forgotten her. Maybe that's the one thing keeping him anchored down at this point.

These damn setbacks keep wearing our spirits down, each and every bloody time. I know Frasier takes it personally as well. Every time something goes wrong, I can see the look of failure in his eyes. And every time, I see the anger and rage eating away at him, to the point I fear even talking to him. But somehow, he's still able to press onwards, always going on about how he can't afford to fail and how the mission must succeed at all costs. I don't know at this point whether I should be afraid of him, or for him.

There's just two routes left that we know of that we've marked down on the maps. If they fail, I don't even want to think of what will happen next. Walking on foot, most likely, but with all these rainstorms and lack of supplies, we might as well just end any notion of reaching Tokyo then and there.

I'm not going to sugar coat this for whoever finds this. We're in a lot of trouble here…and won't make it at this rate. God have mercy on us all.

 **Click**

The sound of the ballpoint pen retracting was nearly piercing against the overbearing silence of the bus. After setting his journal into his rucksack, Noah glanced up at the rear view mirror up front. He felt his heart skip a beat when Frasier's icy glare could be seen in the reflection. Fortunately, before the situation could become any more awkward, his oldest brother turned away to focus on directing Shizuka where to drive.

Making sure to keep to himself, Noah simply let out a heavy sigh; feeling unsettled that he would even feel such fear toward his own sibling like that. Luckily, the tension faded when he felt Miku's head suddenly resting against his shoulder. She'd been making a great effort to show the others she could pull her own weight the entirety of this journey, leaving herself utterly exhausted.

 _'Even when she's asleep, she's so cute,'_ Noah thought to himself with a slight blush while gently brushing her vibrant orange hair out of her eyes. He then looked back over to observe the rest of the group. What especially stood out was how long some of the men's hair had grown out.

While Kohta's already medium-length hair hardly changed at all over the past two months, some of the other men of the group had made some decent progress. Tadashi, Johann, Marcus, and even Frasier all had substantially longer hair. Each one looked a bit unruly, their faces grizzled with facial hair by their time on the road. Johann especially had filled his face out with a full mustache and beard impressively quick.

But Frasier was a most foreign sight for Noah. The eldest Lawson was always so insistent and disciplined on how long his hair should've been, so to see his once military crew cut now covering and hanging from his head, accompanied by a noticeable dark blonde scruff on his face, was downright unnatural. Noah was honestly surprised Frasier hadn't opted to use his combat knife to try and cut it all away yet.

What next registered to the young boy most prominently; was the strong body odor and the sweat stained clothing they'd all been unable to wash for the past month, save for the occasional rainfalls. While they all had somewhat gotten used to the stench, every now and again it would become nigh unbearable to stay a moment longer in the bus.

And as though the smell wasn't bad enough, no one had been unable to get a decent night's sleep for the past two weeks. The constant threat of being attacked in the middle of the night was more than enough to keep everyone on edge; but the bus wasn't exactly equipped for comfort either, and they'd all begun feeling the drawbacks of it lately. Every morning was now typically spent waking up to find their bodies aching and muscles feeling sore.

But with everything else, the final straw that'd been threatening to break the group was their reserves of food. While it would've easily lasted double the intended trip time, pushing into four times that long was simply too much. Even without what was left of Sho's group accompanying them, food and water had to be rationed out. It was no easy task for whoever had to carry out the daily burden of feeding some, while others were left with empty stomachs. If the situation didn't change soon, nobody wanted to fathom what was liable to happen.

"According to the map, we'll just need to follow this road until we hit a fork that splits off in two. Take a right once we arrive there," Frasier instructed calmly as Shizuka nodded; relieved she had someone to help guide her while she could focus on the road.

 **SCREECH**

Just as he began to walk away, the bus came to a sudden halt. Everyone was instantly up and alert while Frasier cursed under his breath. Before them was yet another mass graveyard of abandoned cars and trucks. Shizuka's heart was racing, always hating when she had to slam the brakes for anything. She could hear the sound of gripping leather before turning to see Frasier's hand digging into the chair with extreme force. She could understand his anger, but was still grateful he didn't think to do the same to her shoulder instead.

"Maybe it's not so bad once we push through? It could be just a few blocking the road, and it's an easy ride from there?" She suggested in an attempt to defuse his tense attitude. "Unlikely, but it's worth investigating," the stalwart Lawson grumbled before pushing the button to open the door and hopping out.

Noah was the first to follow after him, watching as Frasier climbed the nearest car with binoculars in hand. While his eyes were obscured, he was visibly frowning as he observed their newest obstacle.

"There's a mudslide further down the road. If we turn back now, we can hopefully reach the only route left before nightfall." Frasier instructed. While naturally disappointed, he knew he needed to try to be somewhat optimistic for everyone else's sake.

"I'm afraid we wouldn't get very far. There's hardly enough gas left to make the trip back to where we started today." Shizuka suddenly announced, leaving Frasier tensing up again.

"Well, at least we can do something about that. With this many cars, we're bound to be able to siphon some considerable gas like last time." Noah piped in. "He's right. We might as well gather any other supplies we can find while we're at it." Saya agreed before everyone began to depart the bus; mentally preparing themselves to rummage through what was essentially an automobile graveyard.

"Two of you, take watch. The rest of you, fan out and bring back whatever we can make use of. Don't wander off on your own, and watch each other's backs." Frasier instructed firmly. His straightforward instructions felt downright rudimentary for the group at this point. This was the fourth time they had to salvage the remains of a highway traffic jam, and it probably wasn't going to be the last.

Marcus silently climbed to the roof of the bus, not acknowledging anyone else, as was to be expected. While he'd shown no suicidal tendencies or signals, everyone else had agreed to make sure not to neglect him for a second. After everything they'd gone through up to this point, they couldn't bear the thought of losing one more person.

"Here." Rika spoke up as she climbed up behind him, placing a straw sun hat in his lap. "You'll need it more than I will," she finished, well aware his lighter skin would be more sensitive to the constant sun than her tanned complexion. The young Brit took the hat without a peep before putting it on, no snarky remarks or humorous quips to be heard.

While Frasier initially didn't mind the lack of Marcus turning everything into a joke, a part of him did wish his brother would at least force a smile to reassure the others' concerns. However, at other times, he could muster up some sympathy when realizing if it been Saeko or Alice that died, he'd probably never smile again; let alone restrain his murderous rage.

"Think you can handle keeping watch today?" Frasier asked unexpectedly, causing Marcus to frown. "What, suddenly I'm incapable of keeping watch now? You think I might go crazy and just decide to not warn you of potential danger?" the middle Lawson spat back with unexpected hostility.

"Because we're out of sun lotion and water is limited," Frasier grumbled in what might've been genuine concern, which was now turned to bitter annoyance. This left Marcus silent before looking at the sky to see where Frasier's concerns were coming from.

"I think I'll survive a little sun. Sorry-" Marcus replied, trying not to sound so ungrateful before looking back to see his brother had already left to scavenge, not bothering to stick around for his answer. The young man sighed with regret and sat on the roof of the bus with both knees to his chest, glancing around to survey the area while the rest of the group slowly spread out across the deathly silent remains of the traffic jam.

"That didn't sound so good. You want to talk about what just happened?" Shizuka's voice suddenly broke the silence as she climbed up and sat beside the middle Lawson.

"What's there to talk about? I just shot down actual concern from Frasier. Won't be seeing that ever again." Marcus stated wryly, not wanting to look the nurse in the eye.

"How did it make you feel?" Shizuka asked softly, inching closer to Marcus as he kept his gaze focused on the road ahead. She could practically feel the bitterness emanating from him; as for whom it was towards, she couldn't guess.

"Like finding a bloody unicorn, only to shoo it away. I just hope I can handle my own damn emotions enough to not take it out on Noah too. He'd take it even more personally and make me feel like an outright tosser." Marcus lamented, bowing his head in shame while Shizuka silently brought an arm around his sides and pulled him a little closer, gently hugging the silent young Brit.

"How many more times do we have to keep robbing tombs like this; like a bunch of goddamn scavengers? Do you really think this is all still worth it? Do you really think we'll still be able to make it, the way things have been going?" Kiriko asked out of nowhere, causing Tadashi to look back at her with surprise. He'd been in the middle of trying to crowbar open the sliding door to a delivery van that'd rear-ended the car in front, so his wife's sudden exasperated outburst nearly made the former detective lose his footing.

"Honestly? I think we'll be lucky if we reach the next city at this rate. But Frasier-san is still so hell-bent on reaching that quarantine zone." Tadashi remarked as honestly as he could. Hoping that this was the right plan to get his family to safety. "So then why are we still persisting if it's not as feasible as we thought? Don't forget that this decision affects Rei as well." Kiriko brought up, which seemed to irk her husband.

"I know that. Believe me, there isn't a moment where that isn't on my mind. I've been thinking…maybe if things don't work out, we can try to come up with an alternate solution." Tadashi replied, irritated that she felt the need to point out the painfully obvious. It hurt them both immensely, knowing every day and night wasted on the road was only going to make it increasingly difficult to keep their daughter safe.

"If things don't work out?" Kiriko asked, well aware he already had a Plan B in mind. "More like when they don't work out," Tadashi elaborated before pulling out one of the maps and pointing out a spot he'd marked with red ink. "So what? Try for the coast? Maybe find a boat, head for the nearest island and wait this out?" Kiriko deduced as he smiled and gave a simple nod in confirmation.

"Assuming any boats haven't already been taken, or sunken by the storms, and that there are any large enough for all of us to board; there's no telling if any island nearby has enough supplies for us to wait this out." Rika's voice suddenly lectured in a cynical tone, prompting both Tadashi and Kiriko to look and see she'd been listening in on their conversation. Not that it had exactly been a private one to begin with.

"Do you ever have anything positive to say?" Kiriko asked with a trace of bitterness, crossing her arms. She was half-expecting Rika to have a plan of her own, considering she seemed like the type of person to always have one up her sleeve. "Maybe when there's something to be positive about, I'll try being more verbal about it," the markswoman retorted with a bored sigh, not caring for the policewoman's attitude.

"Well, the constant cynicism isn't helping. Those kids are trying their damn best to get by on what little we have, just like the rest of us." Kiriko said with noticeable regret, hating how useless she felt when they couldn't even feed them some nights.

"It's not enough," Rika pointed out with an almost infuriating bluntness. "Well, if it's not enough, why don't you take charge then? All I see you doing is taking orders from a teenager like everyone else!" Tadashi countered sternly, clearly not thrilled that someone more than a full decade younger than him was holding the fate of his family in his hands.

"Look, truth be told, I'm not really the leading type. Sure, if I have to take charge, then so be it. But if there's a strong, good-looking man willing to lead, then why not? Frasier-kun seems to know what he's doing…mostly." Rika remarked before forming a sly smirk on her face.

"He's still in high school, you know?" Kiriko grumbled, clearly disapproving of Rika's odd choice of priorities. "So? He's legal." Rika answered with an astounding nonchalant air, as though she seemed to take pleasure in Kiriko's disapproval. "But not interested," the policewoman replied with a wry smirk of her own, which left Rika equally annoyed at that unneeded reminder.

"Ladies? As interesting as Minami-san's love life is-" Tadashi interjected before this could get any more ridiculous than it already has. "Or rather lack thereof…" Kiriko remarked, unable to help herself from getting the last shot in. "…we should really focus on the matter at hand." Tadashi finished, as the two bickering women thankfully both seemed to be in agreement for now.

"We need to seriously reconsider what we're going to do. You have any suggestions? Besides the boat?" Rika asked a bit more seriously. Kiriko and Tadashi both looked at one another before the ex-detective nodded. "We should find a spot to settle down in; somewhere preferably isolated, and unlikely for anyone else to stumble upon for good measure," he advised. While simple in theory, it certainly seemed a lot better than what they were trying right now.

"Yes, those kids have all been through enough of this shit. Sooner or later, this hell will break them." Kiriko added, her concern always putting the teenagers and Alice first and foremost. "If it hasn't already." Rika noted with a heavy sigh, looking at the several adolescent survivors trying to keep it together with what little they had left. A part of her couldn't help but wonder what it was that drove them to keep pushing on while so many others couldn't.

"He's right. We can't just rely on good fortune anymore. We need a solution tonight." Kiriko announced with utmost certainty, knowing if they could catch a much-needed break again, they'd be able to, at the very least, release some pent up stress and recollect themselves. "I'll try talking to Frasier-kun; see if I can convince him to reconsider." Rika then offered as she began to stroll away to find him.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's all you have in mind for him." Kiriko teased, not entirely sure why she was so amused doing so. "Hey, whatever happens, happens," the markswoman sighed with content before it was just Tadashi and Kiriko again.

"Do you think the kids somehow aren't broken yet? Do you think Rei is as fine as she says she is?" Kiriko suddenly asked without any of her previous confidence. "I don't know, Kiriko. Those kids are tougher than we give them credit for, but everyone has a limit." Tadashi admitted, unable to project much faith himself.

"Say we do find somewhere isolated and decide to hunker down. Do you really think it will last?" the policewoman then asked, finally revealing her deep-rooted physical and mental exhaustion. "That's still so far away. Every part of me wants to be optimistic for their sake and say yes. It's too soon to say, though," was all her husband could honestly say before they were once more left in unbearable silence. The couple soon resumed scavenging, the continuous need for an alternative never once leaving their thoughts.

While Saya and Kohta were both busy picking apart what was left of a ravaged sedan, Alice couldn't help but take notice of a nearby Jeep that was parked nearby. Deep down, she knew it was best not to wander out of their line of sight; however, it was so close, she was almost certain it would be fine to take a quick peek. She casually wandered over to the dirt-covered vehicle.

At first her hand began to tug on the handle, stopping just before unlocking it when she realized she was supposed look inside first, like Saya had continuously suggested during their trip. Standing on the step to help the driver dismount, she now had a full view of the interior.

She instantly recognized the silhouette of someone sitting in the driver's seat. Initially, she wanted to alert the others, but she was perceptive enough to realize it was entirely motionless. Just to be sure it wasn't a trick, she began to tap on the window. However, the silhouette didn't budge at all.

Alice then barely noticed through the grime on the window, something was resting in the decrepit figure's lap. Both its arms were crossed around the unknown contents in what looked like a black sling. Curious and eager to discover its contents, the little girl opened the door, only to immediately close it again, thanks to the wretched stench the rotting corpse produced. While 'Them' and slain corpses on the street were definitely not much better in comparison, this one was left in the Jeep with the windows rolled up, which only condensed the putrid odor that much more.

Still determined to discover what this dead man was holding onto, Alice covered her nose with the collar of her orange t-shirt and opened it up again. She began coughing from the stink once she realized just how tough it was to pry the sling from the dead body's bony fingers. Just when it felt like it was coming loose, the entire corpse slumped over and toppled onto Alice.

She landed with a hard thud, pinned underneath the corpse, trying to push it away in desperation; the dry, skeletal face only inches from hers. Alice screamed in terror, instantly catching the attention of the entire group. Saya immediately bolted over, looking on in horror as she came face to face with what she feared most: Alice being attacked by one of 'Them', with nobody close enough to save her.

Not even considering her own personal safety at this point, the pink-haired girl rushed in, viciously kicking at the figure pinning Alice before pulling it away, half expecting it to lunge at her now. However, when she realized it was putting up no fight at all, she simply let go, watching as it crumpled before her like it was just some oversized rag doll. Her eyes stared at the shambled remains in both horror and confusion. She began trembling all over, trying to piece things together in her head.

"It's okay! I'm okay!" Alice huffed out in relief before going back to the black sling she'd just risked their lives for, almost as if she was completely unaware of the danger she could've been in. "I don't think this one was ever infected." Saeko spoke up when she was able to identify what looked like laceration wounds along the corpse's wrists.

"What in the hell were you doing?!" Saya suddenly shouted at Alice with intense scorn once she realized what just happened. Her heart was still racing as her hands slightly trembled.

"I saw these and pulled them out. See? It's okay." Alice attempted to explain; as if that might've justified the panic she'd stirred just up. Her whole body flinched when Saya unexpectedly slapped the bag out of her hands. "Okay?! Just OKAY?! There was nothing okay with what you just did! Do you know how stupid that was?! Do you have even a clue just how much trouble you could've brought on everyone here?!" Saya began to practically screech as her eyes flared with a furious intensity that left Alice stunned and horrified.

"I-I just thought..." Alice attempted to stammer out. "Oh, you thought?!" Saya immediately cut the little girl off. "You call that thinking!? What if that wasn't just some dried up corpse?! What if that was one of 'Them'?! You'd be dead right now, because you were too stupid to just do one goddamn thing I told you!" Saya snapped, holding nothing back, with each subsequent rant leaving Alice more hurt than the last. Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes before she finally lifted her head and stomped her tiny foot angrily.

"I HATE YOU! All you ever do is yell at everyone and get angry over everything! Why do you always have to be so mean?!" Alice shouted with unexpected anger through her babbling sobs. Both Saeko and Saya were left in utter awe at how genuine those words felt. Saya's head bowed in shame as the sobbing little girl stormed off, slamming the bus door behind her.

"I'll…I'll go see what she's found. Some of these don't look half bad." Saeko eventually found the courage to speak before walking away with the sling in hand, showing no desire to see the bespectacled girl's reaction to what had just been said.

"Oh my god, I never thought I'd see the day Alice-chan would talk to you like that." Kohta spoke up with astonishment as he hesitantly approached Saya as she fell to her knees.

"Am I wrong?" Saya suddenly whispered to herself as she couldn't stop shaking, trying not to cry herself. "Am I wrong to scold her for this? Did I make the wrong choice trying to discipline Alice-chan into break a bad habit?" she kept frantically asking nobody in particular. Anyone who knew Saya would've known that driving Alice to say she hated the pink-haired genius was the last thing she ever would've wanted.

"It doesn't even matter anymore. We're all going to die out here. We're down to the last of our supplies and have no way out of this nightmare. Why are we even still bothering wasting our time with this damn trip?" Saya continued to lament, Kohta looking at her with shock to hear her so devoid of any hope.

"Saya-san, I want nothing more than to see her make it through this. Out of all of us, that little girl has to survive, no matter what." Kohta stepped in; refusing to let the sharp-tongued girl he admired give up hope after everything else. "I'm sure you had the best intentions, you always do in her case, but all she saw was you...well, being you. Maybe we can talk to her when we're all done here, after she calms down." The gun otaku then said in reassurance, trying his best to instill in her some semblance of confidence.

"What's even the point? I didn't think it was possible for Alice to say she hated anyone. I don't know if there even is any coming back from that." Saya sighed, convinced that had to be the case after such a terrible outburst from the little girl that used to show such admiration for her before.

"We've all been under a lot of stress, and she picks up on that. She was just trying to help, and was probably hoping her find would make us all feel a little better. You shooting her down like that crushed her," the chubby young man explained before Saya shot him another annoyed glare.

"You think I don't know that, you—?!" she began to growl, only to stop short of another insult when she realized that's what landed her in this situation in the first place. "Yeah, I'm aware she's trying to help. I appreciate it even, but it was still way too risky. She's still just a little girl after all." Saya then admitted with a low sigh, wishing she'd been able to just tell that to Alice from that start, instead of flying off the handle again.

"Honestly, I'd be amazed if she wasn't having nightmares each and every night," she went on, as she could recall still not being used to the thought of sleeping out in the open like this herself.

"I know what you mean, we've all been sleeping with one eye open. It'd be nice to be able to just go to sleep and not have to worry whether we'll wake up again or not." Kohta suggested, causing Saya to look at him surprised. It was almost like he'd just taken the words right out of her mouth. "Look, I understand that you're afraid, we all are. But going off on the others, especially Alice-chan, will only break morale more than it already is. Just take a deep breath and try to curb that impulse to yell," he began to advise, with Saya finding no words to respond with.

She could just simply nod as she kept her arms crossed, having to swallow her pride in acceptance of her flaws. She quickly found herself red in the face when the gun lover suddenly hugged her tight. A definite smile slowly formed on her lips as she looked down at him with surprise.

"What's with you? Since when were you giving out the speeches around here?" Saya asked with a hint of sarcasm as she gladly unexpectedly hugged Kohta back. "Well someone has to keep spirits up. I just happen to be good at it when it comes to you." Kohta answered with a strangely confident smile that left her even more red in the face than before.

"T-Thank you. I don't suppose you have more uplifting speeches that can help me apologize to Alice?" Saya said with genuine gratitude, hoping he would have something for her to use. "I'll go with you. We'll handle this together." Kohta suggested, which left her taken aback at the sweet sentiment. For once, Saya Takagi was speechless, until she took his hand in hers. "I'd really like that," she mumbled with another heavy blush that almost matched her pink hair, before they marched to the bus together.

All the while, Rei and Johann were working their way through a few cars with open doors, working side-by-side as always before eventually coming across what looked like an office delivery truck. After breaking open the lock, the two felt their spirits lift when they were met with an abundance of water cooler jugs, all capped and filled to the brim.

The two of them wasted no time pulling out the first water jugs they could get their hands on, with Rei immediately making a beeline for the bus with her own, only to realize halfway Johann wasn't at her side, but was instead still at the truck, struggling with his own jug.

"Whoa, you don't look so good." Rei said concernedly when she could see his arms visibly tremble, struggling just to lift the water jug. "I'm fine. I just…need a moment to collect myself." Johann huffed, forced to drop the jug. Both watched as the seal broke off on impact and water began to spill out onto the road. "Johann, you've been like this for the last few days now. Would you mind telling me what's going on?" Rei replied with a note of skepticism to the young German's attempt at playing it off as nothing.

"Do you promise not to get mad?" Johann suddenly asked as he found himself leaning against the overturned delivery truck to catch his breath. "Of course I won't get mad. Why would I?" Rei reassured him with that same gentle smile, curious why he was suddenly being so secretive.

"I've been giving Alice-chan some of my rations recently. I figured it wouldn't do any harm...I mean, out of all of us, she needs her energy the most. She has to stay alert." Johann confessed; earning a look of surprise from Rei, who realized Alice had been noticeably more energetic compared to everyone else. "At first, there didn't seem to be any noticeable drawbacks, save for my stomach rumbling more frequently. But lately, I haven't been able to exert myself as much as usual. I also feel dizzy if I move about too fast," he continued, coughing every now and then. Rei could only look on in awe as it was clear just how much of a toll this had taken on her dear friend's body.

"It would also explain your recent loss of weight. Johann, this isn't healthy. While I think it's really sweet and kind of you to be looking out for Alice-chan like that, you can't be neglecting yourself like this," she began to express her worries. While truly touched by the personal sacrifices he'd endured for Alice's benefit, it didn't make it any easier for her to see Johann in such a weakened state.

"I know, but when I look at that poor little girl, I just can't help but do what I can to help her along. She's been so sad lately. I was hoping the extra food might help lift her spirits a little." Johann said with slight remorse, all too aware of the pain he was in right now because of his decision.

"I'm sure it has…" Rei said reassuringly with a warm smile as she brushed a hand against his cheek to wipe away some dirt. "…but you need to take care of yourself as well," she then concluded, unable to help but feel worried he'd most likely drive himself to starvation at this rate if she didn't intervene. "I'm sorry, Rei. I didn't mean to make you worry over me." Johann began to apologize, wishing he didn't have to make this trip any harder for her.

"You don't have to apologize for that. You're one of my dearest friends, Johann; it's only natural I'd worry for you at this point. Besides, it's not like there's any shortage for concern anyway, right?" she said with a hesitant chuckle before it became awkwardly silent between them. They both looked away to momentarily reflect on their situation now. All that could be heard was some nearby birds chirping, and the rest of their group scavenging.

"If I can be…regretfully honest right now, I still wonder if what we're doing out here is even worth it sometimes." Rei suddenly spoke up as her once uplifting voice was sudden full of considerable uncertainty and woe. "Ever since we started this journey, everything seems fine at first, like we're actually catching a much needed break for once. Then the next thing you know, someone dies, or another incident occurs. It's all been an uphill fight, nonstop for what feels like forever ago," she continued with a hopeless sense of never being able to pull herself out of this depressing realization.

"I've tried so hard to remain optimistic, to not let my worries and concerns burden the others. I know that all it takes is for one of us to snap and push the others over their limits. I refuse to be responsible for that," the young woman said in a broken voice, recalling how many times she had to swallow her emotions and bottle them up so the others wouldn't need to worry about her on top of everything else.

"You still feel responsible for Takashi-san…don't you?" Johann suddenly asked as he could see the tears that hung near the corners of her eyes finally began to trickle down her cheeks. "If I had arrived just a moment sooner...h-had I just followed my instincts...I'm certain I c-could've saved him. He'd still be alive if it wasn't for me hesitating." Rei began to regretfully reminisce, sniffling and sobbing between each pause.

Before she could say more, Johann gently pulled her into his arms, one hand on the back of her head while the other curled around her right shoulder. At first, Rei had no idea how to react to this, quickly realizing just how much she missed this wonderful feeling of comfort. It felt so foreign to her, leaving her at a pause just for a few more seconds until she could compose herself.

"Hell, Saeko-san even blames Frasier-san, her best friend, for what happened, but I was there too! Sometimes, I wonder if she holds any resentment for me, but simply chooses to be less verbal about it?" Rei began to worry further. The two of them looked to see Saeko a few cars over, loading up supplies into one of the duffel bags they'd brought.

"It's hard to say. She's been so reclusive all this time since then. Let's just hope it doesn't come up again anytime soon. You, on the other hand, shouldn't be so hard on yourself. At least you were able to save Frasier. That must count for something," Johann agreed without even trying to pretend like he could read the young swordswoman. All the while, Rei just looked down with a remorseful frown. "I could've saved both of them," was all she could mutter.

"Well, if there's one thing I've learned from an experience I'm far too familiar with at this point, it's that you can't change anything about the past. The best you can do is be faster next time. I'm sorry there's no easier way of saying it...but that's just the way it has to be. Then again, that's pretty much what you told me when I was where you're at right now," he began to express, hoping his words might get through to her. At the very least, Rei would be able to think on how it was far more beyond her control than she'd normally like to admit.

The faint smile of realization and gratitude Rei gave him warmed the young man's heart immensely as she silently brought her arms around his sides in return and held him tight, even resting her forehead against his chest as she could feel a little of her anxiety slowly fade away in his arms.

"We should probably get back to work. The others are counting on us to find something," Johann then suggested nervously, certain the others wouldn't take very kindly to them just standing around while they were all in the middle of trying to find what little supplies they could here.

Saeko had just finished inspecting the various knives and assorted blades Alice had found, discarding whatever she deemed inefficient before wrapping the sling back up. She was noticeably pleased she could at least use something else to dispatch 'Them', so her prized katana wouldn't wear down as much. As she took a moment to stretch her arms out, she caught movement in the corner of her eye.

Frasier stood alone by yet another wreckage, wearing what was once a white t-shirt (now coated in sweat stains and dirt) and torn up blue jeans. His hands were wrapped in a pair of gray fingerless gloves she'd found for him just the other day, all complete with three dark brown holsters hanging securely at his sides and back for two pistols and one rifle. His tired eyes stared off into the distance. The young swordswoman tried to follow what he could possibly be looking at, yet it seemed like there was nothing of real interest; just more foliage and trees practically forming a wall along the highway. The look of desperation and anguish in his eyes was clear for all to see.

She knew their constant setbacks and failures to get to the quarantine zone had been weighing on him immensely. Every single time something went wrong, it just made him doubt his abilities in leadership more and more. Some nights, she could overhear him muttering in his sleep, rambling on about how he wasn't good enough, for what she could only hazard a guess. But most concerning of all was his insistence that the "mission" was all that truly mattered anymore. Whenever anyone would dare confront him about it, he'd constantly claim to have no idea about it, or why he was so fixated on getting to Tokyo.

While she still mourned Takashi's death in moments of peace, what they had, what could've been; it didn't keep her from remembering that one night she and Frasier were alone, and how she lost control of herself and attacked him. She still found herself thinking back on how he fought so hard to talk her down from giving in to her more twisted side while keeping himself from getting cut in two, refusing to give up on her despite how far gone she was.

That moment they shared together in the aftermath struck an even stronger cord with her: that the two of them could finally open up to each other in a mutual moment of weakness and vulnerability. She still remembered the solemn vow they'd made to keep the other from ever slipping into such a terrible state again, and to pull each other out of the darkness should the need arise.

Without wanting to hesitate a moment longer, she made her way towards the stoic young man, slowly approaching before his hearing picked up that someone was coming. He quickly peeked over his shoulder, turning away once he realized whom it was.

"Hey...are you busy?" Saeko softly asked, hoping he'd be in a somewhat talkative mood. Her smooth voice always had a way of getting his attention; so calm and composed, yet it would command respect. No longer sporting the girl's school uniform, she stuck to a simple black tank top with black fatigues very similar to the one Rika was always wearing. Her combat boots were thankfully lightweight and flexible enough for her to move quickly in battle.

"You know I am. As a matter of fact, everyone should be busy right now," was all Frasier grumbled impatiently, almost going out of his way to signal to her this wasn't the time for idle chitchat.

"Yeah, I know that. But...umm..." she began to say, only to feel her words vanishing in her throat, at a loss for words when he spoke to her so coldly. "But what?" he said in a more impatient sigh, both arms folding against his thick chest.

"I just want you to know that none of this is your fault. In spite of these setbacks, we all still really do appreciate everything you've done for us. We wouldn't have made it nearly as far as we did if it hadn't been for your leadership." Saeko finally confessed, showing a sense of admiration for his efforts despite how much he was struggling to do so.

"Okay," was all he could utter in disinterest before turning away to continue his salvaging, leaving the blade expert at a momentary pause before she formed an agitated frown. "'Okay'? That's it?" she prodded, leaning beside him on the hood of the car while he continued to avoid eye contact with her.

"Oh, was I meant to say more?" Frasier questioned bitterly, almost acting like he was being interrogated. "No, I guess not. But...just 'okay'?" Saeko admitted, visibly concerned with how short he was being with her.

 **SLAM!**

"What more do you want from me?! After what you said on that bus, I figured I'd be the last person on Earth you'd be making small talk with!" Frasier snarled after slamming the car door to the point the window imploded. The malice in his voice struck Saeko hard as she tried to withstand his brewing anger, trying to keep calm and composed so he'd hopefully feel the need to do the same.

"I know we haven't said much to each other since then, but you have to understand that at the time, I was absolutely at a loss. Komuro-kun was dead, and I was beyond angry. I was completely lost…to the point I blamed it all on the last person I should've." Saeko began to explain, holding back the regret and sadness that filled her heart from all this, wanting nothing more than for him to just accept her friendship again.

"You put the blame on me. Despite all I'd done for this group, for you...it didn't matter how much blood I had to spill so the others wouldn't need to. It still wasn't enough for you," the eldest Lawson ranted on, no longer restraining his feelings, making it painfully clear how he felt about their time together since they were reunited.

Unable to say anything that wouldn't result in her voice cracking from the sorrow weighing on her heart, Saeko simply placed a hand on his scruffy cheek; hoping to ease the frustration and contempt that ate away at his heart. However, he bitterly rejected her affection and care, pulling her wrist aside before releasing it with little hesitation.

"I don't need you. I don't need anyone else to do what I do. You want someone to lament your personal shit to? Tell it to Shizuka-sensei. I'm done being an emotional pillar for you." Frasier said with such hateful scorn, it left Saeko dead silent before she had to turn away to hide the tears trickling down her cheeks. The young woman silently stormed away, wishing that she'd just left him alone to begin with.

Once she was out of sight, the young man realized what he'd just done. Had this been a month ago, he would've instantly tried to apologize; but the last few weeks left him in a constant state of alert. Any past attempts of bonding with most of the group felt pointless, or like just another distraction he didn't need right now. His obsession to get the group to Tokyo far outweighed anything else. Eventually, he rationalized that it was all for the best, to ensure she couldn't get to him like she used to. There could be no distractions anymore if they were to survive the long road ahead.

Over the course of the day, it seemed like the desperate survivors had gathered everything that was worth taking along this lonely stretch of road. While it wasn't much, it was enough to keep them going for another few days until they would have to gather more. Several bags lay scattered near the bus while the group took a moment to collect themselves. Marcus then approached with a full canister in one hand, and a tube in the other.

"Got us some petrol. It should be enough to backtrack and then some," he announced as Frasier nodded with a silent approval behind it, somewhat relieved this failed route hadn't been entirely for nothing.

"We found a lot of water in a delivery truck. Help yourselves." Rei announced, both she and Johann struggling to carry the last of the water jugs. Alice was the first to hold up a cup, only for the large plastic jugs to start being pulled away.

"These need to be conserved. We'll need it if we wish to make it to the remaining route." Frasier interjected as he began hoisting the heavy water jugs to the back of the bus two-by-two.

A look of disappointment filled Alice's face, only to look surprised when he came back with bottled water in hand. The seemingly cold leader had to hold his smile back, sitting beside her on the steps as she twisted the cap off and started drinking away at it. Just when the little girl seemed finished, she suddenly began to pour some of it onto her hands.

"What are you doing, Alice-chan?" Kiriko asked, the others equally curious as she suddenly put both hands on Frasier's head. Her little fingers rustled through his hair as the group looked at her like she'd lost her mind, hoping Frasier wouldn't snap at her like Saya had.

"His hair is long enough for me to play with now. I think it looks better this way," Alice explained. Oddly enough, Frasier just sat there, allowing it to happen. At first he looked very annoyed by it, but considering it was Alice, he let it slide.

"Well? How do I look? She didn't make me look silly…did she?" Frasier eventually asked once Alice stopped long enough for them to see she brushed his hair upwards to form a, albeit rather messy and crude, fohawk. "I'd kill for a camera right about now." Saeko mumbled just loud enough for the others to hear. Never once had she, or anyone else, seen his hair like this before.

"It's...different." Tadashi added, not really sure what to make of it, though he could tell by the other's expressions it was a most rare sight.

"Cripes...this shouldn't be so significant..." Noah began to express, still clearly in shock at the sight before him. "…but it's like looking at a bloody unicorn." Marcus finished, both siblings trying to grasp this most bizarre sight. "I think it looks very handsome." Shizuka said in her usual bubbly tone before Frasier had finally had enough, too embarrassed to allow their staring to go on any longer.

"Okay, show's over," the eldest Lawson stammered before ruffling it up back to his former messy look. "We shouldn't be wasting our time with childish nonsense. It'll be sundown soon," he continued, not even aware of how upset Alice looked when he rejected his new hairstyle.

"Well...I thought it looked good." Alice sighed with disappointment, walking back into the bus as Frasier's eyes slightly widened when realizing what he'd just done. "Wow, smooth." Rika commented disapprovingly while he simply ignored the remark and pressed on to load up the supplies.

Suddenly, a low rumbling could be felt all around. The group looked around to see the bus and cars tremble and sway. Before anyone could even guess what was going on, the massive mudslide just up ahead began to shift; crashing further in as numerous rocks and boulders rolled down the slope and crashed into the cars below. As if on cue, all the vehicles began to go off, their alarms ringing loud enough to cause everyone's blood to freeze, knowing what was now to come.

"M-Maybe 'They' are too far away to notice?" Rei shouted, as it was hard to hear amid the deafening racket. "Yeah, and maybe there'll be a rescue team ready to evacuate us to a remote island paradise any second!" Saya sarcastically chimed in, earning a look of annoyance from Rei, even if it was wishful thinking to believe that 'They' wouldn't show up to all this commotion.

"What's going on?" Alice asked worriedly as she rushed to the emergency exit door, only for Miku to usher her back inside. "Stay here. We'll see what's going on," the young teen ordered, trying to keep the little girl calm as best she could; even if she herself was terrified of what was undoubtedly soon to come.

"Ah, bloody hell. Eyes upfront! We've got movement to the north!" Frasier called out as he motioned everyone to look forward. To both their surprise and horror, over a dozen figures began to rise from within the mudslide, slowly but surely prying themselves out bit-by-bit, some even losing limbs to escape.

"Should we take shots now? Those things can't move very well while stuck in all that mud," Noah pointed out, the others already lining up their shots, just waiting for their leader's command to open fire. "We really don't have much ammo to spare. Let's try to load up the rest of our supplies while there's still time," Frasier ordered, keeping his eyes fixated on the corpses violently thrashing in an attempt to break free while the rest of the group started gathering the bags.

Zeke meanwhile could be heard barking in the opposite direction of the mudslide. Normally, the survivors would react swiftly when they heard him yapping excessively; but with the car alarms still going off, it was near impossible to hear him. Johann soon noticed the pup snarling and baring his teeth at something. He started to reach over to pick up the small dog. However, at the last second, he came face to face with a massive undead man wearing what looked like the tattered remains of a basketball jersey.

"Oh God! We've got some back here too!" Johann announced in a panic before he was pinned against the bus, one foot keeping him barely balanced as the other pressed into the chest of the burly corpse that refused to let him go. "What...?!" Frasier growled, as he turned around only to pause at the sight of several dozen more of 'Them' moving in from their rear flank.

"Johann!" both Rei and Kiriko shouted the instant they saw it. Johann clearly wouldn't last another ten seconds against such a powerful foe. Luckily, Saeko was close enough for her blade to reach. With one precise swipe, the arms came clean off, the body slumping forward. Johann ducked down just in time to avoid his face getting chewed off. The zombified athlete's face smashed into the bus, leaving a putrid smear of blood and pus while Johann rolled away.

Without hesitation, Rei fired a single round into the ear hole; the shot blasting whatever contents of the head were left all over the side of the bus. Johann scrambled to get back on his feet with Saeko's help. He shot her a nod of gratitude before she went off to take down a pack drawing very close to the emergency exit door.

"I didn't give an order to shoot! Don't fire unless—" Frasier snapped, trying to maintain trigger discipline before he glanced back to see the first group of 'Them' from the mud were now free and moving in on the group as well. Within minutes, they'd all be surrounded without a chance to escape. "Such madness...weapons free! Open fire!" the young leader muttered at first, realizing this wasn't the time to be holding back anymore.

Without needing any further words, those armed with firearms began to take shots at the closest of 'Them', covering the others trying to drag the supplies back towards the bus.

"Quick, get up on the roofs!" Kiriko ordered as they were forced drop their haul in order to escape the numerous undead pressing in from both sides. The cars rocked a bit as the survivors climbed aboard to narrowly escape numerous hands that now reached out for them.

"Please tell me there's a plan!" Kohta shouted up to Frasier, firing several shots into a pack that were heading towards the car Shizuka and Rika were on.

Frasier meanwhile surveyed the area, trying to find some sort of tactical advantage they'd missed before. Just when it seemed like they were going to have to rely on the last of the ammo, he realized they had just one advantage that could turn the tide of battle.

"This highway is on a slope. Cover me!" he announced before jumping down from the armored bus, Saeko following right behind him while the others carefully placed their shots; making a great effort to not waste a single bullet or shell. Frasier and Saeko rushed down towards the end of the traffic pileup, the main bulk of 'Them' that were pushing up from the rear drawing nearer with each passing second.

"You know what you're doing, right?" the young swordswoman called out as she cut down an undead woman in a torn up robe that was mere inches away from sinking its jagged nails into his back; watching as he busted a window only to start pushing down on the emergency brake.

"I always know what I'm doing! Now start releasing those emergency breaks," the headstrong leader ordered with a shout before he began to push the car with all his might. The wheels slowly turned until it began to finally gain some momentum. Both watched as the vehicle suddenly sped up, rolling over several of 'Them' caught in the way while sending numerous others tumbling over. While it didn't kill that many, it was certainly going to slow some down.

He and Saeko worked side by side now to break up the oncoming horde. Several cars were released before the two of them had to fall back to regroup with the others. Some even managed to collide and momentarily distract some of 'Them'.

Marcus meanwhile tried to keep his cool, refueling the bus so they could escape as soon as possible; all the shouting, gunfire, and shuffling of feet nearby making it so hard to concentrate. He had to check over his shoulder constantly to make sure nothing was about to get him. The pressure of the others relying on him to help them get out of this mess wasn't helping either.

"Those ones from the mud are really going to be a problem! Too many cars to protect and conceal 'Them'." Noah called out to the others, taking several shots at an undead police officer before his gun made that dreaded click.

"Take shots at the ones you can see! We have to buy Marcus more time!" Rika said, catching a glimpse of several of 'Them' lined up behind a windshield. With little hesitation she took the shot, watching as the glass shattered before three corpses collapsed at once. A look of satisfaction took over as she turned around and fired another series of shots in quick succession.

However, the others weren't having nearly as much success, practically counting down the last of their bullets before having to move closer and closer to the bus. Despite spending the last few weeks practicing and honing their skills whenever possible, the lack of a proper rest and their increasingly desperate situation took a huge toll on their accuracy. While some shots would hit, most were in a leg, torso or arm, which didn't even remotely halt 'Them'.

"Marcus, we have to go!" Frasier announced at the top of his lungs, motioning him to hurry up as their time had officially run out. "Not yet! We need more if this trip was to be worth anything," the middle Lawson roared back, refusing to give up so soon. He was beyond adamant in ensuring the bus' fuel tank was filled with everything he'd salvaged.

Just as he fitted another hose to a jerry can, a reanimated JGSDF trooper managed to push through the defender's lines. Marcus looked up at it, making eye contact for a brief moment with those lifeless gray eyes, only to roll aside to avoid being grabbed. Grabbing a nearby hammer, he took a swing at the helmet strapped to its head.

 **THWACK!**

"Shit," he grumbled when it had very little effect on the reinforced helmet. It merely left a dent, as the force of the impact had only caused the undead trooper to stumble back a couple steps.

Just when he thought he'd have to make a risky move to get underneath the helmet, Frasier jumped down and kicked the back of the knees forward, using his knife to slice the strap clinging to the chin, his free hand prying the helmet off in a single motion. Without hesitation, Marcus went in for the kill, repeatedly slamming the hammer down until the metal head was wedged in the messy pulp of skull and brain matter; clinging to it despite how hard the young Brit tried to pull it out.

"Forget it! We're pulling back now!" Frasier ordered as he pulled on Marcus' arm, only for his brother to pull away with very little effort. "Five minutes! I just need five minutes to fill up the last three—" Marcus began to insist, only to stop short when Frasier kicked them over and sealed the gas cap, earning a look of utter contempt from Marcus before he glared right back at him. Despite how bad they wanted to argue over this, this was not the time or place to do it.

"Fall back! All of you get up on the roof of the bus," the eldest Lawson called out to those still in the heat of battle, holding both hands together to start lifting those that hadn't made it onboard. "Son of a bitch." Marcus grumbled out of spite as he was lifted up to the roof of the bus, hating that he couldn't fill up just a bit longer before opening the emergency hatch to let the others inside.

"Come on, take my hand!" Johann called out as Frasier leapt up and grabbed onto it. At first Johann seemed to have him, only to suddenly lose his grip. Frasier hit the ground hard, rolling between several of 'Them' before crawling beneath a car to avoid being pounced on.

"Go! Go! Get this thing moving! I'll catch up!" he ordered, coughing violently as he motioned for Shizuka to take off immediately.

While it was by no means easy for her to potentially leave someone behind, Shizuka knew she had to look out for the others as well. The dead already pressing against the front of the bus also helped persuade her into quickly shift into reverse and starting the official retreat. Several of 'Them' were plowed aside as the bus powered through the oncoming crowds.

"How's he going to get onboard? He knows we can't open these doors and risk 'Them' getting in, right?" Saya asked nervously, uncertain how they'd be able to reunite with their leader. She could only watch as he pulled himself on top of a car before he started to run along them in attempt to keep up with the fleeing bus. "Oh, he knows. Get ready to intercept him by that water truck." Saeko noted as she could see exactly where they'd be crossing paths.

"Come on...come on..." Noah murmured in anticipation as he gripped the back of a seat. Every last second left him anxious, knowing his brother would have little chance of catching up if he was left behind here.

"Slow down, just enough for him to catch up!" Saeko called out as she could see he needed just a little more time to catch up, ready to jump out to help him if need be. "Wait! We have to move faster! If we stall, those things are going to flip us over!" Kiriko warned, the group anxiously looking around as if expecting someone to come up with a plan that didn't involve risking either side.

Unable to handle the intense stress and responsibility, Shizuka pressed on the gas pedal as hard as she could, ramming through several car bumpers just as Frasier was a few rows behind. Just when it seemed like she was prepared to abandon him, the nurse pulled the bus around, slamming on the brakes as she opened up the rear emergency exit doors.

 **SCREECH!**

Rika and Kiriko provided covering fire, clearing a small path for him to use. Moments later, with what seemed like thirty following him, Frasier climbed aboard; huffing for air as Rika pulled the emergency door shut.

"We're all here! Floor it," she announced, watching as Shizuka spared no time in putting her foot to the gas pedal again, leaving the walking nightmare far behind as they could finally collect themselves.

"We made it? Oh my goodness, that was way too close. Is everyone alright?" Shizuka announced out of sheer relief, looking around to see nobody was hurt. While her radiant enthusiasm was welcome, the others couldn't exactly show it after nearly being overwhelmed by 'Them' again.

"I just hope these supplies are worth the last of the ammunition we gathered from that police substation." Tadashi grunted before emptying out his revolver out the window, the casings bouncing and chiming against the road before rolling into a nearby ditch.

"Let's find out and take a look at the haul. Go on, Noah." Frasier said with what little enthusiasm he had to spare. His youngest brother nodded before walking down to inspect what they'd just risked their lives for.

However, the lack of any response after over a minute began to raise concerns.

"Well? What's the hold up, lad?" Frasier called out from the front, trying to keep patient as he could see his brother just standing there, frozen in place.

"It's...it's..." Noah began to stammer, his body trembling while his voice practically cracked. "It's what? Speak up now." Frasier demanded, his patience beginning to wear thin.

"It's not here! There's nothing here!" Noah finally called out in horror as the others rushed over to see he was telling the truth, each one looking in despair at the soul-crushing realization.

"We must've left it behind on the road during our getaway." Johann muttered, looking to see what little they'd managed to bring back. Only the water he and Rei gathered seemed to make it, along with a little bit of gas Tadashi had siphoned.

"You mean…all that...was for nothing?!" Saya said, practically saying what everyone was thinking now.

"M-Maybe we could go back in a few hours? It's not like 'They' will get into any of it." Rei suggested, doing what little she could to help maintain what miniscule of their morale was now left. "It's no use now. We'd end up wasting what little gas we just salvaged trying to go back." Saeko shot down her suggestion, knowing it wasn't worth even trying to entertain such a hopeless idea. The group then looked over when Frasier suddenly stormed past them, heading directly for the front of the bus.

"Stop! STOP THE FUCKING BUS THIS INSTANT!" Frasier roared as Shizuka looked back at him, too afraid to question his orders before putting her foot on the brakes. "What are you-?" Noah began to ask, only for his brother to kick the exit door wide open, surveying the area before drawing his knife for all to see.

At first they were uncertain what had sparked such an erratic and belligerent decision to stop the bus. However, when Rika shined a flashlight on their leader, they could see him dispatching several of 'Them' that had been wandering by; viciously butchering each one in a bloodied frenzy fueled by the rage of yet another failure.

"Probably better we just let him have this. It sure as hell beats him taking it out on the rest of us for this mess." Rika advised. Nobody even considered going out there to stop the young man's rampage. Not even for a second.

 _Minutes later…_

What was expected to be several hours, turned out to only be a few minutes. Several corpses were strung out on the road, each one more brutalized than the last. At the end of the bloody, viscera-strewn trail, Frasier himself could be seen sitting amid his handy work, breathing hard and heavy, clearly worn out and hungry from his momentary episode.

While most of the group was understandably hesitant to even consider approaching him, Rika and Saeko were brave enough to stand before him. Sweat trickled down his face as he finished wiping the blood from his blade. He then slowly looked up at them with an anguished look.

"You good to go?" Rika asked bluntly while looking at the nearby corpses, noticing how each one had been dismembered and disemboweled with almost animal-like ferocity. "Yeah…I think so." Frasier grumbled, starting to stand back up, only to immediately sit back down, as if he was too tired to even pull himself up.

"Here, let me help you up." Saeko offered with an extended hand. A warm smile could be seen on her face as his hand began reaching up for hers.

However, at the last second, his hand moved past hers only to grasp a water bottle Rika was offering him at the side. Within seconds, he'd chugged the entire thing before crushing the plastic bottle and tossing it aside, managing to get up the second time around with little trouble.

"Thanks," he responded before marching back towards the bus, stumbling slightly before he climbed aboard again. He could be seen motioning the others to prepare to move out once more.

"Don't feel bad. You just need to know what a man needs at a time like this." Rika said in a soft voice, slightly pursing her lips as she could see the young man's choice had clearly affected the group's sword master.

Saeko just kept her head down while Rika moved on without her. She formed a sudden fist as she tried not to shed a tear from what just happened, knowing she shouldn't be jealous, despite it being all she could understand right now. Rika's words certainly didn't help either. A serious sense of doubt weighed on her heart now. She took one last sigh before she returned to the bus.

The hulking vehicle took off moments before more of 'Them' could catch up. With spirits down, barely enough food to last the night, and little to no fuel left, the group wasn't going to last another week.


End file.
